Jean Ragnotti: “My pleasure was driving. The titles, I didn't care »

It’s not easy to stop “The Acrobat” from your busy schedule! Between two invitations to come and meet the public on the circuits, and before leaving to spend the winter in Malaysia where his second home is located, the king of the 360° looked back on certain highlights of a career as rich as an adventure novel. All with a sparkling eye and a sense of humor always heightened from the height of his 77 years.

Published on 28/10/2022 à 12:15

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Jean Ragnotti: “My pleasure was driving. The titles, I didn't care »

Hello Jean Ragnotti! We are in Dijon-Prenois, for the 50th anniversary of the circuit, and we tried to find a car that symbolized your career, and we discovered this Renault, a little special…

Yes, it’s “my” car in a way! It's an R5 TS Monte-Carlo limited series from 1978. Renault launched it to celebrate my second place in the Monte-Carl' with the R5 Alpine Group 2. Its four-cylinder only developed 137 horsepower and yet we gave Jean-Pierre Nicolas a cold sweat on his Porsche 911! As a result, Renault took over the colors of sponsor Calberson for this special series. Ah but I recognize this copy, I signed it with a permanent marker! (He will then sign the hood of a Renault Kangoo which passed near him. Editor’s note)

You are also known for your jokes. Some are known, but I would like you to shed some light on the outcome of the 1970 French Rally Championship, because I find it hard to believe it...

However, this is the reality. I was an amateur driver on an Opel Kadett, with only one support vehicle and one mechanic. I was leading the championship ahead of Jean-Claude Andruet, official driver Alpine. We were on the Tour de Corse, an event where the straight lines can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I saw one, about 200 meters away, at the end of which stood a group of journalist friends. The road made a left turn which closed, followed by a tight “right”, at