24/08/2015
NEWS STORY
F1 driver and team founder Guy Ligier had died aged 85.
A former rugby player, who played at international level for France, Ligier went on to make his fortune, and powerful political allies including future president François Mitterrand, in the construction industry.
Moving on from rugby he first began racing motorcycles and then cars, contesting rounds of the 1966 and 1967 Formula One World Championship in a privately entered Cooper and Brabham.
His best F1 result coming at the Nurburgring, where he finished eighth but scored championship points because two of the (F2) driver ahead of him (Jackie Oliver and Alan Rees) were ineligible, Ligier joined forces with Jo Schlesser.
Unfortunately, Schlesser was killed on his F1 debut and consequently a disillusioned Ligier quit racing and became a constructor.
Beginning in Sports Cars, Ligier subsequently bought the assets of the Matra F1 team in late 1974, entering the 1976 world championship with Jacques Lafitte at the wheel of the JS5 - designated in honour of Jo Schlesser.
Sticking mainly with French drivers, the team achieved wins with Lafitte, Patrick Depailler and Didier Pironi, finishing runner-up in the 1980 Constructors' Championship and third in 1979.
His good relationship with Mitterrand led to some controversial moves, with state-owned companies sponsoring the team and even talk of Renault being 'persuaded' to supply engines.
Such was his relationship with France's powers-that-be, the government funded the construction of a new race track that would serve as HQ for the team, Magny Cours.
In 1992, with Mitterrand's government clearly in crisis, Ligier sold his F1 team which was ultimately bought by Alain Prost. Ligier, meanwhile, went on to build a successful fertilizer business before turning his attention to micro-cars and founding another success.
Rugby international, F1 driver, F1 team founder and constructor, successful businessman... Guy Ligier certainly made the most of his life.
Paying tribute to his countryman, McLaren team boss Eric Boullier said: "It was with great sadness that I heard the news that Guy Ligier had passed away.
"As a child growing up in Le Mans, I was inspired and entranced by his iconic and beautiful pale-blue-and-white Ligier Formula One cars, driven with panache and aplomb by such French racing heroes as Jacques Laffite, Patrick Depailler and Didier Pironi.
"Guy himself was a tough and uncompromising character, but he was also a racer through and through."
Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Picture Credit: McLaren Twitter