Michèle Mouton receives FIA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 120th FIA Awards Ceremony

At the 120th FIA Awards in Rwanda, Michèle Mouton, the most successful female rally driver, made history once again and was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for her 50-year career.

Photo credits: FIA / DPPI

At the 120th annual FIA awards ceremony in Rwanda, Frenchwoman Michèle Mouton was able to make history once again, more than 40 years after her first rally victory.

For the first time in the history of the FIA Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented - and the honor went to a woman who has been active in motorsport for over 50 years and is now retiring: Michèle Mouton, born in France in 1951, is still known today as the fastest and most successful female rally driver of all time, and rightly so.

During her active career as a driver spanning from 1974 to 1986, Mouton competed in 50 championship rallies and was able to collect 4 victories, 9 podiums and over 200 championship points.

In 1981, she became the first woman to win a rally championship race at the San Remo Rally, driving an Audi Quattro. The following year, she achieved additional victories and top placements, narrowly missing out on the overall rally championship title against Walter Röhrl in 1982. Nevertheless, Mouton and her teammates claimed the manufacturers' championship that year.

Her success extended beyond the world rally scene: in 1984, she won the Open Car class at the prestigious Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, becoming the first woman to secure overall victory and setting a new track record in the process. In her last active year as a driver, she was the only woman to win the German Rally Championship. For these and other achievements, she was named ADAC Motorsport Athlete of the Year.

Over her career as a driver, which began and ended with the Rally France, she drove for several iconic manufacturers, including Audi, Fiat, Peugeot, Alpine, Lancia, and Autobianchi.

However, she could not stay away from motorsport: together with her then partner Fredrik Johnsson, she co-founded and organized the Race of Champions since 1988, a unique event where the best drivers from various disciplines compete in a knockout format. Since 2011, she has been the manager of the FIA WRC and was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French President. Her extraordinary motorsport career was also told in the 2021 documentary Queen of Speed.

Her legacy in motorsport continued when in 2010 she was appointed as the first President of the FIA's Women & Motor Sport Commission, overseeing crucial projects that contributed to the progression of women in the sport in the last decade.

It is therefore more than understandable that an inspiring figure like Mouton is still being honored 50 years after her first rally - and for the first time in the 120-year history of the FIA’s annual awards ceremony, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented.

The accolade is intended to honor individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the sport, and was presented by FIA President Mohammed Bin Sulayem personally. After a brief introduction by the visibly surprised award-winner Michèle Mouton, a short film summarized her successes and included tributes from other motorsport icons.

Among others, eight-time rally champion Sébastien Ogier referred to her as the greatest female driver in the sport, while Pernilla Solberg, President of the WRC Commission, praised her as an enduring source of inspiration. The FIA President also found words of praise afterwards and emphasized the special nature of her achievements before the era of electronic aids in today's vehicles.

Mouton, visibly moved, expressed gratitude for the recognition: "I was not expecting this honor, thank you very much,“ she stated. "I don’t know what to say. Time passes so quickly. I have been in motorsport for 50 years, 15 as a driver, 20 in the Race of Champions and 15 with the FIA. I am happy with what we have achieved as a team. Now I am handing over the stage to the younger ones, knowing that they will do well.”

After a round of applause, Mouton collected herself and returned to present the awards to the winners of this year’s FIA WRC Championships. Her Lifetime Achievement Award marks a fitting conclusion to a remarkable career, as she steps into retirement.

Other women were also celebrated at the 2023 FIA Awards. Klara Anderson received the award for the Rallycross Maneuver of the Year for her brilliant use of the joker lap in Hungary, which allowed her to skillfully position herself between the two leaders and secure a podium position.

Other awarded female drivers include Swiss racer Jndia Erbacher, who took the FIA European Drag Racing Championship title in the Top Fuel class, and Saudi off-road star Dania Akeel, who secured the FIA Middle East Baja Cup title.

In rallying, women co-drivers continue to receive widespread recognition for their accomplishments. Enni Mälkönen received the prize for her FIA WRC2 Championship and FIA WRC Challenger Championship for Co-Drivers; Fátima Ameneiro Teijeiro was awarded the FIA European Rally Trophy for Co-Drivers and Valentina Pertegani the FIA World Rally Raid Championship Challenger for Co-Drivers.