Top 5 Worst Performing Prost Grand Prix Drivers

December 18, 2019

By Brian Cotnoir

Everyone who reads this blog knows I have a soft spot for the Ligier Formula 1 team in my heart. Even though the team stopped racing long before I was interested in F1, I still regard them as one of the most underrated F1 teams in history and they are also the team that designed me favorite F1 car—the JS11—and also had my favorite F1 livery. Well after, Ligier stopped running in Formula 1, the team was sold to 4-time Formula 1 World Champion Alain Prost, who renamed the team Prost Grand Prix. Despite some early signs of success in their first season, Prost Grand Prix would struggle and would shut down after only five season in Formula 1; these are the 5 Worst Performing drivers who raced for Prost Grand Prix

5.) Olivier Panis, 2.5 seasons, 2 Podiums, and 18 Championship Points Scored

Panis scored Ligier’s last ever F1 victory at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix. That would be his only victory in F1, but in his first season at Prost Grand Prix in 1997, he showed more glimpses of brilliance. He scored points in his 1^st two starts with the team, including a 3^rd place at the Brazilian Grand Prix, and he nearly won the Spanish Grand Prix that year, finishing 2^nd to eventual World Champion, Jacques Villenueve. Panis would break his leg at the next race in Canada, and would miss several races. He never finished better than 6^th in his final 2 seasons at Prost before leaving the team.

4.) Jarno Trulli, 2.25 seasons , Best finish 2^nd (1999 European Grand Prix, Average Points finish of 14^th place

Trulli made his debut with Prost replacing the injured Olivier Panis in 1997. Trulli would be teamed up with Panis for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Trulli would finish on the podium only once driving for Prost when he finished 2^nd at the 1999 European Grand Prix, a race he lost to Johnny Herbert, who was driving for a team owned by another former Formula 1 World Champion, Jackie Stewart. Trulli would score the last ever podium finish for Prost Grand Prix, and failed to finish 50% of the starts he entered for the team.

3.) Jean Alesi, 1.75 seasons, Best Finish 5^th place at the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix, Average Points Finish of 18^th place

Jean Alesi would drive for his fellow countryman and former competitor for almost two seasons. In his first season with the team he scored 0 points, and failed to finish 12-out-of-17 races entered for the team. The following season, Alesi would score points in 3 races, he best finish was a 5^th place at the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix. He scored Prost Grand Prix’s final ever points when he finished 6^th at the German Grand Prix before being replaced by Heinz-Harald Franzen for the last 5 rounds of the season.

2.) Shinji Nakano, 1 Season (1997), 2 Championship Points Scored, Best finish 6^th (2X)

Shinji Nakano raced for Prost as a rookie during their first season along with Olivier Panis & Jarno Trulli. Nakomo was not as competitive as his two more experienced teammates. His best finish of the season was 6^th place (twice), and the following season he would be replaced by Trulli, and would go on to race for Minardi.

1.) Nick Heidfeld, 1 Season (2000), 0 Championship Points Scored, Best finish 8^th place at Monaco Grand Prix

Nick Heidfeld would make his Formula 1 debut in 2000 and was teamed up with Jean Alesi for the 2000 Formula 1 Season. Both Heidfeld and Alesi failed to score any points during the season, with Heidfeld only managing to score a highest finish of 8^th at the Monaco Grand Prix. He retired from 10-out-of-16 races entered for the team, and was excluded from the European Grand Prix for having an underweight car. Heidfeld would leave the team after 2000 and would go on to be who many fans consider to be the best F1 driver without a win, with 183 starts and 13 podiums without ever scoring a win in Formula 1.