F1Everything

Jean-Marc Gounon (born 1 January 1963) is a French racing driver. He raced in Formula One in 1993 and 1994, participating in a total of 9 Grands Prix and scoring no championship points. He is the father of fellow racing driver Jules Gounon.

Career

After winning the French Formula 3 Championship in 1989, Gounon moved into International Formula 3000 in 1990. He was the only man to win F3000 races in a non-Reynard in 1991 and 1992, in a RALT and Lola respectively. He also became known for his quick starts, and might have had another win at Enna in 1991, but was controversially adjudged to have jumped the start in the era before electronic detection.

In 1993 Gounon bought a two-race deal with Minardi after Christian Fittipaldi was dropped but he finished neither race, being withdrawn at Suzuka and spinning off in the season-closer, Adelaide's 1993 Australian Grand Prix.

The next year Gounon benefited from Andrea Montermini having broken his leg, and finished 9th for Simtek at his home race, France (Simtek's joint best ever result). He raced in seven grands prix that season and qualified for all of them, being finally replaced after the Portuguese Grand Prix by the better-funded Domenico Schiattarella, ending his F1 career.

Later in his career he went on to drive sports cars.

Original Wikipedia article last retrieved on 26 June 2023.