Larrousse Formula One was a racing team founded in 1987 by Didier Calmels and former racer Gérard Larrousse, originally under the name Larrousse & Calmels.

Larrousse was a French Formula 1 team that competed in the world championship between 1987 and 1994. The team was founded by former racing driver and Renault F1 manager Gérard Larrousse alongside his business partner, Didier Calmels.

Despite operating on a tight budget, the team was highly respected for its passionate staff and vibrant, colorful liveries.

In its early years, the team ran chassis built by Lola Cars. They later transitioned to building their own cars. Over the years, they used various power units, most notably Ford Cosworth and the loud, powerful Lamborghini V12.

 

The team's sporting peak came at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix. Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki finished in 3rd place, securing the first and only podium finish in Larrousse's history.

 

In 1989, Gérard Larrousse had to take sole control after co-founder Didier Calmels was arrested for shooting his wife. Financial difficulties constantly plagued the team, culminating in a partnership with the problematic Venturi brand in 1992. Facing insurmountable financial issues, the team failed to secure the backing needed for the 1995 season and vanished from the grid entirely.

 

 

 

Headquarter; Antony, Paris, France

lc88

The Lola LC88 is a Formula One car that the Larrousse team used to compete in the 1988 and (in upgraded LC88C form) one race in the 1989 Formula One season. It was an evolution of the previous LC87 model, and had major changes to the front suspension.

The LC88 was designed by Eric Broadley, Chris Murphy and Hans Fouche, and a total of five cars were built. It was powered by the Ford Cosworth DFZ in 1988 and Lamborghini 3512 engines in 1989 (the first Formula One car with this engine).

 

The car had a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre Ford Cosworth DFZ V8 (producing around 600 horsepower) mated to a 5-speed Hewland FGB manual transmission.

The 1988 season proved highly challenging for the LC88 due to a lack of front-end grip and persistent reliability issues. The car spent most of its time struggling at the back half of the grid.

The chassis gained a reputation for structural strength following two massive accidents suffered by Philippe Alliot—one at the Monaco Grand Prix and an incredibly violent, high-speed flip down the pit straight during qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix, from which he walked away completely uninjured.

Before the new LC89 chassis was fully prepared for the 1989 season, the team modified the car into the LC88C configuration to fit the exotic, newly developed Lamborghini LE3512 V12 engine. This adapted chassis was raced just once by Alliot and Dalmas at the 1989 season opener in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before being permanently retired in favor of the newer model.

 

aguri suzuki

1988

naturally aspirated 3.5-litre ford cosworth dfz V8

suzuka circuit

1987-1994