The French Guy Ligier, a former pilot and founder of the Formula 1 stable of the same name, has died at the age of 85 years, announced Sunday, August 23 several French media, information confirmed in the evening by a family member.
Born July 12 1930 in Vichy, in Allier, Guy Ligier played 12 F1 Grands Prix and scored one point in 1967 the German Grand Prix, at the Nurburgring. He based his stable in 1976 and benefited throughout its existence supported by Seita, the French governed tobacco.
His favorite driver will be Jacques Laffite who won six F1 GP in blue Ligier with all initial JS for Jo Schlesser, a great friend of Ligier, and equipped with Matra-Cosworth engines or Ford. Two other French pilots will also earn GP Ligier: Patrick Depailler in 1979 and Didier Pironi in 1980
It’s still driving a Ligier, but equipped with Mugen-Honda engine. Olivier Panis in 1996 won the Monaco GP, his only F1 victory and the latest in a Ligier in the premier class of motor sport.
A great friend of Guy Ligier, François Mitterrand, became President of the Republic, has prompted the state and local authorities to invest a lot of public money in the Magny-Cours circuit near Nevers, for it hosts the GP of France F1 from 1991 to 2008.
After 326 GP played between 1976 and 1996 (to 9 wins, nine pole positions and 50 podiums), Ligier, then in serious financial trouble, was bought by Alain Prost. The quadruple world champion Prost F1 GP renamed but never managed to get a victory in 83 GP played from 1997 to 2001.
Guy Ligier’s heirs have engaged in manufacturing carts without a license, in high demand in the European market. More recently, the contractor Jacques Nicolet relaunched the brand in motorsport, with the agreement of its founder, baptizing Ligier prototypes. The team participates in the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the Championship World Endurance (WEC).
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