13th February 1997: The French Dream That Faded

On 13 February 1997, Alain Prost formally completed his takeover of Ligier — transforming France’s historic Formula One entry into Prost Grand Prix.It was a bold move. A four-time world champion stepping away from the cockpit to build a national team in his own image. The early signs were promising: podiums in Brazil and Spain in 1997, Olivier Panis third in the Drivers’ Championship, and renewed belief in a French Formula One revival.But momentum proved fragile.An ambitious switch to Peugeot engines in 1998 brought symbolism but not stability. A dramatic podium at the 1999 European Grand Prix masked deeper technical and financial strain. By 2000, the team failed to score a single point. A late switch to Ferrari customer engines in 2001 delivered only modest recovery before administration followed in early 2002.Why do so few great drivers succeed as team owners? Was Prost’s project undone by timing, strategy, scale — or the rapidly industrialising nature of late-1990s Formula One?In this episode of Chequered Past, we explore ambition, national identity and the unforgiving economics of modern Grand Prix racing — and revisit the French dream that faded.Send us Fan MailMusic by #Mubert Music Rendering