The French Dream Of Peugeot In F1
The French manufacturer Peugeot has a long and successful history in motorsports, with victories in rallying and endurance races like Le Mans. In the early 1990s, Peugeot decided to try their hand at Formula 1 as an engine supplier.
They had developed a powerful 3.5L V10 engine for their Peugeot 905 sports prototype racer, which had achieved back-to-back Le Mans 24 Hours wins in 1992 and 1993. Buoyed by this success, Peugeot modified the design for Formula 1 regulations, reducing the capacity to 3.0L.
For the 1994 season, Peugeot partnered with McLaren to supply engines for their cars. It was a high-profile alliance between two hugely successful companies in motorsports. However, the arrangement would not last for long.
The McLaren Partnership Falters
The Peugeot V10 engines showed initial promise, delivering McLaren drivers Mika Hakkinen, Martin Brundle and Philippe Alliot 3 podium finishes in 1994. However, reliability was a major issue, with 17 retirements over 32 race starts.
McLaren grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of factory backing from Peugeot for continued development of the engines. At the end of 1994, McLaren ended the deal prematurely to partner with Mercedes from 1995 onwards.
Jordan Takes a Gamble
The breakup left Peugeot scrambling to stay in F1. They found a new partner in the small Jordan team for 1995. Despite high hopes, Peugeot continued to struggle with poor reliability and just 5 podium finishes over 3 seasons.
While showing flashes of potential, including a surprise 1-2 finish for Jordan drivers Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine at the 1995 Canadian GP, Peugeot F1 engines failed to complete over a third of the races in this period.
The Nationalistic Prost Alliance
In 1998, Peugeot moved to supplying the French Prost Grand Prix team, run by Alain Prost, thanks in part to political pressure from the French government who wanted to support local auto manufacturers in F1.
It turned out to be a disastrous partnership – the Prost team suffered horribly from poor reliability, failing to finish an astonishing 28 of 51 races over 3 seasons. With uncompetitive race performances as well, Peugeot F1 engines scored just 10 championship points in 3 years.
The Final Straw
The 2000 season was the last straw, as the Prost team failed to score even a single point all year. Peugeot burned through significant resources with little success or return on investment to show for it.
At the end of 2000, Peugeot director Frederic Saint-Geours announced their withdrawal, stating bluntly: “We are pulling out of Formula One for good. In life one must never say never, but if you want my opinion, it is that Peugeot will never again race in F1.”
Peugeot in F1 didn’t have an easy life, but these words from the Frederic Saint-Geours put the nail in the coffin, and made it much more difficult for anyone in the future to even consider their return into F1.
Peugeot Engines Soldier On
Although Peugeot withdrew from F1 as a manufacturer, their V10 engines continued in service for two more seasons. An Asian consortium purchased the rights to the engines and rebranded them as Asiatech.
The Asiatech engines powered the Arrows team respectably in 2001, and Minardi in 2002. Though still producing decent power, their poor drivability ultimately led both teams to switch to rival suppliers.
After 6 winless seasons and 115 Grand Prix entries, the Peugeot V10s exited Formula 1 for good after 2002. An ambitious project that promised much but delivered little in the ultra-competitive world of F1.
Why Did Peugeot Fail in Formula 1?
Peugeot came into F1 on a wave of success from other racing ventures but found it an entirely different beast. Here are some of the key reasons behind their struggles:
- Lack of adequate factory backing – Peugeot failed to match the level of resources and commitment to ongoing development as major rivals like Ferrari or Mercedes.
- Unreliability – This remained Peugeot’s Achilles heel throughout their F1 stint, possibly pointing to underlying design flaws in attempting to adapt the sportscar V10 for F1 use.
- The difficulty of succeeding as an engine supplier vs full manufacturer – Lacking full control over chassis development made results harder to attain.
- Over-promising to partners then failing to deliver – Both McLaren and Prost felt short-changed, damaging relationships beyond repair.
Could Peugeot Ever Return to Formula 1?
Given the emphatic nature of their withdrawal, it would take a seismic shift for Peugeot to reconsider entering Formula 1 again as a constructor or engine supplier.
The costs involved are astronomical, with diminishing returns in marketing value for a road car company like Peugeot. Their racing budget would almost certainly achieve better results focused on the FIA World Endurance Championship instead.
However, seeing rival French car companies like Alpine and Renault still involved in Formula 1 does leave a slight question mark over Peugeot one day making a dramatic comeback…
Peugeot’s F1 History By The Numbers
- Years participated: 1994-2000 (engines only)
- Starts: 115
- Wins: 0
- Podiums: 14
- Points: 172
- Best championship finish: 5th (1996, 1997)
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Peugeot enter Formula 1?
Peugeot entered F1 in 1994 as an engine supplier to the McLaren team.
What was The Biggest Success of Peugeot in F1?
Peugeot powered cars achieved 14 podium finishes but never won a race, with 2nd place their best result.
Why were Peugeot F1 engines so unreliable?
The Peugeot V10 was likely not robust enough in design to handle the demands of an entire F1 season without failures.
When did Peugeot withdraw from F1?
Peugeot withdrew its factory backing from F1 at the end of the 2000 season after 6 difficult seasons.