 Jacques Laffite driving the JS19 at the1982 Pau Grand Prix | |||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Ligier | ||||||||
| Designers | Jean-Pierre Jabouille (Technical Director) Michel Beaujon (Chief Designer) | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Ligier JS17B | ||||||||
| Successor | Ligier JS21 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminiummonocoque | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front: 1,800 mm (71 in) Rear: 1,600 mm (63 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm (110 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | Talbot 3.0, 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in),V12,NA,mid-engine,longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 5-speedmanual | ||||||||
| Weight | 590 kg (1,300 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Elf | ||||||||
| Tyres | Michelin | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Equipe Talbot Gitanes | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |  Jacques Laffite Eddie Cheever | ||||||||
| Debut | 1982 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||
| Last event | 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
TheLigier JS19 was aFormula Oneracing car manufactured and raced byÉquipe Ligier during the1982 Formula One season. Powered by aTalbot-badged Matra V12 engine, the JS19 was driven byJacques Laffite andEddie Cheever.
The JS19 was designed byMichel Beaujon under the technical direction ofJean-Pierre Jabouille, who had retired as a driver from Formula One the previous year.[1] It was provided with aMatra MS81 V-12 badged as aTalbot. The chassis had side pods which enclosed the rear suspension linkage, which minimised disruption to the air flow, and had skirts running their full length for maximum ground-effect. However, when introduced for its first race, the1982 Monaco Grand Prix, the team was forced by race officials to remove the portion of the skirts behind the rear-wheel centreline (a subjective interpretation of the rules not clarified in written bulletins), which resulted in a loss of downforce that affected the cars' performance. The team used the JS17B, with which it had started the first five races of the season, for the following races in the United States and Canada while the aerodynamics of the JS19 were reworked in wind tunnel testing. A single JS19 was present for theDutch andBritish races while the other was in the wind tunnel. Two cars were present from theFrench Grand Prix onwards.[2]
The Ligier team had raced the JS17B, an update of the 1981 car, for the early part of the year before introducing the JS19 at Monaco.[2] The team drivers,Eddie Cheever andJacques Laffite, qualified 16th and 18th on the grid, respectively, but both retired from the race.[1] When the team were down to a single JS19 for races, Cheever attempted to qualify for the Dutch race but failed[1] when he crashed heavily, damaging it beyond repair.[2] Laffite qualified a new JS19[2] 20th at the following race in Britain but retired with gear box issues. Both drivers made the grid in France and went on to finish the race albeit well out of the points. Qualifying was a little better inGermany with Cheever 12th on the grid, the team's best placing so far with the JS19. Both drivers retired from the race with handling issues.[1]
Laffite took third place inAustria for the car's first points of the season. He retired from the remaining races of the season. Cheever retired in Austria and was not classified in theSwiss Grand Prix. He scored a point for sixth inItaly and followed this up with a third in theCaesars Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas, having qualified fourth on the grid.[1] Ligier finished the year with 20 points, nine of which were scored with the JS19, for eighth in the Constructor's Championship.[2]
(key) (Results inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Equipe Talbot Gitanes | Talbot V12NA | M | 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 | 14 | Ret | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret |
* 11 points scored with the JS17B
