Prost JS45

Last updated
Prost JS45
Prost Mugen Honda JS45.jpg
The JS45 on display at the Musée National de l’Automobile
Category Formula One
Constructor Prost
Designer(s) Loïc Bigois (Engineering Director)
Claude Delbet (Chief Designer)
Damien Py (Chief Engineer)
Predecessor Ligier JS43
Successor AP01
Technical specifications
Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)double wishbones, pushrod, twin or triple damper
Suspension (rear)double wishbones, pushrod, twin damper
Engine Mugen-Honda MF301HA & MF301HB 3.0-litre 72-degree V10
Transmission Prost six-speed transverse sequential semi-automatic
Power710 hp @ 13,900 rpm [1]
Fuel Elf
Tyres Bridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrants Prost Gauloises Blondes
Notable drivers14. Flag of France.svg Olivier Panis
14. Flag of Italy.svg Jarno Trulli
15. Flag of Japan.svg Shinji Nakano
Debut 1997 Australian Grand Prix
Last event 1997 European Grand Prix
RacesWins Podiums Poles F/Laps
170200
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Prost JS45 was the Formula One racing car constructed by Ligier with which the Prost team competed in the 1997 Formula One World Championship, and the first Prost-badged car following Alain Prost's acquisition of Ligier in February 1997.

Contents

Development

The acquisition of Ligier from Flavio Briatore by Prost, and its subsequent renaming after him, marked the end of the Ligier name in F1 after involvement in the sport since 1976. However, the car had been designed and built beforehand, and so retained its Ligier designation of JS45. Also retained were Mugen Honda engines and Gauloises sponsorship, though the team opted for Bridgestone tyres in the Japanese's company's first year of F1.

Race history

Prost's lead driver was Olivier Panis, who had driven for Ligier since 1994, while the second seat was taken by Japanese rookie Shinji Nakano, largely due to pressure from engine suppliers Mugen. [2]

In the first six races of the season, the JS45 proved extremely promising. The problems of braking and pitch sensitivity with the previous year's Ligier JS43 had been largely solved, and this, allied with Panis' skill and the durability of the Bridgestones, enabled the French driver to finish fifth in Australia, third in Brazil, fourth in Monaco and then second in Spain, just six seconds behind eventual World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. These results put him third in the Drivers' Championship, and after the Spanish Grand Prix Villeneuve said that he regarded Panis as one of his main threats for the rest of the season.

However, a suspected suspension failure or puncture caused Panis to crash heavily into a concrete wall at the very next race in Canada, breaking both his legs and putting him out of action for the next seven Grands Prix. Nonetheless, the car remained competitive due to Panis' replacement Jarno Trulli, who had been recruited from Minardi. Trulli finished fourth in Germany before leading the first half of the Austrian Grand Prix after qualifying third, and these achievements impressed Prost enough for him to sign the Italian full-time for 1998. Panis returned for the final three races of the season and picked up one final point for sixth in his first race back, at the Nürburgring.

The inexperienced Nakano, meanwhile, proved solid if not spectacular, scoring two points for sixth places at Canada (after the race was stopped following Panis' crash) and Hungary. However, he did not retain his seat for 1998, as Panis stayed on alongside Trulli and the team took on Peugeot engines, swapping with Jordan.

At the end of the season, Panis was tenth in the Drivers' Championship with 16 points, while Trulli was 16th with his three points from Germany and Nakano was 19th with his two (though all three were later promoted a place following Michael Schumacher's exclusion from the standings). With a total of 21 points, Prost placed sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

Prost used 'Gauloises' logos, except at the French, British and German Grands Prix.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

YearTeamEngineTyresDrivers1234567891011121314151617PointsWCC
1997 Prost Gauloises Blondes Mugen Honda V10 B AUS BRA ARG SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA AUT LUX JPN EUR 216th
Olivier Panis 53Ret842116Ret7
Jarno Trulli 108471510Ret
Shinji Nakano 714RetRetRetRet6Ret1176Ret11RetRetRet10

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain Prost</span> French racing driver (born 1955)

Alain Marie Pascal Prost is a French retired racing driver and Formula One team owner. A four-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, from 1987 until 2001 he held the record for most Grand Prix victories until Michael Schumacher surpassed Prost's total of 51 victories at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivier Panis</span> French racing driver (born 1966)

Olivier Jean Denis Marie Panis is a French former racing driver. Panis raced in Formula One for ten seasons, earning his first and only win at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix for the Ligier team. Panis' manager has been Didier Coton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Australian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1997 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on 9 March 1997. It was the first race of the 1997 Formula One World Championship, and the second Australian Grand Prix to be held in Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Spanish Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1997 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 25 May 1997 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the sixth race of the 1997 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Canadian Grand Prix</span> 7th round of the 1997 Formula One season

The 1997 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on 15 June 1997. The race was stopped early on lap 54 after a big crash involving Olivier Panis, who broke his legs and would be unable to start the next seven Grands Prix. Michael Schumacher won ahead of Jean Alesi in the Benetton and Giancarlo Fisichella in the Jordan. David Coulthard had been leading, but was delayed for over a lap by a clutch problem during his second pit stop, shortly before Panis's crash. On lap 2, local driver Jacques Villeneuve crashed into the wall on the exit of the final corner. This wall would later be known as the 'Wall of Champions', after three former World Champions, including Villeneuve, crashed into it separately in the 1999 race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Hungarian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race held in 1997

The 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Pest, Hungary on 10 August 1997. The race, contested over 77 laps, was the eleventh race of the 1997 Formula One season and was won by Jacques Villeneuve, driving a Williams-Renault, with Damon Hill second in an Arrows-Yamaha and Johnny Herbert third in a Sauber-Petronas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Austrian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1997 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the A1-Ring on 21 September 1997. It was the fourteenth race of the 1997 Formula One World Championship, and the first Austrian Grand Prix since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Formula One World Championship</span> 52nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, which was the 52nd running of the Formula One World Championship. It was recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over sixteen Grands Prix, which were held around the world, from 8 March to 1 November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Formula One World Championship</span> 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It commenced on 9 March and ended on 26 October after seventeen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Jacques Villeneuve and the Constructors' Championship was awarded to Williams-Renault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinji Nakano</span> Japanese racing driver (born 1971)

Shinji Nakano is a Japanese professional racing driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mugen Motorsports</span> Japanese automotive tuning company

M-TEC Company, Ltd., doing business as Mugen Motorsports (無限), is a Japanese company formed in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. Mugen, meaning "without limit", "unlimited" or "vast", is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer that manufactures OEM parts such as body kits and sports exhausts for Honda. Despite the family relationship, Mugen is not, and has never been, owned by Honda Motor Company; however, Mugen owner Hirotoshi Honda has been the biggest shareholder in Honda since his father's death in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan EJ11</span> Formula One racing car

The Jordan EJ11 was the car with which the Jordan team competed in the 2001 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan 199</span> Formula One racing car

The Jordan 199 was the car with which the Jordan team competed in the 1999 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, who had won the team's first Grand Prix in Belgium the previous season, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who was swapped with Williams in favour of Ralf Schumacher. The car was also driven by test drivers Tomáš Enge and Shinji Nakano. It was designed by technical director Mike Gascoyne and his assistant Tim Holloway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prost AP02</span> Formula One racing car

The Prost AP02 was the car with which the Prost Formula One team competed in the 1999 Formula One season. It was driven by Olivier Panis, in his sixth season with the team, and Jarno Trulli, in his second full season with the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prost AP01</span> Formula One racing car

The Prost AP01 was the car with which the Prost team competed in the 1998 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Frenchman Olivier Panis, who was in his fifth season with the team, and Italian Jarno Trulli, who was in his first full season with Prost after deputising for the injured Panis for several races in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ligier JS43</span> Formula One racing car

The Ligier JS43 was the car with which the Ligier team competed in the 1996 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Frenchman Olivier Panis, who was in his third season with the team, and Brazilian Pedro Diniz, who moved from Forti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Équipe Ligier</span> French racing team

Équipe Ligier is a motorsport team, best known for its Formula One team that operated from 1976 to 1996. The team was founded in 1968 by former French rugby union player Guy Ligier as a sports car manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prost Grand Prix</span> French auto racing team

Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team owned and managed by four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost. The team participated in five seasons from 1997 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dome F105</span>

The Dome F105 was an unraced Formula One car designed and built by the Japanese motorsport constructor, Dome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda V10 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The RA series of 3.5-litre and 3.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, V10 racing engines were made by Honda to compete in Formula One racing; between 1989 and 1990, and then again between 2000 and 2005. Between 1992 and 2000, the engines were also made by Mugen Honda. The customer engines were used by McLaren, Arrows, Lotus, Ligier, Tyrrell, Prost, and Jordan.

References

  1. "Engine Mugen Honda". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  2. "Shinji Nakano - Biography". Archived from the original on 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2012-11-02.