Gilles Panizzi

Gilles Panizzi

Panizzi in 2005
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	(1965-09-19) 19 September 1965 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1990–2006
Co-driver	Hervé Panizzi
Teams	Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Skoda Motorsport
Rallies	71
Championships	0
Rally wins	7
Podiums	14
Stage wins	91
Total points	134
First rally	1990 Monte Carlo Rally
First win	2000 Tour de Corse
Last win	2003 Rally Catalunya
Last rally	2006 Rally Catalunya

Gilles Panizzi (born 19 September 1965) is a French former rally driver.

Panizzi was born in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes. Like many of his fellow rally racing countrymen, Panizzi spent a great deal of his developmental driving years participating in asphalt rally events throughout his native land.

Panizzi driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution at the 2005 Cyprus Rally.

In 1996 and 1997, Panizzi won the French Championship title in a Peugeot-backed (funded) 306 kit car. It was at that point that he was nominated to drive for Peugeot as their resident asphalt (tarmac/sealed-surface) expert.

Between 1999 and 2003 Panizzi had great success in his role as Peugeot's tarmac expert. He won a total of seven World Rally Championship rounds in this period - all on tarmac. However, Panizzi's inability to match his rivals pace on gravel, mud, and snow precluded him from challenging for the world title while at Peugeot. Panizzi had an embarrassing moment during the 2000 Safari Rally, where he and his brother and co-driver Herve were behind the slower car of Argentine driver Roberto Sanchez, who had not moved over despite being ordered to do so was kicking up dust and blinding the irate Panizzi, who picked up two punctures thanks to the stones thrown up by Sanchez's car. The Panizzi brothers were so furious that after the end of the stage they both ran up to Sanchez's car, opened the door and started physically assaulting the Argentine driver, both trying to pull Sanchez out of his car. The Panizzi brothers actions landed them both a $50,000 fine. He is the only WRC driver to do a (famous) 360 spin at the Viladrau hairpin, which he did at the 2002 Rally Catalunya.

In 2004, Mitsubishi Motor Sports recruited Panizzi and his co-driver and brother, Hervé, to lead the company's charge back in the World Rally Championship.

In the 2005 season, Panizzi was replaced in the lead car by Harri Rovanperä, and guested in the second car with Gianluigi Galli. He finished third at the Monte Carlo Rally, the first event of the season, but only scored points in one other event.

In 2006, he was signed by the semi-privateer Red Bull Škoda team. Despite a strong performance in the opening rally of the season in Monte Carlo, he expressed his dissatisfaction at the performance of his car, and after a disappointing showing in Spain, he announced his departure from the team, and was replaced by his former Peugeot teammate Harri Rovanperä.

Panizzi later participated in 2 Intercontinental Rally Challenge events - the 2007 Rallye Sanremo with the Peugeot 207 S2000 and 2010 Rallye Sanremo with Proton Satria Neo S2000, finishing respectively 8th and 22nd.

The 2021 Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine saw Panizzi's one-off rallying return. He used a Hyundai i20 R5, finishing 15th overall.

WRC victories

Gilles Panizzi at the 2005 Cyprus Rally

#	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	44ème V-Rally Tour de Corse - Rallye de France	2000	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
2	42º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia	2000	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
3	43º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia	2001	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
4	46ème Rallye de France - Tour de Corse	2002	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
5	38º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)	2002	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
6	44º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia	2002	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC
7	39º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)	2003	Hervé Panizzi	Peugeot 206 WRC

Complete WRC results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1990	Gilles Panizzi	Lancia Delta Integrale	MON 16	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	AUS	ITA	CIV	GBR					NC	0
1993	Gilles Panizzi	Peugeot 106 XSi	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA Ret	GRE	ARG	NZL	FIN	AUS	ITA	ESP	GBR				NC	0
1995	Peugeot Sport	Peugeot 306 S16	MON	SWE	POR	FRA 12	NZL	AUS	ESP	GBR									NC	0
1997	Peugeot Sport	Peugeot 306 Maxi	MON	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP 3	FRA 3	ARG	GRE	NZL	FIN	IDN	ITA	AUS	GBR			10th	8
1998	Peugeot Sport	Peugeot 306 Maxi	MON 9	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP 6	FRA 4	ARG	GRE	NZL		ITA 5	AUS					12th	6
	Gilles Panizzi	Peugeot 106 Rallye										FIN 35
		Subaru Impreza WRX													GBR Ret
1999	Gilles Panizzi	Subaru Impreza WRC 98	MON Ret	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP												10th	6
	Peugeot Esso	Peugeot 206 WRC						FRA Ret	ARG	GRE	NZL	FIN 33	CHN	ITA 2	AUS	GBR 7
2000	Peugeot Esso	Peugeot 206 WRC	MON Ret	SWE	KEN Ret	POR	ESP 6	ARG	GRE	NZL	FIN	CYP	FRA 1	ITA 1	AUS Ret	GBR 8			7th	21
2001	Peugeot Total	Peugeot 206 WRC	MON Ret	SWE		ESP 2	ARG						ITA 1	FRA 2	AUS 9				8th	22
	H.F. Grifone SRL				POR 12			CYP Ret	GRE Ret	KEN	FIN 14	NZL				GBR Ret
2002	Peugeot Total	Peugeot 206 WRC	MON 7		FRA 1	ESP 1	CYP 10	ARG Ret		KEN 6	FIN	GER	ITA 1	NZL 7	AUS				6th	31
	Bozian Racing			SWE 16					GRE Ret							GBR 11
2003	Marlboro Peugeot Total	Peugeot 206 WRC	MON Ret	SWE						GER 10	FIN	AUS	ITA 2	FRA 6	ESP 1				10th	27
	Bozian Racing				TUR 5	NZL	ARG	GRE 7	CYP Ret							GBR Ret
2004	Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 04	MON 6	SWE Ret	MEX 8	NZL Ret	CYP Ret	GRE 10	TUR Ret	ARG 7	FIN 11	GER Ret	JPN	GBR	ITA	FRA	ESP 12	AUS	13th	6
2005	Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 05	MON 3	SWE	MEX 8	NZL	ITA	CYP 11	TUR	GRE	ARG	FIN	GER	GBR	JPN 11	FRA Ret	ESP	AUS	15th	7
2006	Red Bull Škoda	Škoda Fabia WRC	MON 10	SWE	MEX	ESP 10	FRA	ARG	ITA	GRE	GER	FIN	JPN	CYP	TUR	AUS	NZL	GBR	NC	0

Sources

• WRC.com - the official World Rally Championship website.
• Official Website - note: inactive as of April 2006