Ligier JS27
| Industry | Motorsport / Formula One team |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Formula One cars |
The Ligier JS27 represented the French outfit Equipe Ligier's entry in the Formula One championship for the 1986 season.
Description
Building upon the previous year's Ligier JS25, the JS27 featured a redesigned, lower-positioned fuel tank and enhanced aerodynamic elements to meet the new fuel capacity restriction, which was reduced from 220 to 195 litres. This model was lighter compared to its predecessor and integrated customer-supplied Renault F1 power units more effectively. Nevertheless, its engine specifications fell short of those used by other Renault-powered teams such as Team Lotus, and no upgrades were made to the engine throughout the season.
A total of five chassis were constructed: three were prepared for the season opener in Brazil, while two additional chassis debuted mid-season—chassis 04 appeared at the Belgian Grand Prix, followed by chassis 05 at the Canadian Grand Prix. Chassis 01 was withdrawn after sustaining severe damage in Jacques Laffite's accident at the British Grand Prix, which ultimately ended his Formula One career.
Racing history
The JS27 was piloted by Ligier's French drivers, veteran Jacques Laffite and René Arnoux, who had rejoined the team following his release from Ferrari earlier in 1985. At 42 years old, Laffite was the most senior competitor on the grid.
During the initial half of the season, the JS27 achieved several points finishes, including two podium placements courtesy of Laffite. At Detroit, Laffite led much of the race before settling for second place, while Arnoux was on course for a second-place finish himself until he crashed. By the time of the British Grand Prix, Ligier held fourth position in the Constructors' Championship standings—trailing Williams, McLaren, and Lotus but ahead of Ferrari. However, Laffite’s first-lap collision at this event resulted in serious leg injuries that forced his retirement from Formula One.
After Laffite's crash and with minimal development on new chassis, the JS27's performance diminished during the latter part of the year. From the German Grand Prix onwards, Arnoux and replacement driver Philippe Alliot accumulated only four points combined. Despite this downturn, Ligier secured fifth place in the Constructors' Championship—the highest ranking among teams running Pirelli tyres.
Following the JS27 era, Ligier endured a period of decreased competitiveness lasting until 1993. The JS27 also marked Ligier's final car to lead a lap in a Grand Prix until Olivier Panis’s victory at Monaco in 1996—the team’s last season before being acquired by Alain Prost.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (bold denotes pole position)
| Year | Team | Engine(s) | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Équipe Ligier | Renault Gordini EF15 V6 tc |
Template:Pirelli | BRA | ESP | SMR | MON | BEL | CAN | DET | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | AUT | ITA | POR | MEX | AUS | 29 | 5th | |
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall René Arnoux | 4 | Ret | Ret | 5 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 5 | 4 | 4 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 7 | 15† | 7 | ||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Jacques Laffite | 3 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Philippe Alliot |
<style="background:#EFCFFF;">Ret <style="background:#CFCFFF;">9 <style="background:#EFCFFF;">Ret <style="background:#EFCFFF;">Ret <style="background:#EFCFFF;">Ret <style="background:#DFFFDF;">6 <style="background:#CFCFFF;">8 |