Female Single-Seater Drivers Around the World: France

Sandrine Nahon with her Formula Ford

Corinne Armagnac now has her own profile.

Anouck Abadie – raced in the French Formula 4 championship in 2014. She was 21 years old. Her best results were a pair of fifteenth places, achieved at Pau and Jerez. She was 25^th in the championship, and twelfth in the International Series. She first attempted to enter the championship in 2012, but could not get the requisite sponsorship until 2014. Funding problems have presumably kept her out of motorsport since. She was previously a swimmer.

Cecilia Asquini – made the transition from karting to cars in 2010. She drove in two races of the F4 Eurocup championship, a Formula Renault series, which was part of the World Series by Renault meeting. She achieved two 16^th places at Magny-Cours. Previously, she was active in karting in Europe. She does not appear to have raced since 2010.

Alice Brasseur – entered the Formula BMW Talent Cup in 2011. She was only fourteen years old at the time. Her race results were a pair of eleventh places at Magny-Cours, although she also seems to have driven at Monteblanco in Spain. She was unplaced in the championship, and seems to have returned to karting that year, although 2011 may have been her last year of competition. Previously, she was a very competitive karter in Europe.

Isabelle Charoy (Jonville) - raced in French Formula Ford in 1992, finishing second in the championship’s women’s standings behind Corinne Armagnac. Her car was a then current-spec Van Diemen. No race results are forthcoming. Much later, she took to historic racing as Isabelle Jonville Charoy. She took part in the 2014 Le Mans Classic in a Lancia Aurelia B20 and used an Austin Healey 100/4 and Porsche 356 in different editions of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, in 2015 and 2009 respectively.

Cecile Estenave - raced in French Formula Renault in 1994, driving for the Elf la Filiere team. She was one of a large cohort of young female single-seater drivers coming through the French ranks at the time, and like most of them, her competition career was short. She has remained in motorsport and now leads the media office for PSA France. In this, she takes after her mother, journalist and PR professional Marie-France Estenave.

Virginie Gazoti – did at least three seasons of single-seater racing in France. In 2003, she did some rounds of the French Formula Ford championship, but did not score any points. She drove for Sirius Competition in the championship in 2004, where she ran well and challenged for podium places, then for Palmyr Racing. In 2004, she also took part in some historic single-seater racing, at the Pau Grand Prix.

Alexandra Herve - began her racing career in 2022, at the age of 16. She entered the Formula Cup, now running as a Formula Renault series. Her best results were a third and fourth place at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit and she is tenth in the championship. She returned to the series in 2023, finshing third overall. Prior to this, she raced karts from 2015, scoring well in the French junior championships for X30 karts.

Lola Lovinfosse - French driver who made her single-seater debut in 2021, at the age of fifteen. She was signed by the Drivex School team for the Spanish F4 championship, having made it to the later stages of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s Ferrari-backed driver search. Her best result of the year were two 16th places at Motorland Aragon, and she was 25th in the championship. She was 23rd in 2022, although she only got into the top twenty three times. Later in the year, she travelled to India for the Indian Racing League, having joined the Hyderabad Blackbirds team. She did manage one third place at Chennai, but then had to pull out due to illness. In 2023, she spent most of the year in the all-female F1 Academy, following a guest spot in the Formula Winter Series at Catalunya, driving for the Campos team. Her best results were third places and the Red Bull Ring and Paul Ricard and she was tenth in the championship. She was announced as an Indian Racing League driver again towards the end of the year, but was replaced. She also said that she would not return to F1 Academy. Previously, she was active in international karting.

Valérie Miniscloux - raced in Formula Renault in France in the late 1980s. She seems to have begun her career with a one-off drive in the Renault 5 Turbo Cup in 1987. Two part-seasons in French Formula Renault followed. Both times, she drove for the ASA Armagnac Bigorre team, run by her regional motor club. She was never among the front-runners but did race against the likes of Olivier Panis and Yvan Muller.

Muriel Osimeck - raced single-seaters in France in the 1980s and 1990s, when she competed up to Formula 3 level. She was pictured at the Pau Grand Prix in 1990 alongside Corinne Armagnac and Giovanna Amati and may have been racing in Formula Renault. She may also have done some races in the Renault 5 one-make cup. Further information about her career is proving hard to find. 

Florence Perreau - raced in French Formula Ford for at least three seasons in the early 1990s. Her first year was 1990, when she was 18. For the first of her three championship attempts she was using a 1987 car (a Van Diemen) and seems to have been unplaced. It was upgraded to a 1990 model for 1992. Results have not been forthcoming. She later helped run a team with her partner Herbert Martin and competed occasionally later in the 1990s. She also raced a Van Diemen RF94 in the VdeV series in 2006.

Stéphanie Tesson – races mainly in Formula Renault in France, beginning in Formula Campus, in 2002. In 2003, she was 16^th in the championship. She graduated to the French Formula Renault championship in 2004, and found it hard going, with a lot of DNFs. She was 29^th overall, with a best finish of fourteenth. A more consistent year in 2005 gave her one twelfth place at Val de Vienne, and 24^th in the championship. In 2006, she did not race for the whole season, and was again plagued with non-finishes. She was 30^th overall. After a long time away from the circuits, she reappeared in the World Series by Renault in 2014. Her best meeting was again, Val de Vienne, but she only managed two 16^th places. She was 20^th overall. 

Sylvie Valentin - drove in French Formula 3 in 2001. She was fourth in the B class for the Optirace team, with two class wins and three podium positions. She does not appear to have raced since then. Previously, she raced in Formula Renault in France, in 2000.

Valerie Versace - one of a large group of young female drivers active in French Formula Ford in the early 1990s. She raced in French FF1600 in 1991, driving a 1988 Van Diemen and scoring at least one fourth place at Magny-Cours. Later, in 1994, she drove in French Formula Renault for the ASA Armagnac Bigorre team. There are references to her racing as a team-mate to Loic Depailler, perhaps this year, although he did not drive for ASA. Her results have proved elusive. 

(Image from http://www.forum-auto.com/)