Cheers AP01
A Prost AP01 as a model car |
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Constructor: |
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Designer: |
Bernard Dudot (technical director) Loïc Bigois (designer) Ben Wood (aerodynamics) |
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Predecessor: | Cheers JS45 | ||||||||
Successor: | Cheers AP02 | ||||||||
Technical specifications | |||||||||
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Chassis: | Honeycomb sandwich monocoque made of CFRP | ||||||||
Engine: | Peugeot A16 2,998 cm³, 72 ° V10 naturally aspirated engine | ||||||||
Front suspension: | Double wishbone axle with internal springs and shock absorbers , operated via push rods | ||||||||
Rear suspension: | Double wishbone axle with internal springs and shock absorbers , operated via push rods | ||||||||
Length: | 4135 mm | ||||||||
Width: | 1795 mm | ||||||||
Height: | 948 mm | ||||||||
Wheelbase: | 2795 mm | ||||||||
Weight: | 505 kg | ||||||||
Tires: | Bridgestone | ||||||||
Petrol: | Total | ||||||||
statistics | |||||||||
Driver: | 11. Olivier Panis 12. Jarno Trulli![]() ![]() |
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First start: | 1998 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||
Last start: | 1998 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||
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World Cup points: | 1 | ||||||||
Podiums: | - | ||||||||
Leadership laps: | - | ||||||||
Status: end of season 1998 |
The Prost AP01 was the Formula 1 racing cars of Prost Grand Prix for the 1998 season . He took part in all 16 races of the season.
Technology and development
Due to the new regulations, the AP01 was only 1795 mm wide, 4135 mm long and 948 mm high; the wheelbase was 2795 mm. A Peugeot A16 naturally aspirated engine with ten cylinders and four-valve technology was used as the engine. It developed around 522 kW (700 hp ). The car reached a top speed of 340 km / h. The motor weighs 125 kg and is 620 mm long, 512 mm wide and 393 mm high. The transmission, developed by George Ryton , was a new sequential six-speed semi-automatic transmission from our own production. The wheels were suspended at the front and rear on double wishbones with push rods. The braking system had Brembo carbon fiber discs . On each side of the car was a water cooler for the engine and extra cooling for the oil tank. So-called X-Wings were used for the first races, but they were banned after the San Marino Grand Prix .
Racing history
The team's base was relocated from the old Ligier factory in Abrest to Guyancourt and was able to open shortly before the start of the season. The new car was presented in Barcelona instead of France in mid-January because of the tobacco advertising ban. The winter test drives took place on the circuit in Magny-Cours. The poor handling , the lack of reliability and the excessive weight of the gearbox were immediately discovered there; in addition, the car was too heavy on the rear axle. The mandatory crash test was only successfully completed a few hours before the first training session in Australia ; after three attempts had failed.
The season was unsatisfactory for the French racing team. Only one point was reached in the world championship, experienced by Jarno Trulli in Belgium , and ninth place ahead of Minardi and Tyrrell . During the season, the drivers did not finish a total of 19 times. Five times the engine or individual faults and three times the transmission were to blame for the failures.
Painting and sponsorship
The basic color of the AP01 was the traditional dark blue with black and white accents on the rear and front wing. The team's main sponsor was the French cigarette brand Gauloises with advertising space on the rear wing, the airbox and the front wing. For races with a ban on tobacco advertising, the logo was replaced by white horizontal bars. On the back of the rear wing was the brand of the tire supplier Bridgestone on a white background . The Japanese electronics company Sony advertised its PlayStation game console on the side pods, with the names of the engine manufacturer Peugeot and the fuel supplier Total directly above it . Other sponsors were 3M , Alcatel , BIC Group and Canal + .
driver
As in the previous year, the drivers were Olivier Panis and Jarno Trulli ; The Frenchman Stéphane Sarrazin was nominated as test driver , who participates together with Marcelo Battistuzzi in the Formula 3000 in the Prost Junior Team .
AP01B
After the French Grand Prix , the team worked on a new and improved version of the AP01. The modified car received a new gearbox, a revised engine and the weight on the rear axle was reduced. The new car, tested by Alain Prost and the drivers Olivier Panis and Jarno Trulli in Magny-Cours and in October in Catalonia, was used by Trulli for the first time in free practice sessions and qualifying in Japan . The Italian did not get the new car because he was the team's favorite driver, but because it was decided by tossing a coin in favor of Trullis. In qualifying, Trulli was only able to qualify for 14th place and then asked the team leaders to be allowed to switch back to the old AP01, which was rejected. In the warm-up, the car was so badly damaged after an accident that it was not ready for use in the race.
Results
driver | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14th | 15th | 16 | Points | rank |
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Formula 1 World Championship 1998 |
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1 | 9. | |
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11 | 9 | DNF | 15th | 11 | 16 | DNF | DNF | 11 | DNF | DNF | 15th | 12 | DNS | DNF | 12 | 11 | ||
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12 | DNF | DNF | 11 | DNF | 9 | DNF | DNF | DNF | DNF | 10 | 12 | DNF | 6th | 13 | DNF | 12 |
Web links
- Vehicle profile at chicanef1.com
- Vehicle profile at F1technical.net
- Vehicle profile at f1.fandom.com
- Vehicle profile at StatsF1.com
- Vehicle profile at prostfan.com
- Vehicle profile AP01B at F1technical.net
- Vehicle profile AP01B at StatsF1.com
- Motor profile at prostfan.com
- Vehicle profile at traumautoarchiv.de
- grandprix.com Prost aims for 1998 victories
- grandprix.com Cheers Grand Prix
- grandprix.com A review of the year
- motorsport-total.com Database information on Prost AP01
Individual evidence
- ↑ grandprix.com: Trulli to have interim car in Japan. Grand Prix, October 26, 1998, accessed April 1, 2020 .