A Whiz on Asphalt

Gilles Panizzi is the oldie among the three BRR pilots. To be more exact, the oldie with the outstanding driving skills: the Frenchman is a master on asphalt and thus the ideal coach for team rookie Andreas Aigner.

At age 40, Gilles Panizzi is one of the most experienced drivers on the international rally scene. The Frenchman entered his first rally in 1987 – about the time that his Red Bull Skoda teammate Andreas Aigner was trying out a tricycle for the first time. The high likelihood that Panizzi will celebrate his 20th year in the business next season is not just a function of his racing fever, which is still burning hot, but also, and especially, because of his outstanding driving skills on asphalt. In the course of his career Panizzi has won seven world-championship races: San Remo three times, twice in Spain, once in Corsica – all of them rallies with a high percentage of asphalt. The Frenchman will also spend most of his time on the Red Bull Skoda Team on the tarmac: following his first appearance at the Monte Carlo Rally, where despite a few problems he finished a respectable tenth, he is already making plans for Corsica and Spain.

Family Business with Speed

A father of two, Panizzi is considered a real family man. His brother Hervé Panizzi, for example, has been his copilot since 1988. The Panizzi brothers spent their early years driving the Opel Manta, Renault 5 and Lancia Delta Integrale, but in 1992 became a factory driver for Peugeot – an important step in the further success of his career. In 1996 and 1997 he took the French Rally Championship, and in 2002 he won three championship victories (and finished sixth in the overall world championship). In 2004 he switched to Mitsubishi, and made his best showing in 2005, placing third in his home town of Monte Carlo.

Productive Changes

This year, driving a Skoda Fabia, he was again moving fast in Monte Carlo, placing fourth after the first day, but dropping back to sixth place because of a damaged suspension and brakes. Nevertheless, he’s optimistic about the coming races: “Of course we had some problems. But the experience with the car and the resulting changes that Skoda made during the rally are totally promising. This car still has loads of potential.”