The third place achieved by the Ligier team in the 1979 Constructors' Championship, in its fourth year in Formula 1, rightfully places the single-seaters from Abrest, a small town in central France, among the expected protagonists of the 1980 season. To strengthen the team, owner Guy Ligier pairs the confirmed Jacques Laffite with young French prospect Didier Pironi.
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| LIGIER JS11/15, Didier Pironi Montréal, Canadian GP 1980 |
Confident in the quality of the 1979 JS11 project, technical director Gérard Ducarouge, along with designer Michel Beaujon and aerodynamics chief Robert Choulet, further develop the already excellent car, focusing particularly on ground effect and introducing additional aerodynamic refinements to improve performance. The result of this work is the Ligier JS11/15, an incredibly fast car with outstanding peak performance but also very fragile. This fragility is due to the exceptional downforce generated by its aerodynamic profiles, which frequently leads to suspension failures or structural tire failures.
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| LIGIER JS11-15, Jacques Laffite Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1980 |
In developing the already impressive JS11, Ducarouge primarily works on the chassis, which in the previous season suffered from unwanted torsional flex, while Choulet further improves aerodynamic flow, generating even more downforce. However, this work is not supported by new suspension components, which, subjected to significant dynamic stress, often reach their breaking point.
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| LIGIER JS11-15, Jacques Laffite Paul Ricard, French GP 1980 |
A prime example of this issue is seen during the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. Pironi, leading the race from the start, is forced to pit on lap 18 to replace a punctured tire. After rejoining in last place, he climbs back up to fifth within 30 laps but is forced to pit again due to another puncture. After the race, Ligier engineers determine that the tires suffered structural failure due to the excessive stress caused by the car’s extreme downforce.
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| LIGIER JS11-15, Didier Pironi Montréal, Canadian GP 1980 |
Perhaps for this very reason, the exceptional JS11/15 fails to contend for the title against the Williams and Brabham cars. The season concludes with 66 points, thanks to two victories (one by each driver), three second-place finishes, five third-place finishes, along with three pole positions and three fastest laps in the race. The 1980 season remains the best in the history of the French team.
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