Ligier JS19
| Industry | Motorsport |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | France |
Key people | Jean-Pierre Jabouille (Technical Director) |
| Products | Formula One cars |
The Ligier JS19 was a Formula One car developed and campaigned by Équipe Ligier during the 1982 Formula One season. It utilized a Talbot-branded Matra V12 power unit and was piloted by Jacques Laffite alongside Eddie Cheever.
Development
Under the guidance of technical director Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Michel Beaujon engineered the JS19, which incorporated the Matra MS81 V12 engine marketed as Talbot. The vehicle's design featured side pods that enclosed the rear suspension components to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, complemented by full-length skirts to maximize ground effect. However, during its inaugural appearance at the 1982 Monaco Grand Prix, race officials required the removal of skirt segments located behind the rear wheel's centerline, leading to diminished downforce and compromised performance. As a result, Ligier reverted to using the JS17B model for the following US and Canadian Grand Prix events while continuing aerodynamic enhancements via wind tunnel analysis. Only one JS19 participated in the Dutch and British Grands Prix as these improvements were finalized, with two cars deployed starting from the French Grand Prix onward.
Racing history
At the start of the season, Ligier competed with the JS17B before unveiling the JS19 at Monaco. Both drivers, Eddie Cheever and Jacques Laffite, qualified in 16th and 18th positions respectively but failed to finish. After Cheever crashed the only JS19 beyond repair at the Dutch Grand Prix, Laffite qualified 20th in Britain but retired due to gearbox failure. Neither driver scored points in France. Cheever achieved the team's top qualifying position of 12th in Germany, though both cars retired from that race because of handling difficulties.
Laffite earned the JS19’s first championship points with a third-place finish in Austria but subsequently retired from several races. Cheever retired in Austria, was unclassified in Switzerland, secured sixth place for one point in Italy, and finished third at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix after qualifying fourth. By season’s end, Ligier ranked eighth in the Constructors' Championship with a total of 20 points—nine of which were accumulated using the JS19.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Bold indicates pole position; italics denote fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Equipe Talbot Gitanes | Talbot V12 NA |
Template:Michelin | RSA | BRA | USW | SMR | BEL | MON | DET | CAN | NED | GBR | FRA | GER | AUT | SUI | ITA | CPL | 20* | 8th | |
| Eddie Cheever | Ret | DNQ | 16 | Ret | Ret | NC | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Jacques Laffite | Ret | Ret |
style="background:#cfcfff;"| 14 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |
style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |
style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |
style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |
* Eleven points were earned using the JS17B earlier in the season.