After finishing third overall in the 1984 series, Raphanel was French Formula 3 champion in 1985, successfully defending his early-season lead from ORECA team-mate Yannick Dalmas as the season wore on.

    Promoted into the ORECA F3000 team for 1986, Raphanel soon found his feet and ended the season looking a good bet for honours in 1987, but somehow he failed to spark thereafter, enduring two lacklustre seasons. At the end of 1988 he stood in for his former team-mate Dalmas at Larrousse, but gearbox problems stymied his chances of qualifying.

    Signing to race for Coloni in 1989, he found himself among the early-risers attempting to pre-qualify, and did extremely well to get on the grid at Monaco. A mid-season move to Rial merely meant that he could turn up a little later for practice, but he was still to find his Sundays free.

    Pierre-Henri subsequently drove in Japanese Group C and touring cars, and figured in Toyota's Le Mans challenge, finishing second in 1992 (with Sekiya and Acheson). Raphanel has since enjoyed a successful career in sports cars, and after racing a Courage-Porsche at the Sarthe circuit with Pascal Fabre in 1994 then switched to GT racing with a McLaren F1 GTR between 1995 and 1997.

    In 1999 he competed in the All-Japan touring car championship with a Toyota Supra, but the Frenchman apparently plans to return to the FIA GT series in 2000 with the Belmondo team.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000