AGS JH23
The AGS JH23 was a Formula 1 racing car the Provencal teams Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives (AGS ), which was used in the 1988 Formula 1 season. He was - apart from the short-lived JH27 - the last Formula 1 car, the Christian Vanderpleyn designed for AGS. In 1989, the car appeared to some races under the name JH23B. Both versions rarely came to the finish; in the second year, however, the team was able to retract the JH23B a world championship point. Philippe Streiff crashed hard during test drives in a JH23B in March 1989.
- 3.1 1988: AGS JH23 - Cosworth DFZ V8
- 3.2 1989: AGS JH23B - Cosworth DFR V8
Technology
Christian Vanderpleyn constructed the JH23 in the fall of 1988; In early 1989 the first car was built under his direction. Vanderpleyn managed the team until August 1988; then he moved after more than thirty years of service along with some mechanics to Coloni. His successor at AGS were Christophe Coquet and Claude Galopin that came from Martini or the Equipe Ligier.
With the AGS JH23 broke away from the obsolete Renault structures that had dominated the previous models JH21C and JH22. Monocoque, suspension and transmission were completely redesigned and followed contemporary lines. Some sources report that Vanderpleyn have taken not a single part of the old cars for JH23; others think that the rear uprights are still attributable to the Renault RE60.
The JH23 was with a wheelbase of 2680 mm from the Minardi M188 the most compact car starting field. However, the JH23 was a heavy car: Being overweight amounted start of the season on more than 25 kilograms.
The aerodynamics had been redesigned and was viewed by observers as "effective". Due to the lack of an air scoop the JH23 had also very low; the roll bar sticking out far beyond the motor cover. The roll bar should prove to be problematic later. It was composed of metal pipes, and was not directly related to the monocoque; rather, he was merely welded later. This form of attachment curtailed its capacity. As Streiff crashed in March 1989 during test drives in Rio de Janeiro with the JH23B, the roll bar broke off after a rollover and could not safely protect against injuries Streiff head.
The JH23 was driven in its original version (1988 ) of a Cosworth DFZ eight-cylinder engine; In 1989, the team around to more powerful engines of the type DFR. In both years, the engines of Heini Mader Racing Components were prepared in Switzerland.
According Streiff had the JH23 considerable development potential. The handling of the car was better than its predecessors. AGS but could afford only minor development work in the face of a very limited budget: There were occasional new front and rear wings or subfloors, fundamental structural changes took place not the team during the 1988 season, however.
AGS introduced in 1988, three copies forth ( chassis numbers 034, 035 and 036). Nr.034 vehicle was used in the first three races of the year, vehicle No. 035, Grand Prix of Mexico to the Grand Prix of Belgium, and car No. 036 was held in the last five races of the year use. One of the three vehicles was irreparably destroyed by Streiff accident; the remaining two specimens were used until the summer of 1989.
Racing applications
1988
1988 put an AGS only one car. Driver was in all Grand Prix Philippe Streiff. In all 16 races he managed to qualification; Starting places in the top 20 were the rule. The best qualifying result achieved Streiff at the Grand Prix of Canada, where he on the pole time of Ayrton Senna in the McLaren before Williams of Riccardo Patrese took the 10th place starting with 3.2 seconds back. In the following race in Detroit he went into the race in eleventh and twelfth in Monaco. However, these skills were not supported in countable results. Streiff could finish only five races, with the eighth place in the Japanese Grand Prix, the best result was. Many of the eleven failures were due to technical defects: Multiple broke the suspension, in the United Kingdom fell, the rear wing from the race. Here AGS also lost positions in the points, such as in Canada: Here Streiff was in fifth place when the suspension broke. The team finished the 1988 season without a world championship points.
1989
1989 AGS held its first meeting with two drivers. For the fourth season of the team the development of a new car was provided. Given limited resources, the completion of the constructed by Claude Galopin JH24 delayed, however, until the summer of 1989. Until then, the team was therefore to the B- model advanced JH23. Drivers were Gabriele Tarquini, who the unfortunate Streiff replaced from the second race of the season, as well as Joachim Winkelhock. The German Formula 1 debutant subject of pre-qualification, where he failed in all seven races, which he took. Tarquini, however, was exempt from the pre-qualification and was up for the Grand Prix of France at each race to participate. In six attempts, he came three times and reached the finish with the sixth place at the Grand Prix of Mexico the second ( and last) world championship point for the French team.
As of August 1989, the JH24 replaced the JH23B initially but only for Gabriele Tarquini, later - from the Grand Prix of Belgium - Yannick Dalmas for which replaced the failed angle Hock for the second half of the season. With the new model of descent for AGS began: The JH24 was able in 1989 to no race for which he was reported to qualify.