Christian Sarron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Christian Sarron**
Motorcycle Grand Prix Career
Nationality	French
Active years	1976 - 1992
Team(s)	Yamaha
Grands Prix	148
Championships	250cc - 1984
Wins	7
Podium finishes	37
Pole positions	11
Fastest laps	10
First Grand Prix	1976 350cc German Grand Prix
First win	1977 250cc German Grand Prix
Last win	1985 500cc German Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1992 500cc French Grand Prix

Christian Sarron (born March 27, 1955 in Clermont-Ferrand, France) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.

He began his career on a Kawasaki when he met French Grand Prix racer Patrick Pons. Pons helped him get his start in the international racing circuit. His first victory came in the rain in the 1977 German Grand Prix. He was injured in a 750cc race which would begin a trend of numerous injuries for the next few years. In 1982, he again won in the rain at the Finnish Grand Prix cementing his reputation as an exceptional wet weather rider. He finished the 1982 season 8th in the 350 class and 10th in the 250 class.

He would finish second to Carlos Lavado in the 1983 250 class with another Grand Prix victory in the Swedish Grand Prix. In 1984, he won three times on a Yamaha and captured the 250 World Championship.

The following year saw him move up to the premiere 500cc division with the Gauloises-Yamaha team where he won again in the rain at the 1985 German Grand Prix. He finished the season in an impressive third place to Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson. In 1989, he again finished a respectable third in the 500cc championship behind Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey.

Sarron's 500cc career occured at a time when the bikes suited the sliding style of the Americans who had been brought up on dirt oval tracks yet, Sarron still managed to post respectable results. In 1994, he teamed up with his brother Dominique Sarron, to win the prestigious Bol d'or endurance race. In 1995 he retired from competition to take on the role of team director for Yamaha's Superbike team.