Daniel Elena is a Monegasque

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

 rally co-driver

Co-driver

Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...

, currently working with Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...

. Between them, the pair have won the World Rally Championship

World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...

 eight times, and currently compete with the Citroën DS3 WRC

Citroën DS3 WRC

The Citroën DS3 WRC is the World Rally Car built for the Citroën World Rally Team by Citroën Racing for use from the 2011 World Rally Championship season. It is based upon the Citroën DS3 road car, and replaces the highly successful Citroën C4 WRC...

. Sixty-seven World rally wins (all of them with Loeb) make him the co-driver with the most victories in the history of the WRC.

He started rallying in 1997 as co-driver

Co-driver

Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...

 to Hervé Bernard, but became Loeb's co-driver the following season and quickly developed a strong relationship with him, winning the Citroën Saxo

Citroën Saxo

The Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106 , the major difference being interiors and body panels...

 Trophy in 1999 and the French gravel title the following year.

In 2001, they won the FIA Super 1600

Super 1600

Super 1600 is a rally car formula that is primarily used in the Junior World Rally Championship, as well as various national rally championships. Any automobile manufacturer that has a suitable road-going production model in its range may develop a specification for use in this formula...

 championship in their Citroën Saxo, becoming an obvious choice for Citroën's WRC team, which they made their first start for that year, going on to take their first win at Rallye Deutschland

Rallye Deutschland

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland is a rally event held in Germany. The event was first held in 1982 and originally hosted by e.g. Frankfurt, Mainz and Koblenz. In 2000, the rally was relocated to the region around Trier...

 in 2002. They went on to take eight consecutive World Rally Championship titles between 2004 and 2011.

Loeb and Elena have won Elena's home rally, the famous Monte Carlo rally

Monte Carlo Rally

The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...

 five times (2003–2005 and 2007–2008).

Elena is the first person to receive the Michael Park

Michael Park (co-driver)

Michael Park was a rally co-driver from Newent in Gloucestershire.One of the top co-drivers of his generation, Park died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident on the final leg of Wales Rally Great Britain when his Peugeot 307 WRC left the road and struck a tree...

 trophy, which is given yearly to the best co-driver.

Personal life

Elena is married with 2 children. He and his family reside near Lausanne, Switzerland.

Commitment

Daniel Elena is today a member of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport

Peace and Sport

Peace and Sport, "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport” is a neutral and apolitical international initiative based in the Principality of Monaco and placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco....

, a Monaco

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

-based international organization.