The Prost JS45 was the car with which the Prost

Prost Grand Prix

Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team managed by former world champion Alain Prost. The team participated in five seasons from 1997 to 2001.-Purchase of Ligier:...

 Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 team used to compete in the 1997 Formula One season

1997 Formula One season

The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 9, 1997, and ended on October 26 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...

. It was initially driven by Olivier Panis

Olivier Panis

Olivier Panis is a French racing driver. Panis is best known in F1 not only as a test driver for the McLaren team but for his win at the eventful Monaco Grand Prix in 1996 for the Ligier team after starting 14th...

, who continued from the team's previous incarnation as Ligier, and Japanese rookie Shinji Nakano

Shinji Nakano

Shinji Nakano is a racing driver from Japan.His father, Tsuneharu was also a racing driver who competed in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship etc.-Pre Formula One Career:-Formula One Career:...

, who was given the second seat largely due to pressure on new team owner Alain Prost

Alain Prost

Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...

 from engine supplier Mugen Honda.
During the off-season, the Ligier team had been bought from Flavio Briatore

Flavio Briatore

Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. During the 1980s, he was convicted for multiple counts of fraud, receiving two prison sentences, only one of which he served. As a fugitive from Italy, he set up restaurants and then a number of successful Benneton franchises in the Virgin Islands and the...

 by Prost, who renamed the team after him. This marked the end of the Ligier name in F1 after involvement in the sport since . However, lead driver Panis remained with the team, as did the Mugen engines. The car had been designed and built before Prost's acquisition of the team, so retained its Ligier designation of JS45. However, the team was one of several who opted for Bridgestone

Bridgestone

The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....

 tyres in the Japanese's company's first year of F1.

In the early stages of the season, the car proved extremely promising. The problems of braking and pitch sensitivity with the Ligier had been largely solved, and this, allied with Panis' skill and the durability of the Bridgestones, took Prost to two podium finishes in the first six race. After the 1997 Spanish Grand Prix

1997 Spanish Grand Prix

The 1997 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 25, 1997 at the Circuit de Catalunya.This classic Spanish Grand Prix is memorable for the great performance of Olivier Panis, starting from 12th on the grid, and finishing 2nd closing on the leader Jacques Villeneuve by 1.5 to 2 seconds...

, Championship leader 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

1997 Canadian Grand Prix

The 1997 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 15, 1997.The race was marred by a big crash involving Olivier Panis, who broke his legs and would be unable to start the next seven grands prix. It has been argued that this crash affected Panis's...

, breaking both legs and removing him from the next seven Grands Prix. In the meantime, Jarno Trulli

Jarno Trulli

Jarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One racing driver. He has been a regular in Formula One since 1997, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault and Toyota. He won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault, his only Grand Prix victory to date. He is known for being a qualification expert...

 was recruited from Minardi

Minardi

Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...

 and proved impressive enough to be signed full-time for . Trulli's high spot came in the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix

1997 Austrian Grand Prix

The 1997 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at A1-Ring on September 21, 1997. Qualifying threw up a few surprises, as the Bridgestone tyres used by several smaller teams proved strong, but it was ultimately Jacques Villeneuve who won...

, where he led most of the race before retiring with an engine failure. The inexperienced Nakano also scored a couple of points, but Panis' return to racing at the Nürburgring

1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix

The 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on September 28, 1997. Jacques Villeneuve took what proved to be his final Formula One victory, after the race-leading McLaren-Mercedes cars had identical engine failures within moments of each other...

 ensured that the Japanese would not retain his seat for the following season, as the team would swap engine suppliers with Jordan

Jordan Grand Prix

Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...

 to ensure an all French team of Prost-Peugeot

Peugeot

Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...

.

The team eventually finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship, with 21 points.

Complete Formula One results

(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
	Prost Prost Grand Prix Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team managed by former world champion Alain Prost. The team participated in five seasons from 1997 to 2001.-Purchase of Ligier:...	Mugen Honda V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...			AUS 1997 Australian Grand Prix The 1997 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 9 March 1997 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne. It was the first race of the 1997 Formula One season. It was the second Grand Prix to be hosted in Melbourne.-Pre-race:...	BRA 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Autódromo José Carlos Pace near Interlagos, Brazil on March 30, 1997. It was the second race of the 1997 Formula One season.-Pre-Race:...	ARG 1997 Argentine Grand Prix The 1997 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez in Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 13, 1997. It was the third race of the 1997 Formula One season.-Pre-Race:...	SMR 1997 San Marino Grand Prix The 1997 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari near Imola, Italy on April 27, 1997. It was the fourth race of the 1997 Formula One season.-Pre-race:...	MON 1997 Monaco Grand Prix The 1997 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 11, 1997 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco.- Summary :Qualifying saw Heinz-Harald Frentzen in his Williams-Renault in front of Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari; third was Jacques Villeneuve in the other Williams...	ESP 1997 Spanish Grand Prix The 1997 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 25, 1997 at the Circuit de Catalunya.This classic Spanish Grand Prix is memorable for the great performance of Olivier Panis, starting from 12th on the grid, and finishing 2nd closing on the leader Jacques Villeneuve by 1.5 to 2 seconds...	CAN 1997 Canadian Grand Prix The 1997 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 15, 1997.The race was marred by a big crash involving Olivier Panis, who broke his legs and would be unable to start the next seven grands prix. It has been argued that this crash affected Panis's...	FRA 1997 French Grand Prix The 1997 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Magny-Cours on June 29, 1997.-Race summary:At the start, Michael Schumacher led away from pole with Frentzen in the Williams behind him all the way...	GBR 1997 British Grand Prix The 1997 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 13 July 1997. It was the ninth round of the 1997 Formula One season. Jacques Villeneuve won the race despite being stuck in the pitlane for half a minute during his first pitstop, after a wheelnut problem.Two previous...	GER 1997 German Grand Prix The 1997 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 27, 1997. It was won by Austrian driver Gerhard Berger in a Benetton. This race proved to be his final victory and final pole position, as he retired at the end of the season. Berger had missed the previous 3...	HUN 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hungaroring on August 10, 1997.Damon Hill, as defending world champion, had experienced a miserable year in the uncompetitive Arrows-Yamaha, but the team experienced a spike in performance levels at Hungary, mainly due to their...	BEL 1997 Belgian Grand Prix The 1997 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 24, 1997. The wet weather associated with the circuit came heavily, causing the race to be started behind the safety car for the first time in Formula One history....	ITA 1997 Italian Grand Prix The 1997 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1997. Jean Alesi, starting from pole position, led the race until the halfway stage; however, David Coulthard, who had jumped from sixth on the grid into third place coming out of the first corner, got ahead of...	AUT 1997 Austrian Grand Prix The 1997 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at A1-Ring on September 21, 1997. Qualifying threw up a few surprises, as the Bridgestone tyres used by several smaller teams proved strong, but it was ultimately Jacques Villeneuve who won...	LUX 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix The 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on September 28, 1997. Jacques Villeneuve took what proved to be his final Formula One victory, after the race-leading McLaren-Mercedes cars had identical engine failures within moments of each other...	JPN 1997 Japanese Grand Prix The 1997 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 1997 at the Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka. It was the 16th and penultimate race of the 1997 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from...	EUR 1997 European Grand Prix The 1997 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 26, 1997 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Spain. Originally scheduled as the Grand Prix of Portugal at the Estoril circuit, it was moved when Estoril’s management had financial difficulties. It was the 17th and final...	21	6th
				Olivier Panis Olivier Panis Olivier Panis is a French racing driver. Panis is best known in F1 not only as a test driver for the McLaren team but for his win at the eventful Monaco Grand Prix in 1996 for the Ligier team after starting 14th...	5	3	Ret	8	4	2	11								6	Ret	7
				Jarno Trulli Jarno Trulli Jarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One racing driver. He has been a regular in Formula One since 1997, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault and Toyota. He won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault, his only Grand Prix victory to date. He is known for being a qualification expert...								10	8	4	7	15	10	Ret
				Shinji Nakano Shinji Nakano Shinji Nakano is a racing driver from Japan.His father, Tsuneharu was also a racing driver who competed in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship etc.-Pre Formula One Career:-Formula One Career:...	7	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	11	7	6	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	10