Jean-Marc Gounon

There are two Frenchmen in Minardi's hall of fame, neither of whom completed a full season. At the start of his career, Jean-Marc Gounon spent three seasons in Formula Renault where he won six races and twice finished runner up in the championship. In 1989 he became French Formula 3 champion. In his two years in F3000, Gounon's biggest success was to win the 1991 French event in Pau. He was the only driver not in a Reynard car to win a race that year. After a Formula 1 test with French outfit Larousse, Minardi recruited the Frenchman to compete in the final two events of the 1993 season, replacing Christian Fittipaldi. Gounon qualified last in Japan but left Pedro Lamy and Toshio Suzuki behind him at the Australian GP. He finished neither race, leaving Faenza at the end of the season.

Gounon was given another chance in Formula 1 in 1994, joining Simtek after Andrea Montermini broke his foot at the practice session of the Spanish GP. His 9th spot at Magny Cours was Simtek's best result that year. After F1, Gounon raced in sports cars, winning Le Mans in the GT1 class in 1997.