Pete05
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- Melbourne, Australia
When Ligier stepped up to Formula One in 1976, the French manufacturer filled the void left by Matra's departure from International racing two years earlier, and in more ways than one. Not surprisingly, as the country's most prominent racing team, Ligier benefited from substantial backing and it also secured exclusive use of the fabulous Matra V12 engines. Ligier's chief designer was Gerard Ducarouge of Matra fame. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he had originally started out on rocket design at Matra.
In it's opening season, Ligier operated as a one car team with Jacques Laffite as the lead driver. He scored an encouraging 20 points, which was enough for Ligier to claim fifth in the Constructor's standings despite only fielding one car. A heavily revised at for 1977 brought the company it's first Grand Prix victory. This was also the first F1 win for the Matra V12 that had been first introduced in 1968. After a most promising second season, Ligier struggled in 1978 with sponsorship troubles providing a lot of distractions. To make matters even worse, Matra announced it's withdrawal from the sport at the end of the year. Ligier did not follow it's engine supplier's example and instead returned even stronger in 1979.
One of the reasons the Ligier JS7 used in 1978 was not particularly competitive was the introduction of 'ground effect' aerodynamics by Lotus. Starting with a clean sheet, Ducarouge could incorporate these principles in the new JS11. He firmly understood that the additional downforce generated by the underbody aerodynamics required a very strong monocoque chassis. To maximize the 'ground effect', the chassis also had to be as narrow as possible. This is where Ducarouge's vast aerospace experience proved particularly useful. He created an exceptional stiff yet light chassis. His 'trick' was the careful placement of sheet metal reinforcements in the alloy construction.
In retrospect Matra's departure was a blessing as the proprietary Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine used in the JS11 was better suited to 'ground effect' because it's bottom-end was relatively narrow. It was mated to a Hewland gearbox that was available with five or six gears. The suspension was also specifically designed to keep as many parts as possible out of the airflow going to the side pods. Both at the front and rear the springs and dampers were mounted vertically inside the monocoque. They were connected to the wheels through top rockers. The carefully designed rolling chassis was clothed in an elegant body that featured the largest 'venturis' of the field.
Underlining the team's renewed commitment, Ligier fielded a second car for Patrick Depailler from the first race of the 1979 season. The efforts over the off season were immediately awarded with convincing victories in the Argentinian and Brazilian Grands Prix for Laffite and a win in Spain for Depailler. He also finished second in Brazil, creating the team's first one-two in only it's second attempt. Halfway through the season Ligier's fortunes turned. It started when Depailler was injured in a hang-gliding accident and was replaced by Jacky Ickx, who failed to impress. Using the input from a new wind-tunnel partner (a goverment establishment), a development package was created, which actually slowed the JS11 down and made them prone to suspension failure. No more victories were scored in 1979.
Despite the late season slump, Ligier did manage to hold on to third in the championship. For 1980, Ducarouge further developed the JS11 and used four existing tubs to create the JS11/15. Much of the redesign work focused on the rear-end and aerodynamics. The 'ground effect' was now so efficient that at fast circuits the cars ran without front wings. The competition (Brabham and Williams in particular) had also caught on and the Ligiers could only claim two victories; one for Laffite and another for newcomer Didier Pironi. Consistent results of both drivers did bring in enough points (66) to improve on the 1979 constructor's standings.
ENGINE
Configuration
Ford Cosworth DFV 90 degree V8
Location
Mid, longitudinally mounted
Weight
168 kg / 370.4 lbs
Construction
Aluminium block and heads
Displacement
2993 cc / 182.6 cu in
Bore / Stroke
85.7 mm (3.4") / 64.8 mm (2.6")
Compression
11.5:1
Valvetrain
4 valves per cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed
Lucas Fuel Injection
Aspiration
Naturally Aspirated
Ignition
Lucas electronic
Power
485 bhp / 362 kW @ 10,600 rpm
Torque
343 Nm / 253 ft lbs @ 9500 rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Chassis
Three quarter length aluminium monocoque nacelle employing the engine as a load-bearing member at rear
Suspension (f/r)
Lower wishbones, top rocker arms actuating in-board coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar
Steering
Rack and pinion
Brakes
Ventilated and cross-drilled discs, all round
Gearbox
Hewland FG400 6 speed manual
DIMENSIONS
Weight
582 kg / 1283.1 lbs
Wheelbase
2794 mm / 110"
Track
(F) 1738 mm / 68.4"
(R) 1600 mm / 63"
Wheels
(F) 13" x 11"
(R) 13" x 19"
Tyres
Goodyear
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4613/Ligier-JS11-Cosworth.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligier_JS11
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