Matthieu Vaxiviere Bio: Family, Parents, Wife, Married, 2015 Controversy, Crashes
Rising star Matthieu Vaxiviere is a racing driver from France who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He drives for Signatech Alpine, formerly known as Signature, in the LMP2 class (Le Mans Prototype).
His racing career started joining the Karting Championship of France in 2005.
After almost five years of karting, he began racing in the MitJet Series in 2010. And the following year, he advanced to the French F4 Championship.
Winning three races, he took hold of the championship, which included double victories at the Pau Grand Prix.
A triumphant campaign led him to the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2012, driving for Tech 1 Racing. His first year was not as expected, finishing in the 29th position.
However, he quickly raised his standards, ending in tenth overall in the season with a couple of victories at MotorLand Aragon.
In 2014, he advanced to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series with Charouz Racing System, driving alongside fellow teammate Marlon Stockinger.
In his first season, he missed out on two rounds because of an injury; nevertheless, he secured the eighth overall position.
The next season, he became the vice-champion, grabbing three wins and a stack of podiums.
Matthieu Vaxiviere then partnered with SMP Racing in the first season of the newly rebranded Formula V8 3.5 Series in 2016.
There, he secured the fourth position in the standing with two wins and seven podiums.
He soon shifted gears and landed in the sportscar racing as a full-time driver.
For his first season in 2016, he competed in the GT category of the Asian Le Mans Series alongside teammates Michele Rugolo and Stephane Lemeret.
Following that, he became part of the FIA World Endurance in the LMP2 class, driving with TDS Racing.
He secured second position in the first two races of the 2018 European Le Mans Series.
The highlight of the season with his team was when he won a podium in the 2019 24 Hours Of Le Mans, finishing eighth overall.
Matthieu Vaxiviere then made his Hypercar debut in 2021, driving an Alpine A480 with Nicolas Lapierre and Andre Negrao.
It was a fruitful campaign for him and the team as they managed to secure a second position at the Spa-Francorchamps.
Similarly, they put on an impressive show, winning their first trophy in the Hypercar category in 2022.
After an impressive journey, he and Signatech Alpine returned to the LMP2 class for the 2023 season.
There, he partnered with French racing drivers Charles Milesi and Julien Canal.
Likewise, he joined his teammates, Francois Perrodo and Ben Barnicoat, for the Pro-AM Cup in the European Le Mans Series.
Matthieu Vaxiviere Bio: Father & Grandfather
Vaxiviere was born on December 3, 1994, in Limoges, France.
He comes from a racing enthusiast family, as his father, grandfather, and nephew were all racers.
His father, Franck Vaxiviere, started his career somewhere in 1989.
For most of his years, he drove in the French Cups (National), including Ronde Nationale de Saintonge, Rallye National Montagne Noire, Rallye National du Pays de Brive, Ronde Nationale d’Aunis, Rallye National des Trois Châteaux, and many more.
His decade-long career ended in 1999, grabbing three championships and securing nine top-tens in the competitions.
Likewise, his grandfather, Jean-Pierre Champeau, was also a racer who started racing in the mid-1970s.
He dedicated four decades to driving on the racing track, which is more than half his life.
His first known race was in the French National Cups, and his last known race was in the Division 4 – Brazilian Prototype Championship.
Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away at the age of 69 in 2019.
Talking about his uncle, he is the nephew of the late car rally driver Mark Champeau.
Champeau was born on July 10, 1975, but sadly expired early at the age of 24.
On August 30, 1999, during the reconnoitering for the Rallye du Mont-Blanc, a traffic accident occurred, and Champeau lost his life.
Is Matthieu Vaxiviere In A Relationship?
29 years old Vaxiviere is married to his wife, Chloé Zanin.
The couple tied the knot on July 18, 2020, at La Corniche in Marseille, France.
The wedding came two years after Vaxiviere announced his engagement with Chloé in July 2018.
Per his Instagram, they started dating around 2013 and have been together for a decade.
Talking about his wife, she was born on January 20 in Bordeaux, a city in France.
She is a winemaker at the Institute Des Sciences De La Vigne ET DU Vin, a globally oriented, interdisciplinary hub for research, advanced education, and innovation aimed at tackling the future challenges of the wine industry.
Her Insta bio suggests that she is interested in equitation and motorsport.
Matthieu Vaxiviere Wins At Aragin Despite Controversy
In April 2015, the Formula Renault 3.5 champion secured his second victory at Aragon amidst a contentious Nyck de Vries incident.
The race experienced an interruption due to heavy rain, causing the track to be damp in certain areas.
After a 20-minute delay, racing resumed with Nyck de Vries, who had started from pole position, leading the pack.
Despite the challenging conditions, de Vries held his position against Vaxiviere’s attempts to overtake him.
It wasn’t until the last lap that he managed to position himself alongside de Vries.
Approaching the hairpin at the end of the back straight, Vaxiviere skillfully maneuvered to the outside, gaining better traction as they exited the corner.
In response, de Vries attempted to defend his position, but his move became untimely and awkward.
This resulted in contact between the two, causing damage to de Vries’ car and ultimately costing him three seconds down at the flag.
Later, the race stewards investigated the collision but ultimately decided not to take any action about the incident.
Crashes & Injuries
- Matthieu Vaxiviere Crashed Onto The Protective Barriers At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans
In June 2022, the French man encountered an unfortunate crash at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
While he was trying to overtake a GT vehicle at the entrance to the Porsche corners, an LMP2 car was also overtaking, causing the GT to swerve unexpectedly.
This sudden movement forced the Vaxiviere to veer onto the protective barriers.
Nevertheless, he wanted to return to the race and navigated back to the pits for necessary repairs.
The team launched the car back into the race amidst the LMP2 vehicles, aiming to regain ground and secure a position within the top 10.
Unfortunately, the car’s standing descended to 29th due to this incident.
- Matthieu Vaxiviere Apologizes For His Collison Leading To A Horrific Crash
On June 2017, the 29 years old collided with Pierre Kaffer on the Mulsanne Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The incident took place when Vaxiviere attempted to maneuver through traffic, veering to the left and unintentionally pushing Kaffer’s Ferrari into the barricade.
The collision resulted in the Ferrari crashing at a high speed, imposing notable damage that ultimately led to Kaffer withdrawal from the race.
After the incident, Vaxiviere extended his apologies via Twitter to both his fans and Kaffer for the collision that led to the crash.
- Matthieu Vaxiviere Misses Out Because Of Injury
In April 2017, Vaxiviere suffered a fractured foot and ligament damage during a training accident.
And because of that, he missed the WEC 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps.
He underwent treatment with a foot specialist, aiming to return to the cockpit in time for the third round of the WEC – the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
British driver Ben Hanley stepped into his role in the No.28 LMP2 car.
This was not the first time he missed out on a race because of an injury.
Previously, in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, he had to withdraw due to an injury—fracturing a vertebra in an accident in Monaco while participating in the World Series.
Markus Palttala stepped in as his replacement during that time.
Although he was present at the event as a spectator, it wasn’t the same for him. This particular race holds legendary status, so he felt a sense of regret for not being able to participate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Matthieu Vaxiviere Married?
Yes, Vaxiviere has married his wife, Chloé Zanin, for two years since July 2020.
Is Matthieu Vaxiviere available on Social sites?
He is active on all three platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He goes by the usernames Matthieu Vaxixiere on Facebook and Matt Vaxiviere on Instagram and Twitter.
How Much Is Matthieu Vaxiviere’s Net Worth?
As of 2024, Vaxiviere’s net worth details remain under review. However, his net worth is expected to be in the millions, with an average salary ranging between $200,000 to $300,000.
