# Prost JS45

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Formula One racing car

Racing car model

Prost JS45 The JS45 on display at the Musée National de l’Automobile Category Formula One Constructor Ligier/Prost Designers Loïc Bigois (Technical Director) Claude Delbet (Chief Designer) George Ryton (Head of R&D) Damien Py (Chief Engineer) Predecessor Ligier JS43 Successor AP01 Technical specifications Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure Suspension (front) double wishbones, pushrod, twin or triple damper Suspension (rear) double wishbones, pushrod, twin damper Engine Mugen-Honda MF301HA & Mugen-Honda MF301HB 3.0-litre 72-degree V10 Transmission Prost six-speed transverse sequential semi-automatic Power 710 hp @ 13,900 rpm[1] Fuel Elf Tyres Bridgestone Competition history Notable entrants Prost Gauloises Blondes Notable drivers 14. Olivier Panis 14. Jarno Trulli 15. Shinji Nakano Debut 1997 Australian Grand Prix Last event 1997 European Grand Prix Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 17 0 2 0 0 Constructors' Championships 0 Drivers' Championships 0

The **Prost JS45** also known as the **Ligier JS45** (prior to [Alain Prost](/source/Alain_Prost) buying the team) was the [Formula One](/source/Formula_One) racing car constructed by [Ligier](/source/%C3%89quipe_Ligier) with which the [Prost](/source/Prost_Grand_Prix) team competed in the [1997 Formula One World Championship](/source/1997_Formula_One_World_Championship), and the first Prost-badged car following [Alain Prost](/source/Alain_Prost)'s acquisition of [Ligier](/source/Equipe_Ligier) in February 1997.

## Development

The acquisition of Ligier from [Flavio Briatore](/source/Flavio_Briatore) by Prost, and its subsequent renaming after him, marked the end of the Ligier name in [F1](/source/Formula_One) after involvement in the sport since [1976](/source/1976_Formula_One_season). However, the car had been designed and built beforehand, and so retained its Ligier designation of JS45. Also retained were [Mugen Honda](/source/Mugen_Honda) engines though the team opted for [Bridgestone](/source/Bridgestone) tyres in the Japanese's company's first year of F1.

## Race history

Prost's lead driver was [Olivier Panis](/source/Olivier_Panis), who had driven for Ligier since 1994, while the second seat was taken by Japanese rookie [Shinji Nakano](/source/Shinji_Nakano), largely due to pressure from engine suppliers Mugen.[2]

In the first six races of the season, the JS45 proved extremely promising. The problems of braking and pitch sensitivity with the previous year's [Ligier JS43](/source/Ligier_JS43) had been largely solved, and this, allied with Panis' skill and the durability of the Bridgestones, enabled the French driver to finish fifth in [Australia](/source/1997_Australian_Grand_Prix), third in [Brazil](/source/1997_Brazilian_Grand_Prix), fourth in [Monaco](/source/1997_Monaco_Grand_Prix) and then second in [Spain](/source/1997_Spanish_Grand_Prix), just six seconds behind eventual World Champion [Jacques Villeneuve](/source/Jacques_Villeneuve). These results put him third in the Drivers' Championship, and after the Spanish Grand Prix Villeneuve said that he regarded Panis as one of his main threats for the rest of the season.

However, a suspected suspension failure or puncture caused Panis to crash heavily into a concrete wall at the [very next race in Canada](/source/1997_Canadian_Grand_Prix), breaking both his legs and putting him out of action for the next seven Grands Prix. Nonetheless, the car remained competitive due to Panis' replacement [Jarno Trulli](/source/Jarno_Trulli), who had been recruited from [Minardi](/source/Minardi). Trulli finished fourth in [Germany](/source/1997_German_Grand_Prix) before leading the first half of the [Austrian Grand Prix](/source/1997_Austrian_Grand_Prix) after qualifying third, and these achievements impressed Prost enough for him to sign the Italian full-time for [1998](/source/1998_Formula_One_World_Championship). Panis returned for the final three races of the season and picked up one final point for sixth in his first race back, at the [Nürburgring](/source/1997_Luxembourg_Grand_Prix).

The inexperienced Nakano, meanwhile, proved solid if not spectacular, scoring two points for sixth places at Canada (after the race was stopped following Panis' crash) and [Hungary](/source/1997_Hungarian_Grand_Prix). However, he did not retain his seat for 1998, as Panis stayed on alongside Trulli and the team took on [Peugeot](/source/Peugeot) engines, swapping with [Jordan](/source/Jordan_Grand_Prix).

At the end of the season, Panis was tenth in the Drivers' Championship with 16 points, while Trulli was 16th with his three points from Germany and Nakano was 19th with his two (though all three were later promoted a place following [Michael Schumacher](/source/Michael_Schumacher)'s exclusion from the standings). With a total of 21 points, Prost placed sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

## Livery

As with its predecessor, it was painted with a same blue scheme livery by retaining the [Gauloises](/source/Gauloises) sponsorship as title sponsor. Prost used 'Gauloises' logos, except at the French, British and German Grands Prix.

## Complete Formula One results

([key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:F1_driver_results_legend_2)) (results in **bold** indicate pole position)

Year Team Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC 1997 Prost Gauloises Blondes Mugen Honda V10 B AUS BRA ARG SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA AUT LUX JPN EUR 21 6th Olivier Panis 5 3 Ret 8 4 2 11 6 Ret 7 Jarno Trulli 10 8 4 7 15 10 Ret Shinji Nakano 7 14 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 11 7 6 Ret 11 Ret Ret Ret 10

## References

- *[AUTOCOURSE](/source/AUTOCOURSE) 1997-98*, [Henry, Alan](/source/Alan_Henry) (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1997) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-874557-47-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-874557-47-0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Engine Mugen Honda"](https://www.statsf1.com/en/moteur-mugen-honda.aspx). *www.statsf1.com*. Retrieved 26 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Shinji Nakano - Biography"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130321222825/http://f1rejects.com/drivers/nakano/biography.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/nakano/biography.html) on 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2012-11-02.

v t e Prost Grand Prix Founder Alain Prost Notable personnel John Barnard Loïc Bigois Marcin Budkowski Bernard Dudot Henri Durand Jacky Eeckelaert Cesare Fiorio Jean-Paul Gousset Alan Jenkins George Ryton Gary Savage Patrizia Spinelli Joan Villadelprat John Walton Drivers Olivier Panis Jarno Trulli Nick Heidfeld Jean Alesi Heinz-Harald Frentzen Gastón Mazzacane Luciano Burti Tomáš Enge Shinji Nakano Formula One cars JS45 AP01 AP02 AP03 AP04 AP05

v t e « previous Cars that competed in the 1997 Formula One World Championship next » Arrows A18 Benetton B197 Ferrari F310B Jordan 197 Lola T97/30 McLaren MP4/12 Minardi M197 Prost JS45 Sauber C16 Stewart SF01 Tyrrell 025 Williams FW19

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Prost JS45](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prost_JS45) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prost_JS45?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.