Bernard Darniche

Last updated
Bernard Darniche
Bernard Darniche au milieu des annees 1970.jpg
Personal information
Nationality Flag of France.svg French
Born (1942-03-28) 28 March 1942 (age 82)
Cenon
World Rally Championship record
Active years1973–1987
Co-driver Flag of France.svg Alain Mahé
Teams Alpine-Renault, Lancia, Audi
Rallies38
Championships 0
Rally wins 7
Podiums11
Stage wins115
Total points87
First rally1973 Monte Carlo Rally
First win 1973 Rally of Morocco
Last win1981 Tour de Corse
Last rally1987 Tour de Corse

Bernard Jean Darniche [1] (born 28 March 1942 in Cenon, a commune in the Gironde department) is a French former rally driver. He won the European Rally Championship in 1976 and 1977 and the French Rally Championship in 1976 and 1978, each time behind the wheel of a Lancia Stratos HF. He also holds the record for most victories in the Tour de Corse which he won six times (1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981), a feat later equalled by Didier Auriol.

Contents

He competed in the first World Rally Championships in 1973, winning the 16th Moroccan Rally and placing second in the 44th Alpine Rally, and was one of the top competitors for the remainder of the decade. He finished third in the inaugural FIA Cup for Rally Drivers in 1977, the first of three successive top ten finishes in the drivers' championship.

He also won the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo in 1979, the event where he holds the record for most wins on the infamous Col de Turini stage, a 1,600 m Alpine mountain pass normally driven in darkness. The so-called "Night of the Long Knives" has seen Darniche victorious on ten occasions.

WRC victories

 # EventSeasonCo-driverCar
1 Flag of Morocco.svg 16ème Rallye du Maroc 1973 Alain Mahé Alpine-Renault A110
2 Flag of France.svg 19ème Tour de Corse 1975 Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
3 Flag of France.svg 21ème Tour de Corse 1977 Alain Mahé Fiat 131 Abarth
4 Flag of France.svg 22ème Tour de Corse 1978 Alain Mahé Fiat 131 Abarth
5 Flag of Monaco.svg 47ème Rallye Monte-Carlo 1979 Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
6 Flag of France.svg 23ème Tour de Corse 1979 Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
7 Flag of France.svg 25ème Tour de Corse 1981 Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF

Complete IMC results

YearEntrantCar123456789
1970 Alpine Renault Alpine-Renault A110 1600 MON SWE ITA KEN AUT
5
GRE GBR
1971 Alpine Renault Alpine-Renault A110 1600 MON
8
SWE ITA
4
KEN MAR AUT GRE GBR
1972 Alpine Renault Alpine-Renault A110 1800 MON
25
SWE KEN MAR GRE AUT ITA USA GBR

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-driversCarClassLapsPos.Class
pos.
1972 Flag of the United States.svg John Greenwood Racing Flag of France.svg Alain Cudini
Flag of the United States.svg John Greenwood
Chevrolet Corvette C3 GTS +5.082DNFDNF
1976 Flag of the United States.svg IMSA
Flag of the United States.svg Greenwood Corvettes
Flag of the United States.svg John Greenwood Chevrolet Corvette Stingray IMSA
GT
29DNFDNF
1978 Flag of France.svg Jean Rondeau Flag of France.svg Jacky Haran
Flag of France.svg Jean Rondeau
Rondeau M378-Cosworth GTP2949th1st
1979 Flag of France.svg Jean Rondeau Flag of France.svg Jean Ragnotti Rondeau M379-Cosworth Gr. 6
S 3.0
2925th1st
1980 Flag of Italy.svg Scuderia Lancia Corsa Flag of Italy.svg Teo Fabi
Flag of Germany.svg Hans Heyer
Lancia Montecarlo TurboGr. 5
SP 2.0
6DNFDNF
1981 Flag of France.svg BMW Italie-France Flag of France.svg Philippe Alliot
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg Johnny Cecotto
BMW M1 Gr. 5Gr. 5
SP +2.0
27816th3rd

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References

  1. "Décret du 13 juillet 1994 portant promotion et nomination" (in French). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
Sporting positions
Preceded by European Rally Champion
1976–1977
Succeeded by