Bernard Occelli

Bernard Occelli (b. 1949, France) is a French rally co-driver, recognized primarily for his long and successful partnership with Didier Auriol. His most notable period came in the World Rally Championship (WRC), where alongside Auriol he claimed the world title in 1994 at the wheel of the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD for the official Toyota Team Europe squad. That year they secured key victories that cemented the first world title for a French driver. The Auriol–Occelli pairing was especially competitive in the late 1980s and early 1990s, excelling on tarmac events such as the Tour de Corse and the Rallye Monte-Carlo, where Auriol came to be regarded as one of the great specialists. Occelli was valued for his meticulous pace note preparation and his ability to maintain strategic rhythm on long and technical rallies. His name became synonymous with one of the golden eras of French rallying and the world title that established Auriol among the WRC elite.