PROST GRAND PRIX

Technopole de Circuit, 28470 Magny-Cours, France
Tel: (+33) (0)86 60 62 00 Fax: (+33) (0)86 21 22 97

Formerly Ligier, Alan Prost took over the team during the winter of 1996/7. Ligier was a force to be reckoned with after entering Formula One in 1976. The first year in the formula was impressive with Jacques Laffite being the teams sole driver. Despite this team scored 20 points to take 5th in the constructors championship. In 1977 Ligier gained their first victory at the Swedish Grand prix at Anderstorp.

From this peak the team took a long and painful down hill path, hitting rock bottom in 1988 with their twin tank (M Tetu designed twin-turkey) design. The team have since struggled back to their usual mid-field position. However since 1994 the team has had some stability on the engine and design front. This has enabled the team to develop and refine their Benetton derived chassis to become one of the best "second division" team in Formula One. Oliver Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1996 - a shock result - but well deserved after a terrific drive in damp conditions.

In 1997, with former world champion Alan Prost at the helm, the team had some much needed stability. The teams performance in 1997 was impressive with Panis having being in contention in the early races of the year before breaking his legs in an accident during the Canadian Grand Prix. Minardi driver Jarno Trulli subbed for the injured Frenchman and sensationally led the Austrian Grand prix for a majority of the race. For 1998, Prost has gained the use of the Peugeot V10 engines. The team also decided to run with a carbon fibre gearbox casing. It was this decision that proved to be a disaster for the team. Just one world championship point i s little reward for a trying season. Both Trulli and Panis complained about the handling of the car, and it was not until the final race of the season, that the team began to understand what was required in terms of suspension geometry in order to get the cars to work effectively.

Olivier Panis will remain with the team until the end of 1999 along with rising star Jarno Trulli. The Loïc Bigois designed AP01 may well have been a disaster (no-where near as bad as the "twin turkey" of a decade previously), but the team have hired John Barnard to help in the construction of the AP02 chassis. The team are optimistic that they will get it right, while Peugeot are beginning to get impatient.

(c) 1997, 1998 Formula-1.co.uk

All data unofficial