After two disastrous years without scoring any points, and following a transitional 1991 season during which the team temporarily used a Lamborghini V12, the 1992 season appeared to be a fresh start for Guy Ligier's French squad, thanks to the availability of a significantly better engine than previous ones, the powerful Renault V10. However, it's worth noting that the Renault power unit wasn’t the latest RS4 used by Williams, but rather the updated 1991 RS3 version prepared by Mecachrome. The operation was costly, around 12 million dollars, leaving the French team with little room to design a brand-new car capable of fully exploiting the powerful French V10.
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| LIGIER JS37, Thierry Boutsen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1992 |
The chassis was only slightly revised by Frank Dernie, before his move to Benetton Formula, to accommodate the new Renault V10. Significant contributions to the JS37’s development also came from Gérard Ducarouge and Loïc Bigois, who made use of aerodynamic research data derived from the never-launched Reynard F1 wind tunnel model. The new car featured the now-ubiquitous raised nose, with a notably stubby shape and a full-width front wing with a central rib in Jordan style. The sidepods were quite large and tapered toward the rear diffuser in classic fashion.
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| 2 LIGIER JS37, Erik Comas Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexican GP 1992 |
Paired with the Renault V10, initially the RS3B version and later upgraded to the “C” spec from the Hungarian Grand Prix in mid-August, was a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox by X-Trac, modified by Ligier engineers. The suspension lacked electronic aids and featured a push-rod configuration at both front and rear, with dual shock absorbers supplied by Thyssen Krupp Bilstein, a German company that had been present in rally cars since the 1980s.
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| LIGIER JS37, Thierry Boutsen Magny-Cours, French GP 1992 |
During the winter, French champion Alain Prost, who had left Ferrari before the end of the 1991 season amid controversy, tested the new JS37 in several sessions at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. However, given the car’s only modest performance, far from rivaling the best on the grid, he ultimately decided to take a sabbatical year, declining Guy Ligier’s offer to lead the team. As a result, the two 1991 drivers were confirmed: Frenchman Erik Comas, a former Formula 3000 champion, and Belgian Thierry Boutsen, a perennial hopeful who never quite fulfilled expectations. Despite having the best engine of the early '90s under the hood, which gave Ligier a breath of fresh air by moving the car from the back to the midfield, the JS37 was still lacking aerodynamically and mechanically, requiring modifications as early as the second race of the season to improve stability and handling.
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| LIGIER JS37, Alain Prost Estoril, private test |
Nevertheless, the JS37’s performance was reasonably satisfactory, particularly in qualifying, where the two drivers often started within the top five rows. Race performance was less consistent, especially for Boutsen, who was forced to retire nine times due to reliability issues. In contrast, the young Comas almost always finished races in the first half of the season, even securing sixth place at the Canadian Grand Prix, which earned the French team 1 point and ended a 48-race point-less streak. Thanks to a few more placements later in the season, Ligier scored a total of 6 points, finishing seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.
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