46 Facts About Olivier Grouillard

Olivier Grouillard progressed to Formula Renault winning the title before Grouillard competed in F3000 from 1985 to 1988 taking two wins.

Olivier Grouillard participated in the Birmingham Superprix but did not start the race.

In 1989, Olivier Grouillard joined the Ligier Formula One team before joining the Osella team for 1990 and 1991 when the team was renamed Fondmetal.

Olivier Grouillard left the sport following the year without receiving offers for a drive in 1993.

Olivier Grouillard became well known for driving in Sports Cars between 1994 and 2001 having success.

Olivier Grouillard retired from motorsport at the end of 2001.

Olivier Grouillard started racing karts from the age of 14 and competed in the Volant Elf in 1981 and progressed to Formula Renault in 1982 and took the title.

In 1983, Olivier Grouillard went into French F3 and drove for the ORECA team racing a Martini Mk39 Alfa Romeo to finish 4th scoring 33 points.

For 1985, Olivier Grouillard competed in the inaugural season of F3000 spending the year mostly confined to qualifying in the midfield but delivered good races along with reliability.

At Mugello, Olivier Grouillard finished 4th despite taking an early lead.

Olivier Grouillard returned to ORECA for 1987 in a March 87B Cosworth.

Olivier Grouillard's performances dropped despite having impressive qualifying record throughout the season.

Olivier Grouillard showed potential during qualifying and was regularly scoring points along with wins.

Olivier Grouillard was slightly injured in a crash during the 1988 Birmingham Superprix sustaining bruised ankles although observers initially thought that Olivier Grouillard had broken both his legs.

Olivier Grouillard was able to start the race but had to run to the pit lane for the spare car after his car suffered a failure with the engine.

Olivier Grouillard raced a series of works and semi-works BMW M3's for BMW in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship and the 1988 European Touring Car Championships.

Olivier Grouillard joined Ligier to fill in the seat left by Stefan Johansson and was the team-mate to Rene Arnoux for 1989.

Olivier Grouillard started outside the top 10 at Monaco and Mexico, finishing 8th in the latter but was unable to qualify in Phoenix and Montreal.

Olivier Grouillard started from 17th at his home race at the French Grand Prix and drove to 6th, despite having issues with the tyres and gearbox, scoring his only World Championship point.

In qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Olivier Grouillard impeded the Lotus of Nelson Piquet by staying on the racing line whilst the Brazilian was on his last flying lap.

Unfortunately this trait seemed to have been passed on to Olivier Grouillard who was fast gaining his own reputation of being a blocker.

Olivier Grouillard joined the Italian Osella team, taking the seat of Nicola Larini, who in return took Olivier Grouillard's seat at Ligier.

Olivier Grouillard was not partnered for 1990 as the financially struggling Osella scaled back their operations, meaning Grouillard had to pre-qualify for the races.

Olivier Grouillard managed to qualify in 8th in Phoenix ahead of Nigel Mansell and Alessandro Nannini which amazed many people in Formula One.

Olivier Grouillard finished 16th at Spa with retirements at Monza and Jerez with wheel bearing problems that plagued the Frenchman throughout the year.

At the season ending Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide, Olivier Grouillard finished 13th and again held up Nigel Mansell during the race which led to the British driver shaking his fist at the Frenchman in front of the on-board camera.

Olivier Grouillard remained with Osella, which had been bought out and renamed to Fondmetal.

Olivier Grouillard retired in his home race at France with an oil leak, and had further failures to pre-qualify at Silverstone and Hockenheim.

In Hungary, Olivier Grouillard managed to get into the main qualifying event, but eventually failed to qualify.

Olivier Grouillard failed to qualify in Portugal, and had to take a spare gearbox, with the old one failing to work.

Olivier Grouillard refused to let the car use a new gearbox, and was sacked a few days later by team boss Gabriele Rumi.

Olivier Grouillard managed to join AGS in the seat vacated by his replacement at Fondmetal, Gabriele Tarquini, for the next race at Catalunya.

Olivier Grouillard was taken on by Ken Tyrrell to drive the Ilmor-powered Tyrrell 020B chassis and was partnered by Italian Andrea de Cesaris.

Olivier Grouillard was learning from de Cesaris' experience, and often qualified in the midfield.

Olivier Grouillard's car had the share of mechanical problems, but managed to finish in San Marino, Canada, France and Britain.

Olivier Grouillard was eventually not wanted by other teams, and left Formula One at the end of the season.

Olivier Grouillard had previous experience in 1990 where he and co-drivers Martin Donnelly and Kenny Acheson qualified 5th at Le Mans but gearbox problems prevented the trio from starting.

Olivier Grouillard came 16th in a Venturi 400 Trophy with Herve Pulain coming in 4th in GT5 class before driving five races in an Agusta Racing Team Venturi 600LM with Christophe Bouchut taking 2nd at Montlehry and 5th at Vallelunga and raced at Le Mans in a Jacadi Racing Venturi 600Lm with Michel Ferte and Michel Neugarten with engine problems ending their race.

The Jacadi connection remained in 1995 with Olivier Grouillard joined by Fabien Giroix in a Giroix Racing Team Jacadi McLaren F1 GTR for 3 rounds in the BPR series with a 5th at Jarama and 2nd at the Nurburgring.

Olivier Grouillard departed for Mach One Racing joining Andy Wallace winning all three rounds the new pairing entered.

Olivier Grouillard remained with Mach One, and Harrods came on board as sponsor.

Olivier Grouillard failed to qualify at Spa in a Friesinger Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2 Evo shared with Wolfgang Kaufmann and at Nogaro driving a BBA Competition Mclaren F1 GTP with Jean-Luc Maury-Lariberre, he failed to finish.

Olivier Grouillard entered the FIA GT Championship in 1997 in a Dave Price Racing Panoz GTP Ford, teamed up with David Brabham and Perry McCarthy and competed in Japanese GT finishing 2nd at Suzuka in a Toyota Supra with Masami Kageyama.

Olivier Grouillard returned to the race in 1998, driving a La Filiere Courage C36 Porsche with Henri Pescarolo and Franck Montagny managing to finish 16th.

For 2000, Olivier Grouillard raced in the American Le Mans Series driving a Courage C52 Peugeot with Sebastien Bourdais coming 6th at Silverstone and entered the Nurburgring round but did not take part in practice.

In 2001, Olivier Grouillard looked to join Pescarolo Sport at Le Mans but was replaced by Boris Derichebourg ending Olivier Grouillard's motorsport career.