Jean Ragnotti
Renault 5 Turbo · Tour de Corse winner 1982 & 1985
The showman of French rallying. Jean Ragnotti could make a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive Renault dance on asphalt, and he won the Tour de Corse twice in the Group B era, the second time on the debut of the R5 Maxi Turbo.
Episode 7 — The Underdogs: Toyota, Opel, Nissan, Mazda, Renault, Citroën, Porsche & Ferrari
Renault’s turbo specialists.
Renault’s turbo pioneer
Born in 1945 in Pernes-les-Fontaines, Ragnotti built his reputation in Renault 8 Gordinis and Alpines. In 1981 he gave the Renault 5 Turbo its first world championship win on the Monte Carlo Rally, and in Group B he concentrated on the asphalt events that suited the car.
Two Corsican victories
- 1982 Tour de Corse – a dominant win in the R5 Turbo with Jean-Marc Andrié, ahead of Jean-Claude Andruet’s Ferrari.
- 1984 Tour de Corse – third, behind the Lancia 037s of Alén and Biasion.
- 1985 Tour de Corse – victory on the first world championship start of the R5 Maxi Turbo, with Thimonier. The rally was overshadowed by the fatal accident of Attilio Bettega.
He also won the 1984 French championship. In 1986 he switched to Renault’s Group A programme and still finished fourth in Corsica in a Renault 11 Turbo.
Renault’s asphalt ace: Tour de Corse winner in 1982 and on the Maxi Turbo’s debut in 1985.
Style and legacy
Ragnotti was famous for spectacular, sideways driving and for stunt work with Renault; his car-control demonstrations made him one of the most popular drivers in France long after he stopped competing.
Sources differ on Ragnotti’s co-driver in 1985: Jonkka’s World Rally Archive lists Gilles Thimonier for the Tour de Corse, while some biographies name Pierre Thimonier. Statistics on this page cover world championship rallies from January 1982 to December 1986, excluding the annulled 1986 Rallye Sanremo, and are counted from the entry lists and results in Jonkka’s World Rally Archive. ‘Starts’ means appearances on an entry list.
European and national championships
Ragnotti’s 1984 French title came with Pierre Thimonier in a Renault 5 Turbo; they won the Critérium Alpin, the Mont-Blanc and the Tour de France Automobile and beat Guy Fréquelin by 104 points to 85. In 1985 the pair won the Tour de France Automobile and the Alsace-Vosges in the new Maxi 5 Turbo, and the Ypres 24 Hours. See the French championship.
Career in the Group B years
World Rally Championship podiums of the driver, year by year (1982–1986). win 2nd 3rd
2 WRC wins · 3 podium finishes, 1982–1986
In pictures 1 photos
More from Drivers
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN), Jean Ragnotti — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Ragnotti
- Wikipedia (EN), Renault 5 Turbo — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5_Turbo
- Jonkka's World Rally Archive (juwra.com), results and entry lists 1982–1986 — https://www.juwra.com/
All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.
Follow Grouve Sport on YouTube — rally Shorts now, Group B documentaries soon.
SubscribeThumbnail photos on this page: Y.Leclercq (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Rutger van der Maar (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); Carlomarzetti (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0); Liftarn (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain); Midnattssolsrallyt (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Original: _morgado / Derivative work: Danyele (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0).