Bruno Thiry

Bruno Thiry
Personal information
Nationality Belgium Belgian
Born (1962-10-08) 8 October 1962
St. Vith, Belgium
World Rally Championship record
Active years 1991–2002
Teams General Motors Europe, Ford, Subaru, Škoda, Bastos racing team
Championships 0
Rally wins 0
Podiums 5
Stage wins 39
Total points 173
First rally 1989 Acropolis Rally
Last rally 2002 San Remo Rally

Bruno Thiry (born 8 October 1962) is a Belgian rally driver. He was born in St. Vith, Province of Liège.

He began his career as an amateur in 1981, driving a Simca, and quickly became very successful in the Belgian Rally Championship. by 1991 to 1993, he joined the GME team that contested only in some selected World Rally Championship (WRC) events and in non-WRC events. In 1992, he managed a first podium finish for him on the final running of the notorious Rallye Côte d'Ivoire and finished second in an ex-works Opel Kadett GSI. The following year saw Thiry win some WRC events in an Opel Astra in the F2 category and brought GME its first manufacturer's title of the inaugural FIA 2-Litre World Cup in 1993. 1994, the year saw Thiry join the Ford team to contest the WRC, driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. In these years, he managed several third places; in the RAC Rally in 1994 and in Rally San Remo and the Rally Catalunya in 1996. He finished fifth overall in the WRC standings in 1994.

Thiry at the 2001 Rally Finland.

In 1997, he won the Rally of the Azores in a privately entered Escort Cosworth. The following year saw Thiry continue with Ford and he contested thirteen events with the exception of the Safari Rally and Rally Portugal due to an accident that caused Thiry two broken ribs and he was replaced by Ari Vatanen as the second driver for the team. Then in 1999 he campaigned a Subaru Impreza in his role as third driver for the Subaru World Rally Team.

2001 saw Thiry joined the Škoda Motorsport team and he had a disappointing year in the Octavia WRC. His highest placings that year were eight place in the Monte Carlo Rally, the Cyprus Rally and Rally Great Britain.

In 2002 and 2003, the Peugeot 206 WRC was Thiry's vehicle of choice. He won the Ypres Rally both years, and became European Champion in 2003 after five victories. In 2004, he was runner-up in a Citroën C2 S1600.

Since 2005, Thiry has more or less retired from motorsport and only occasionally competes on events. A notable recent result was a second place on the Rally of Condroz in 2006, driving a Peugeot 307 WRC. His co-driver for most of his rallying career was fellow-Belgian Stéphane Prévot.

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Renato Travaglia
European Rally Champion
2003
Succeeded by
Simon Jean-Joseph

WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Points
1989 Bruno Thiry Audi 90 Quattro SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRC
13
NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR - 0
1991 Opel Team Belgium Opel Kadett GSI 16V MON SWE POR KEN FRA
Ret
GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA
12
CIV ESP - 0
1992 Opel Team Belgium Opel Calibra 16V MON SWE POR KEN FRA
Ret
GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA
9
17th 17
Opel Kadett GSI CIV
2
ESP GBR
1993 Opel Team Belgium Opel Astra GSi 16V MON
8
SWE POR
10
KEN FRA
Ret
GRC
Ret
ARG NZL FIN
18
AUS ITA
5
ESP
7
GBR 17th 16
1994 Ford Motor Co. Ltd. Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON
6
POR
Ret
KEN FRA
6
GRE ARG
4
NZL FIN
Ret
ITA
4
GBR
3
5th 44
1995 R.A.S. Ford Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON
5
SWE
6
POR
6
FRA
Ret
NZL
Ret
AUS
6
ESP
Ret
GBR
5
6th 34
1996 Ford Motor Co. Ltd. Ford Escort RS Cosworth SWE KEN IDN GRE
6
ARG
5
FIN
11
AUS
6
ITA
3
ESP
3
6th 44
1997 Seat Sport Seat Ibiza GTi 16V MON
Ret
SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN IDN ITA AUS - 0
Gazprom Rally Team Ford Escort WRC GBR
Ret
1998 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort WRC MON
6
SWE
8
KEN POR ESP
Ret
FRA
5
ARG
Ret
GRC
Ret
NZL
Ret
FIN
10
ITA
6
AUS
7
GBR
3
9th 8
1999 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC99 MON
5
SWE
10
POR
6
ESP
7
FRA
Ret
ARG GRC NZL FIN CHN ITA AUS 14th 6
Subaru Impreza WRC98 KEN
Ret
Škoda Motorsport Škoda Octavia WRC GBR
4
2000 H.F. Grifone SRL Toyota Corolla WRC MON
5
SWE KEN POR ESP ARG GRC NZL FIN CYP FRA ITA AUS GBR 18th 2
2001 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Octavia WRC Evo2 MON
8
SWE
10
POR
Ret
ESP
10
ARG
Ret
CYP
8
GRE
10
KEN
Ret
FIN
18
NZL ITA
13
FRA
Ret
AUS GBR
8
- 0
2002 Peugeot Bastos Racing Peugeot 206 WRC MON
11
SWE FRA
Ret
ESP
Ret
CYP
Ret
ARG GRE
12
KEN FIN GER
5
ITA
13
NZL AUS GBR 16th 2
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