Prost AP04

Tomáš Enge in the AP04 at the Grand Prix of USA 2001

Template: Infobox racing car / Maintenance / stop parameters

The Prost AP04 was a Formula 1 racing car, the Prost Grand Prix in 2001 started in the Formula 1 World Championship. It was the last car of the team, which set the end of 2001 as a result of insolvency operation.

Development history and technology

2001 equipped the Scuderia Ferrari with the team of Alain Prost from a second team next Sauber Motorsport Formula 1 engines. From sponsor reasons the V10 engine was branded as Acer. Was threaded the agreement of Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, the over Prost left the engines on special condition. The AP04 had a short wheelbase, which were the car routes with high proportion of curves very well. All pilots used spoke of the good handling of the car, which apparently had potential. However, Prost was lack of financial strength during the season hardly tests to perform, so that the development stalled.

As a driver Jean Alesi and Gaston Mazzacane went into the season.

Racing history

His racing debut in the AP04 at the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix in March 2001 at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Jean Ales qualified at 14th place and Gaston Mazzacane on the 20th. Both pilots were with their time doing more than 3 seconds behind the best qualifying time of Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari F2001. The race ended Alesi finished ninth, while Mazzacane failed already in the first round after a brake failure

In the second race of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix, started the cheers of the grid positions 13 ( Alesi ) and 19 ( Mazzacane ). This time, both cars finished the race; Alesi was again ninth and Mazzacane classified as twelfth.

Although Gaston Mazzacane a sponsorship brought by the South African media companies PSN for financially ailing team, he was replaced from the Spanish Grand Prix by Luciano Burti. Burti in turn had his driving position at Jaguar Racing to Pedro de la Rosa lost. Burti had in 2001 with the AP04 two serious accidents. At the start of the Grand Prix of Germany at the 6.789 km long high speed track at Hockenheim he collided with the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher. Burti drove the poor launched Schumacher with high pace over the left rear; Cheers to the rose, turned over once in the air and landed sideways on the Arrows A22 by Enrique Bernoldi. None of the pilots was injured and because the race was stopped after the first round this could change in the replacement car ( was 2001 according to the rules allowed). Burti had after restarting a spin and retired. In the Belgian Grand Prix took place in the fifth round to an accident between Burti and his former Jaguar team-mate Eddie Irvine. In a quick left turn in front of the stretch BLANCHIMONT Burti tried to position the left next to Irvine. Irvine, however, had overlooked him and turned into the curve, so Burti had to drive on the grass verge off the track. However, there was a collision between the two, with Burti lost his front wing. Both drivers lost control of their vehicles and drove into the barriers. During the run-out zone the car from Irvine slowed well, Burti drove almost unrestrained and head-on into the tire barrier. The safety car was immediately sent out to secure the accident site. As the rescue work lasted at Burti however, the jury decided to cancel this race. Burti could stop racing in 2001 and was replaced by the Czechs Tomáš Enge.

At this time, Jean Alesi had three race for Prost in the championship points ranks achieved ( 2001, there were only for the first six championship points ). The Monaco Grand Prix, he finished in sixth place as well as the Grand Prix of Germany. At the Canadian Grand Prix he finished fifth. After the respective target transits the Frenchman threw his silver helmet in the stands before the start -finish.

But Alesi drove the season for Prost did not finish. It changed after the race in Germany to Jordan Grand Prix. For him, the laid-off at Jordan Heinz- Harald Frentzen came for the remaining course of the season the team. He achieved a respectable result. In the Belgian Spa -Francorchamps he started with the far inferior cheers from place 4th Unfortunately was not to appeal to the second start of the first course, so Frentzen had to start from the last row. At the end, he finished ninth of 13 pilots who saw the goal.

Through the points scored by the team Alesi binned at the end of the season in the ninth place in the constructors' standings.

Further use

Two AP04 were taken at the beginning of the 2002 season of the British company Phoenix Finance, which stood in connection with Arrows. Phoenix tried to get the first race of the season in Malaysia two AP04 with hard - engines at the start. The FIA ​​rejected the message from immediately before the start of training. The decision was later confirmed by the ordinary courts.

Results

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