The Ligier JS9 was a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

manufactured and raced by

Ligier Ligier (() is a French automobile and minibus maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier (1930–2015), specialized in the manufacturing of microcars. Ligier is best known for its involvement in the Formula 1 World Champio ...

during the

1978 Formula One season The 1978 Formula One season was the 32nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the International Cup for F1 Constructors,''World Championship of F1 Drivers 1978'' & ''International Cup f ...

. Driven by Frenchman

Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite (; born 21 November 1943) is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six Grand Prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. From 1997 to 2013, Laffite was a presenter for TF1. ...

, its best finish was third (twice).

Development

The JS9 was designed by

Gérard Ducarouge Gérard Ducarouge (23 October 1941 – 19 February 2015) was a French Formula One car designer whose career in motorsport started in 1965 when he joined Equipe Matra Sports. His Matra MS80 car, entered by the privateer Matra International te ...

and Michel Beaujon, with Robert Choulet working on aerodynamics. The JS9 had a large rear wing, but did not use the ground effects aerodynamics that was being developed by Lotus and other teams. The Hewland TL200 gearbox of the previous year was upgraded to the more lightweight Hewland FGA 6-speed and it continued to use the Matra MS76 V12 engine. However development of the V12 ceased during the year which may have affected the results achieved by the car. A total of two JS9 chassis were built, with the second of these having revised suspension.Nye, 1985, p. 192 The JS9 was the last Ligier car that used a Matra V12 with the 1979 car being designed around a Cosworth engine.Nye, 1985, p. 192

Racing history

For the 1978 season, Ligier continued to run a single entry for

, the team's regular driver. After completing the first six races of the season with the JS7 and JS7/9 (a hybrid car), the JS9 made its debut at the

Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...

. Laffite qualified it fifteenth on the grid and in the race itself retired with gearbox issues. At the next race in which the JS9 ran, the

Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix ( es, Gran Premio de España, ca, Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating it ...

, he finished on the podium in third, having qualified tenth. After finishing out of the points for the next three races, he finished third again in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, this time from seventh on the grid. With Laffite now driving the second of the two JS9 chassis that had been built, two further points finishes were achieved, a fifth in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

(having qualified fifth, the best starting position Lafitte achieved with the JS9) and fourth in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Laffite enjoyed good reliability, retiring from just two races, Monaco and the season ending

Canadian Grand Prix The Canadian Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix du Canada) is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a sports ...

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) * 6 points scored in 1978 were with the JS7 and JS7/9

Notes

References

* {{F1 cars 1978 Ligier JS09