Olivier Panis

Olivier Panis, born on September 2, 1966, is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1994 to 2004. He began his motorsport career in karting before progressing through various junior series, including French Formula 3, where he finished as runner-up in 1991. He clinched the International Formula 3000 Series title in 1993, which paved his way to Formula One.

Panis debuted in F1 with the Ligier team in 1994. His most notable achievement was winning the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix with Ligier, the team's first victory in 15 years. The victory was particularly significant as it was achieved on the challenging street circuit of Monaco. In 1997, while driving for Prost, a serious accident during the Canadian Grand Prix interrupted his career, sidelining him for several races. After his comeback, he drove for BAR-Honda and Toyota before retiring from Formula One in 2006.

After his Formula One career, Panis transitioned to sports car racing. He participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the 12 Hours of Sebring. He also competed in the French GT Championship and the Andros Trophy, winning the latter in 2019 with his son, Aurélien. Since 2016, Panis has been the Team Principal of Panis Racing, remaining active in endurance competitions like the European Le Mans Series.