Patrick BERNARDINI

Patrick Bernardini’s popularity in Corsica is enormous. If he wanted to, he could become a senator or deputy "for life" and represent the Island of Beauty.

But that is definitely not among his priorities. These are more focused on the well-being of his loved ones, the joy of living, proximity, and defending everything related to the "art of living" in Corsica.

Patrick is the Corsican driver with the finest track record: 2-time French Rally Champion in 1994 and 1995, winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1996, and 5-time top 10 finisher in the Tour de Corse. And when you know the Corsicans' passion for rallying...

Eric HELARY

As small in stature as he is great in talent (may he forgive me, even if this characteristic is not a handicap when you are a single-seater driver), Eric has had a very rich career, even if circumstances did not lead him to F1 as his trajectory suggested. Indeed, he built up a track record and climbed the ranks in single-seaters, becoming French Formula Ford and then F3 Champion, but it eventually "stalled" in F3000 for lack of having the right equipment or the right environment at the right time…

Eric bounced back very quickly, winning the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot and the 905. He then turned towards touring car races, competing in the French Championship and then the very competitive German DTM. To our great delight, Eric still has the bug, and he is increasingly and successfully involved in historic competitions, most of the time at the wheel of 1960s and 70s sports prototypes, which require a bit of finesse to be driven at speed. And since we're talking about Eric, it’s always to win!

Jean Pierre JARIER

Jean Pierre Jarier’s beginnings in motorsport were nothing but courage and tenacity: he did not belong to any of the era’s pipelines, which were then the oil company programs (Elf, Shell, BP, UFP, Motul…), and the "helping hands" he would benefit from came from patron Marcel Arnold and from.... Jean Pierre Beltoise. That did not stop him from progressing and masterfully winning the European F2 Championship in 1973. That year was also the year of his real debut in F1.

During that period, Jean Pierre was considered one of the fastest drivers in the world, the equal of Ronnie Peterson or Jody Scheckter. His track record, for lack of opportunities to drive for the best teams, does not illustrate this. His longevity, however, bears witness to the respect he commanded, since he competed in no fewer than 134 GPs, scoring 3 podiums and 3 pole positions. He harbors no bitterness today, and is more in the habit of saying: "I have so many memories, I have lived so much, and besides... I am alive..."

Jacques LAFFITE

How can one remain the most popular French driver, nearly 40 years after competing in their last Formula 1 GP? It’s simple, you just have to be named Jacques Laffite: start in single-seaters at the age of 26, an age where the doors to F1 would close today if you tried to get in, be a serious contender for the world title for 3 seasons (79, 80 and 81 where he finished 4th each time), win 6 GPs, and continue racing 15 years after leaving F1.

But above all, never lose one’s true nature: a profound kindness (which perhaps played tricks on him?), an ability to embrace all of life’s pleasures, a simplicity that makes anyone who crosses paths with him feel immediately at ease. It’s simple: we all would have liked to have Jacques as a brother-in-law!

Yvan MULLER

Arpiem has the privilege of welcoming Yvan MULLER to its Drivers’ Club. Not enough people know it, but Yvan Muller has one of the most impressive track records in French motorsport. Judge for yourself:

• 4-time FIA WTCC World Champion
• 2-time FIA WTCC World Runner-up
• British BTCC Champion
• 4-time British BTCC Runner-up
• French Supertouring Champion
• British F2 (F3000) Champion
• 10-time Trophée Andros winner
• 5-time 24 Hours of Chamonix winner

Yvan knew how to carve his own path at a time when, if you weren't backed by a tobacco or oil company, things were more than complicated. That forged his character.

But the most impressive thing about Yvan is that after building this track record year after year, he moved on to something else while still a top-level driver: transmission. He "sniffed out" the talent in his nephew Yann Ehrlacher (the son of his sister Cathy Muller, who was herself a single-seater driver), took him under his wing in his WTCC team, and brought him to the highest level, as Yann became a two-time world champion in the discipline.

Today, Yvan perpetuates this idea of transmission and mentors drivers of all ages within his MRacing team based in Magny Cours.