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Born in Belgium's capital city Brussels, Pierre Dieudonne spent the majority of his racing career in touring cars. He was also well known as a motor journalist in his homeland. In 1976, he won the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) and in 1977, 1979, and again in 1988, he took third place overall. Possessing what is described as a dependable skill behind the wheel, he was also the protégé of fellow Belgian racer, F1 starter and motor journalist Paul Frere.
In 1981, he teamed up with Briton Tom Walkinshaw, campaigning an RX-7 in the British Touring Car Championship, which for Pierre, led to win in the Spa 24 Hours, this time aboard a Mazda RX-7. He also won the Belgian Touring Car Championship with the RX-7 in 1981.
From this point on, Pierre's relationship with Mazda and Mazdaspeed deepened. He drove the Mazda 727C, campaigning the car in the 1984 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and introduced sources of the Kidlington, U.K.-based TWR. He then teamed up with Irishman David Kennedy, who took part in Mazda's 1991 Le Mans effort. He contributed to the team by always acting as a leader among the European drivers. In the same lineup as Kennedy and Chris Hodgetts from 1987 to 1989, he also took three GTP class wins on the trot, running the Mazda 757 in '87 and '88 before switching to the Mazda 767B in 1989. In 1991, the year Mazda took victory, he finished eighth overall at Le Mans.
He often came to Japan to participate in Japanese Group C races (JSPC). In 1987, he made his first ever visit to the company's headquarters in Hiroshima when he attended the post Le Mans debriefing after Mazda came 7th overall.
On that visit, Dieudonne took in a tour of the factory including the assembly lines of the firm's mass-produced vehicles, and also witnessed the assembly process of the company's rotary engines. During the tour, he asked questions and interviewed the Mazda staff as a motor journalist.
In February 1992, there was a track event at Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France celebrating his mentor Paul Frère's 75th birthday. At that event, Frere was given a test drive in the Mazda 787B, with Pierre as his testing partner. Pierre commented, "His driving was so aggressive it's hard to believe he was 75 years old."
Thereafter, he worked as the Sporting Director at Oreca, one of France's top racing teams for a good while. During that time, he cooperated and ungrudgingly attended Mazda activities, including Mazda Europe's PR events, as a member of the Mazda family.
| Date of birth | | March 24, 1947 |
| Place of birth | Place of birth: Brussels |
| Races entered | More than 250 |
| Wins | 16 |
| Podiums | 30 |
| Pole positions | 7 |
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Racing career highlights
| 1989 | | Winner of the Le Mans 24h in the IMSA class |
| 1988 | Winner of the Le Mans 24h in the IMSA class |
| Third in European Touring Car Championship |
| 1987 | Winner of the Le Mans 24h in the IMSA class |
| 1981 | Winner of the 24 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps |
| Belgian Touring Car Champion |
| 1979 | Third in European Touring Car Championship |
| 1977 | Third in European Touring Car Championship |
| 1976 | European Touring Car champion |
Click here to view the Pierre Dieudonne photo gallery.
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