Corentine Quiniou

Corentine Quiniou (born 16 May 1982 in Paris) is a French racing driver.

Early life

In a 2007 interview with Madmoizelle, Quiniou stated that she became interested in driving as a young girl while accompanying her father to amateur races, and that she began karting at age 14.{{cite news |url=http://www.madmoizelle.com/corentine-quiniou-24-ans-pilote-automobile_2007-01-15-4761 |title=Corentine Quiniou, pilote automobile |date=2007-01-15 |author=Julie |newspaper=madmoizelle.com |accessdate=2010-05-05 |language=French}}

In 2001, she joined La Filière in Le Mans, learning formula racing while continuing her studies.

Racing career

In 2004, Quiniou finished third in Rallye des Princesses in an Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

The following year, she won the 2005 Rallye des Princesses in a Porsche 911,{{cite news|title=Rallye des Princesses|date=2007-05-25|first=Jean-Louis|last=Garden|newspaper=Autonews.fr|url=http://archive.autonews.fr/fr/cmc/retro/200721/rallye-des-princesses_9588.html|language=French}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and placed in other races that year, finishing second in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles and third in the Rallye Optic 2000 de Tunisie, in the T2 Diesel category driving a Toyota Land Cruiser.

In 2006 Quiniou and her teammate Florence Bourgnon finished 49th overall in the Dakar Rally in a Toyota Land Cruiser, the only women's team to complete the race.

{{cite web

|title=Coma certifica el triunfo en el Dakar más español

|url=http://www.diariosur.es/pg060116/prensa/noticias/Deportes/200601/16/SUR-DEP-230.html

|website=www.diariosur.es

|date=16 January 2016

|accessdate=2010-05-05

}} In 2006 and 2007 Quiniou won the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles.

{{ cite news

| title=Corentine Quiniou

| date=2007-10-08

| first=Laurent

| last=Lepsch

| url=http://archive.autonews.fr/fr/cmc/interview/200741/corentine-quiniou_12410.html

| newspaper=Autonews.fr

| accessdate=2010-05-08

| url-status=dead

| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101004003348/http://archive.autonews.fr/fr/cmc/interview/200741/corentine-quiniou_12410.html

| archivedate=2010-10-04

}} In 2007, she finished 8th overall in the Transafricaine Classic from Paris to Dakar, winning one stage and the all-female classification. During the same year, she finished fifth in the Classic Endurance Racing in Europe in a Chevron B16.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} In 2008, she won the Classic Endurance Racing in a Chevron B16,{{cite news

|title=Classic Endurance Racing – Silverstone Report

|author=Marcel ten Caat

|date=2008-09-13

|newspaper=Planetlemans

|accessdate=2010-05-05

|url=http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/09/13/classic-endurance-racing-silverstone-report/

|archive-date=2010-06-14

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614004257/http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/09/13/classic-endurance-racing-silverstone-report/

|url-status=dead

}} both in Proto 1 ranking and in the drivers' ranking. In the same year she had to withdraw from this edition of Rallye Aicha des Gazelles after the second stage due to a mechanical problem.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

Quiniou and her partner achieved a victory in 2009 Rallye Aicha des Gazelles. In a Ford Focus ST she participated in 24 Hours Nürburgring on 24 May, where she placed 100th overall and third of three finishers in her category.{{cite news

|title=Corentine Quiniou : "Dubai, un bon entraînement avant Le Mans"

|date=2010-01-14

|first=Laurent

|last=Mercier

|newspaper=Endurance-info.com

|accessdate=2010-05-07

|url=http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/actualite-endurance-3298.html

|archive-date=2010-01-18

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118095348/http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/actualite-endurance-3298.html

|url-status=dead

}} Between her participation in the Classic Endurance Racing, Quiniou joined the Gstaad Classic Rally driving a Jaguar XK150.

In 2010 Quiniou entered the Dubai 24 Hour in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 of Nicholas Mee Racing, finishing eighth of ten finishers in class and 49th overall. In her first attempt of Le Tour Auto-Optic 2000, Quiniou placed 25th overall, driving a Jaguar E-Type.

Allegations of Misconduct

Quiniou and her navigator Florence Migraine Bourgnon on the Toyota team were disqualified in the 2010 Rallye Aicha des Gazelles for manipulation of their satellite tracking system and altering the odometer of their car.

{{ cite news

|title=Defending Champions in Rally Disqualified

|first=Caroline

|last=Kinneberg

|date=2010-03-27

|newspaper=New York Times

|accessdate=2010-05-07

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/sports/autoracing/28sportsbriefs-rally.html

}}{{cite web

|url=http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/Rally/2010/todays-leg/e6/daily-report

|title=Rallye Aicha des Gazelles Morocco 2010: Daily Report

|accessdate=2010-05-07

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329214104/http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/Rally/2010/todays-leg/e6/daily-report

|archive-date=2010-03-29

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite web

|url=http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/top+story/communique-reminder-of-the-facts-team-138.html

|title=Rallye Aicha des Gazelles Morocco:Communiqué - Reminder of the facts - Team 138

|accessdate=2010-05-07

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508001832/http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/top%2Bstory/communique-reminder-of-the-facts-team-138.html

|archivedate=8 May 2010

|url-status=dead

}} For the 2010 rally, the rules of the race were changed in an attempt to discover whether or not cheating was occurring, a question raised due to suspicions surrounding the Toyota team's record of three first place and one second-place finishes since 2005.

{{cite web

|url=http://missmotormouth.com/2010/03/the-gazelles-rally-has-run-its-course-for-the-year/

|date=2010-03-26

|author=Miss Motor Mouth

|accessdate=2010-05-07

|title=The Gazelles Rally Has Run Its Course for the Year

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405092552/http://missmotormouth.com/2010/03/the-gazelles-rally-has-run-its-course-for-the-year/

|archivedate=5 April 2010

|url-status=dead

}}