Video. The highlights of Didier Auriol's career

First French world rally champion
The year 1994 will remain as Didier Auriol's masterpiece with the title won in the company of his co-driver Bernard Occelli on a Toyota Official Celica Turbo, the first for France while France had obtained a Manufacturer's title thanks to Alpine from the first season in 1973.

However, the campaign began in a worrying way with an accident at Monte-Carlo, followed by an engine failure in Greece. The middle of the season allows him to relaunch with three victories (Tour de Corse, Argentina, Sanremo), enough to place him advantageously for the final at the RAC, in Great Britain.

At the start of the last stage, Carlos Sainz (Subaru) can be crowned provided it keeps its second place, Didier Auriol being only ninth after an exit. The Spaniard was also trapped by the muddy road and his rival won the duel.

Record for wins in a season (…until 2004)
Certainly, the number of six wins in one season (directed by Didier Auriol in 1992) can make you smile if you adopt a contemporary perspective. Sebastian Loeb won 10 rounds in 2005, Sébastien Ogier gleaned eight in 2015, among others.
However, in the 1990s, competition was raging in WRC. The colossal financial resources deployed by manufacturers made it possible to have a greater variety of official cars than currently, the calendars were lighter and above all, no driver dominated the discipline. So many reasons to put into perspective the series of six rallies won by Didier Auriol on his Lancia.

Record victories at the Tour de Corse
Didier Auriol won the Rally to the 10 turns six times, just like Bernard Darniche. It's once again better than Sébastien Loeb. His first success came in 1988, in a Group A Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, when he was only an intermittent in the world show that year.

Engaged by the official Lancia team in 1989, Didier Auriol did it again with the Delta Integrale in 1989, 1990 and 1992. The change to a Toyota Celica 4WD in 1994 hardly disturbed him, and he recorded a final victory on the Isle of Beauty in 1995.

Proof of his attachment to the Corsican event, this summer Didier Auriol is restoring the exact Ford Sierra used in 1988, with a view to participating in the historic Tour de Corsica (October 8-13) to celebrate 30 years since his victory in 1988.

First Frenchman to win the Rally of Finland
In a period where Didier Auriol very often represented the only tricolor chance among the Scandinavians, winning the Finnish rally constituted a sort of Holy Grail. What the Frenchman accomplished during the 1992 edition was therefore a real feat. On his Lancia Integrale in the legendary Martini Racing colors, Didier Auriol wins 40 seconds ahead of the Flying Finns Juha Kankkunen (Lancia), Markku Alén (Toyota) and Ari Vatanen (Subaru).

Race of Champions record holder
The Race of Champions (now called the Race of Champions) did not always take place in a football stadium amid general indifference. A festive meeting of rally and circuit drivers, the meeting created by Michèle Mouton and Fredrik Johnson in 1988 has had 12 editions in the Canary Islands (Spain), now considered the golden age of this competition.

The course (mainly on dirt) was much more technical and more rewarding for drivers from rallying backgrounds. Didier Auriol was crowned Champion of Champions four times, in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1999. This is once again one victory better than Sébastien Loeb!