The last race of the 1993 Championship, held on November 7th at the Adelaide circuit in Australia, marked the end of the career of the most successful driver of the time, Alain Prost. At 38 years old, with young and ambitious talents like Schumacher, Häkkinen, Hill, and many others ready to launch their careers as future champions, it was perhaps the most sensible decision, yet the Frenchman’s passion for Formula 1 remained intact. Alain therefore accepted the offer from the French TV channel TF1 to become a commentator starting the following season. Prost held this role for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, but in the meantime, he returned to Renault, the manufacturer that had made him famous early in his career and with whose engines he won his fourth title, taking on a role in public relations. In 1995, he joined McLaren as a consultant, with the opportunity to personally test the cars from the 1994, 1995, and 1996 seasons, gaining firsthand experience of the progress made by modern Formula 1 cars, especially in terms of safety. Prost still wanted to be part of this world, not as a driver anymore, but by embarking on a career he had always dreamed of during his racing years: managing his own team, something that was no longer possible while actively racing, unlike the 1970s but absolutely unfeasible in mid-90s Formula 1.
 |
| PROST JS45, Shinji Nakano Buenos-Aires, Argentinian GP 1997 |
So, at the beginning of 1996, the French champion began looking for a solid structure and a well-established team he could rely on, avoiding an improvised adventure. His attention turned to Ligier, a mid-field team with an excellent facility near the Magny-Cours circuit and a respectable past. With the help of the French government, longtime supporters of "bleu" motorsport campaigns, Prost also managed to convince Peugeot to remain in Formula 1 when the “Lion House,” after disappointing stints with McLaren and a lackluster experience with Jordan, was planning to leave the top tier of motorsport. However, negotiations with the French engine supplier concluded just as the season was about to begin, forcing Prost to remain with Mugen-Honda engines for 1996, as Ligier already had an existing contract. Thus, the Prost Grand Prix team was born. With Frank Dernie moving to Arrows and Paul Crooks to Jordan, only Loïc Bigois stayed with the team, now promoted from head of aerodynamics to technical director. The new designer was French engineer Claude Delbet, while Damien Py, also French, became chief engineer.
 |
| PROST JS45, Shinji Nakano Monza, Italian GP 1997 |
The new Prost JS45 was designed before Prost officially acquired the team and still with the old technical staff, making it a simple evolution of the already strong Ligier JS43 of 1996, a car that itself closely copied the successful Benetton B195, World Champion with Schumacher in 1995. Prost decided to retain the traditional initials “JS,” in honor of driver Jo Schlesser that had always distinguished Ligier cars, now preceded by his own name to signify the team’s new direction. The limited time available for new technical director Bigois and the decision to keep the same Mugen-Honda V10 72° engine, producing just 710 hp at 13,900 rpm, but very reliable and lightweight at 123 kg, alongside the same chassis and suspension as 1996, made the Prost JS45 a proven and dependable car, yet highly competitive after refinements from the new technical staff. The livery remained in the customary blue that had characterized the French team for several seasons, although the white sidepods and Parmalat logo disappeared after driver Diniz left for Arrows.
 |
| PROST JS45, Olivier Panis Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1997 |
The main sponsor returned to being French tobacco company Gitanes with the Gauloises brand, while Alcatel and Canal+, both French brands, were secondary sponsors. Frenchman Olivier Panis was confirmed as lead driver, while Japanese rookie Shinji Nakano, strongly backed by Honda, was signed as the second driver. The deal with Bridgestone for tire supply proved to be a turning point for the new Prost JS45. After solving the pitching problems of the previous version, thanks to the Japanese tires' consistent performance, the car became a lethal weapon in Panis’s hands. The Frenchman opened the season with a fifth place in Australia, followed by a podium finish in Brazil and a retirement in Argentina, despite running comfortably in second place until then. After an unremarkable eighth in Imola, another podium came in Monaco, followed by points in Spain, putting Panis third in the championship standings, behind only Villeneuve and Schumacher. Just as everything seemed to be going perfectly, disaster struck. During the Canadian Grand Prix, after suffering a puncture, Panis’s Prost JS45 violently crashed into a barrier. The crash left the Frenchman with both legs broken, ending his season and forcing Prost to urgently find a replacement. The choice fell on young Italian Jarno Trulli, who had been racing for Minardi and impressing with solid performances.
 |
| PROST JS45, Jarno Trulli Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1997 |
The decision proved to be the right one: Trulli immediately showcased his talent, taking fourth place in Germany and shining in Austria, where after qualifying third, he took the lead at the start, passing Villeneuve and Häkkinen and pulling away, until, about 15 laps from the end, a potential victory turned into disaster when both Mugen-Honda engines on the two Prost JS45 cars failed within a couple of laps. By the end of the season, Prost Grand Prix scored 21 points and finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship, the best result in the short life of the new French team. However, the regret remained that, without Panis’s accident, the Drivers' Championship might have had one more contender, as Jacques Villeneuve himself admitted in an interview years later, saying that the young Frenchman was his toughest rival after Schumacher.
Comments
Post a Comment