1999 Prost-Peugeot AP02
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Le Castellet, France | November 19, 2021
Alain Prost won four Formula One World Championships before tossing his hat into the F1 ownership ring. He purchased the Ligier F1 team in 1997, just before the season started, and rebranded it Prost Grand Prix. The following year, the team secured a deal to be supplied with factory Peugeot engines.
The AP02 was 1999’s car, and it was powered by a 3.0-liter Peugeot V10 making about 785 horsepower and revving to 17,000 rpm (!). The team had a decent 1997 season, a poor 1998 season, and an okay 1999 season. Things went south quickly thereafter, and it was all over after the 2001 season. The assets of Prost (and Arrows engines) were bought by a group called Phoenix Finance, but they never made it to the grid.
The competition for this chassis, 03, included:
- 1999 Australian Grand Prix – 15th, DNF (with Olivier Panis)
- 1999 Brazilian Grand Prix – 6th (with Panis)
- 1999 San Marino Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Panis)
- 1999 Monaco Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Panis)
It was used as a test car after that. It now wears the team’s 2000 paint scheme and 2001 sponsor livery. The engine is not currently installed, but is included, along with the gearbox. You can read more about it here and see more from this collection here.
Update: Sold $195,332.