Prost Grand Prix was a Formula 1 team that raced from 1997 to 2001. It was founded by four-time World Champion Alain Prost, who bought the Ligier team with the hope of creating an all-French powerhouse. With Gauloises money, French drivers, and a Renault-powered future in mind, Prost GP promised revival. What it delivered instead was five years of spiraling disappointment, power struggles, and increasingly slow cars. The dream died in early 2002, buried under debt, lawsuits, and the cold shadow of what might have been.
Prost GP – Key Info
| Category | Detail |
| Full Name | Prost Grand Prix |
| Active Years | 1997–2001 |
| Founder | Alain Prost |
| Nationality | French |
| Base | Guyancourt, France |
| Constructors’ Titles | 0 |
| Drivers’ Titles | 0 |
| Race Wins | 0 (as Prost; 9 as Ligier) |
| Best Season | 1997 – 6th in Constructors’ Championship |
| Engines Used | Mugen-Honda, Peugeot, Acer (Ferrari-badged) |
| Known For | High hopes, French nationalism, dramatic collapse |
| Became | Folded in 2002 |
From Hero to Hype to Heartbreak: The Rise and Fall of Prost GP
When Alain Prost took over Ligier in 1997, it felt like destiny. A French legend bringing his nation a true F1 contender. The goal? Build a modern tricolore juggernaut: French team, French car, French engine, French drivers. Champagne in every direction.
At first, it worked. The newly rebranded Prost GP scored a podium in their very first race — Olivier Panis finished 3rd in Australia, and by midseason, he was regularly fighting in the top six. Some even whispered “dark horse.” Then Panis broke both legs in Canada, and the season spiraled. Still, 1997 was respectable. Hope lived.
But starting in 1998, the dream began to crack. Peugeot engines were down on power. The car wasn’t developing. Alain Prost — a brilliant driver but a cold, corporate leader — clashed with engineers, sponsors, and drivers alike. A revolving door of technical directors and drivers (Alesi, Trulli, Heidfeld, Mazzacane…) couldn’t steady the ship.
By 2000, they were running rebadged Ferrari engines under the Acer name, which sounds like something you’d find at a French PC warehouse sale. The car looked nice. It just wasn’t fast. Or reliable. Or, in the end, paid for.
The final nail came in 2001. The team failed to score a single point. The money was gone. Prost declared bankruptcy in early 2002. No buyer. No reboot. Just a haunting end to a noble but doomed experiment.
The Cold Flame of French Ambition
Prost GP wasn’t just a failed F1 team. It was France’s F1 team. Backed by government clout, drenched in Gauloises blue, and fronted by a national icon, it carried the weight of legacy and pride — and it buckled.
Alain Prost was a genius in the cockpit but never found his rhythm on the pit wall. He demanded perfection, but perfection costs millions. His dream car came with Peugeot power and Enron-level financial management. It was never going to fly.
And yet — like Ligier before it — Prost GP had soul. It wanted to be great. It looked like a champion. It just couldn’t outrun the chaos. The ambition was there. The execution? Très mauvais.
Today, Prost GP is a cautionary tale. About how even the most talented people can misfire. About how nostalgia and nationalism don’t win races. And about how a legacy can get a little bruised if you try to bottle lightning one last time.
