For the 1995 season, the French team Ligier underwent a major technical overhaul, primarily driven by its new owner, Flavio Briatore. The Italian manager, in partnership with British businessman Tom Walkinshaw, took over the French team in 1993 following the arrest of then-owner Cyril de Rouvre for financial fraud. Briatore’s interest in the French outfit was solely aimed at securing the Renault RS6 V10 engine for the Benetton team, of which he was already the sporting director. The revolution initiated by Briatore led to an almost complete overhaul of the technical staff, starting with former technical director Gérard Ducarouge, whose role was assigned to Frank Dernie. Dernie had been with Benetton for many years and had an illustrious past in Formula 1 as an engineer for Hesketh and especially for Williams, where in 1987 he contributed to the development of the electronic suspension system used on the FW11, which enabled the team to win both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles.
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| LIGIER JS41, Martin Brundle Estoril, Portuguese GP 1995 |
The only technician who survived Briatore’s reshuffle was Loïc Bigois, who continued in his role as Head of Aerodynamics. Paul Crooks, who had designed Ligier’s last successful cars, was also dismissed and not replaced as chief designer. This was widely seen as a result of the fact that the new JS41 closely resembled, and not just aesthetically, the Benetton B195. The similarity between the two cars was quickly defended by Walkinshaw, who claimed the resemblance was purely visual and that technically and mechanically the two were quite different, starting with the engine used by the French cars. Briatore's move meant that the Renault V10 engine would now be used by "his" Benetton team, while the Ligier JS41 would be equipped with the still respectable Mugen-Honda MF 301H, a 2998 cc V10 capable of delivering a solid 680 hp at 13,500 rpm.
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| LIGIER JS41, Martin Brundle Montréal, Canadian GP 1995 |
The suspension and transmission, however, were the same as those of the “sister” Benetton B195, and the chassis design was also strongly influenced by the Anglo-Italian car. The JS41 proved immediately to be very competitive and fast, and in the hands of emerging French driver Olivier Panis, it delivered excellent results from the outset. After a couple of good placements in the opening rounds of the Championship, the JS41 scored its first World Championship points in Spain, repeating the feat several times throughout the season and eventually securing an excellent second place finish at the Australian Grand Prix, the final race of the season.
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| LIGIER JS41, Olivier Panis Imola, San Marino GP 1995 |
The second JS41 was driven by Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki, strongly backed by Mugen, though he struggled to match the performance of his teammate. As a result, he was replaced on 10 occasions by veteran British driver Martin Brundle, who also managed to reach the podium at Spa-Francorchamps during the Belgian Grand Prix. The strong performance of the JS41 translated into a successful season for the French team, which finished with 24 points and fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, one of Ligier’s best seasons since its heyday in the 1980s.
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| LIGIER JS41, Olivier Panis Imola, San Marino GP 1995 |
The Ligier JS41 is also remembered as the car purchased and used by Bridgestone in November 1996 at the Suzuka circuit, with Damon Hill at the wheel, to test its new tires ahead of the Japanese manufacturer’s debut in the top tier of open-wheel racing in 1997.
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