The Prost AP03 was the car with which the Prost

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, ...

team competed in the

2000 Formula One season The 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It commenced on 12 March and ended on 22 October after seventeen races. Michael Schumacher became Ferrari's first World Drivers' Champion in 21 ...

. It was driven by the experienced Jean Alesi, team boss Alain Prost's ex-Ferrari teammate, and reigning Formula 3000 champion Nick Heidfeld. This was the last Formula One car to use

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...

engines before the company withdrew from the sport. The engine technology itself however was bought by

Asiatech Asiatech was the trade name of Asia Motor Technologies France, a company founded in 2000 by Japanese private capital under the leadership of Dr. John Gano and Enrique Scalabroni, which purchased the assets of the Peugeot Formula One programme at ...

and used for another two years, namely with Arrows in 2001 and with

Minardi Minardi was an Italian automobile racing team and constructor founded in Faenza in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal followin ...

in 2002. Although the AP03 was designed to become a Grand Prix-winning contender, the year proved to be a disaster for the team. The cars were slow and unreliable, the team's relationship with

fell apart and all of the sponsors departed at the end of the season. The team ended up scoring no points, and were classified last in the Constructors' Championship behind

, due to the Italian team's better finishing record. This meant that the team failed to receive any prize money for the season, and this, combined with the loss of their sponsors, plunged the team into serious financial trouble that would ultimately spell the beginning of the end for the outfit. The problems became apparent during pre-season testing. Nick Heidfeld could not get a handle on the car and reliability was poor. During the season itself, both drivers complained of inconsistent handling and lack of traction Technical Director Alan Jenkins was fired after the Monaco race. Prost blamed the apparently weak engine as the root cause of the AP03's uncompetitive performance. However, Peugeot retaliated with an uncharacteristic public revelation of the engine's output of 792 bhp, which was considered to be competitive at the time. Prost's criticism of Peugeot soured their relationship and combined with the lack of results, the latter withdrew from F1 as an engine supplier. Alesi and Heidfeld were unable to make much of an impression, but the Frenchman managed to qualify eighth at

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

and run fourth at

Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...

before retiring. A poor pitstop in France was caught by the TV cameras with a visibly distraught Alain Prost shaking his head in despair. The teammates also collided on more than one occasion, most notably 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 ...

. Prost used 'Gauloises' logos, except at the British and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Grands Prix.

Complete Formula One 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)

References

Prost Formula One cars 2000 Formula One season cars {{f1-stub