Gaining momentum

Alain Prost on the left, made a remarkable debut in Formula 1 with McLaren in 1980 while Didier Pironi, after a first season spent with Tyrrell, was now a Ligier driver, alongside Jacques Laffite. (photo above).

In 1980, both French drivers were gaining momentum. Prost made an impressive debut at McLaren, scoring points in his first two Grands Prix, and was often faster than his experienced teammate John Watson. He finished the season with five championship points and was recruited by Renault for the 1981 season.

Jacky Ickx had replaced Patrick Depailler at Ligier, who had been injured in a hang-gliding accident in mid-1979, but was not fast enough at the wheel of a wing-car that did not suit him, and Guy Ligier chose to put Didier Pironi alongside Jacques Laffite for the 1980 season.

The two Ligier drivers formed a strong team, the JS11-15 was competitive; Pironi won his first Grand Prix at Zolder in Belgium and finished fifth in the championship with 32 points before signing for Ferrari, while Laffite won at Hockenheim in Germany and beat his young teammate by two points in the championship.