Prost AP03
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Prost | ||||||||
| Designer(s) |
Alan Jenkins Loïc Bigois John Barnard | ||||||||
| Predecessor | AP02 | ||||||||
| Successor | AP04 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Moulded carbon fibre composite structure | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, pushrod | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, pushrod | ||||||||
| Engine | Peugeot A20, 72-degree V10 | ||||||||
| Transmission | Prost/Xtrac seven-speed longitudinal semi-automatic | ||||||||
| Fuel | Total | ||||||||
| Tyres | Bridgestone | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Gauloises Prost Peuegot | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |
14.  Jean Alesi15.  Nick Heidfeld | ||||||||
| Debut | 2000 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The Prost AP03 was the car with which the Prost Formula One team competed in the 2000 Formula One season. It was driven by the experienced Jean Alesi, team boss Alain Prost's ex-Ferrari teammate, and reigning Formula 3000 champion Nick Heidfeld.
The year proved to be a disaster for the team. The cars were slow and unreliable, the team's relationship with Peugeot fell apart and 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 Minardi, due to the Italian team's better finishing record.
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 and run fourth at Spa-Francorchamps before retiring. The team-mates also collided on more than one occasion, most notably in Austria.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Prost | Peugeot V10 | B | AUS | BRA | SMR | GBR | ESP | EUR | MON | CAN | FRA | AUT | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | USA | JPN | MAL | 0 | NC | |
| Jean Alesi | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | Ret | 11 | ||||||
| Nick Heidfeld | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 16 | EX | 8 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 12 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret |
References
- Francis, Damian Nicholas (2001). "Reject Cars - Prost Peugeot AP03". F1 Rejects. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
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