Pierre Dupasquier
Pierre Antoine Eugène Dupasquier | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 27, 1937 Metz, France |
| Occupation | Motorsport executive |
| Known for | Leadership of Michelin Competition Department |
Pierre Antoine Eugène Dupasquier (born 27 July 1937 in Metz, France) is a former leader of the Michelin Competition Department.
Early life
Dupasquier, a native of France, served as a pilot in the French Air Force during the Algerian conflict. Following his military tenure, he obtained an engineering diploma from the École catholique des arts et métiers in 1960.
Michelin
In 1962, Dupasquier began his career with Michelin within the research sector before shifting to sales focused on road vehicle tires. He later joined the Competitions Department in 1973.
He was instrumental in the adoption of radial tires in Formula One and directed Michelin's F1 program from 1977 to 1984. Under his guidance, Michelin achieved its inaugural Formula One World Championship victory with Jody Scheckter driving for Scuderia Ferrari in 1979. During this era, Michelin secured four world titles with drivers such as Scheckter, Nelson Piquet—who won twice with Brabham—and Niki Lauda, who triumphed with McLaren in 1984.
Dupasquier resumed leadership of Michelin's F1 racing division between 2001 and his retirement in 2005. The 2005 season featured a championship win by a Renault car equipped with Michelin tires, piloted by Fernando Alonso, although all vehicles using Michelin tires withdrew from the 2005 US Grand Prix due to tire complications.
Over his career, Michelin Competition amassed more than 1,300 race wins and claimed 180 world championship titles. In recognition of his impact on French motorsport, Dupasquier received the Legion of Honour in December 2006.