François Hesnault

François Hesnault (born 30 December 1956) is a former French racing driver from Neuilly-sur-Seine who participated in 21 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix during the 1984 and 1985 seasons, scoring no championship points but achieving the historic distinction of being the first driver ever to have live onboard camera footage broadcast during a Formula One race—a technological innovation that occurred at the 1985 German Grand Prix and revolutionized how audiences experience motorsport. Born into a wealthy family as heir to a transportation business with many important government contracts, Hesnault had the financial resources to pursue a racing career, but his Formula One journey would prove frustrating and ultimately unrewarding despite his evident talent in junior categories.

Hesnault's background was privileged but not without challenges. After completing his military service as an officer in a parachute regiment—during which he saw action in West Africa—he began racing in Formula Renault in 1980. The combination of military discipline and the adrenaline of parachute service seemed to translate well to racing, where split-second decisions and management of fear are crucial skills. His late start in motorsport at age 24 meant he had to progress quickly through the junior categories if he hoped to reach Formula One.

After finishing third in the 1981 Championnat de France Formule Renault, Hesnault graduated to Formula 3 for 1982, competing in both the French and European championships with UFO Racing. Formula Three in the early 1980s was highly competitive, serving as the primary proving ground for future Formula One drivers. Hesnault demonstrated promise in his first season but truly emerged as a contender in 1983 when he drove for Dave Price Racing. In a season-long battle with Michel Ferté, Hesnault took five victories and narrowly missed winning the championship despite his strong performances—finishing second represented both an achievement and a disappointment.

His Formula Three success, combined with his family's financial resources and backing from the French government-owned oil company Antar (owned by Elf), secured Hesnault a Formula One drive with Ligier for 1984. It was announced that Hesnault would drive alongside Andrea de Cesaris for Ligier Loto, with his seat effectively purchased through French government backing—a common practice in Formula One where talented drivers with financial support receive opportunities over equally talented drivers without funding.

Hesnault's 1984 season with Ligier was frustrating and characterized by mechanical unreliability. The Ligier JS23 was uncompetitive against the dominant McLarens of Alain Prost and Niki Lauda, and Hesnault frequently failed to finish races due to mechanical failures. However, the reliability of his car improved for the final six races of the season, allowing him to achieve his best Formula One results: eighth place finishes in both Germany and Austria, seventh at the Dutch Grand Prix, and tenth at the European Grand Prix held at the Nürburgring. While none of these results scored championship points (only the top six scored points in 1984), they demonstrated his capability when provided with a functioning racing car.

For 1985, Hesnault signed a contract with Motor Racing Developments—better known as Brabham—to race alongside the legendary Nelson Piquet, the reigning world champion. On paper, this represented a significant step up from Ligier and an opportunity to learn from one of Formula One's greatest drivers. In reality, the partnership proved disastrous for Hesnault. Piquet was at the peak of his powers, and the Brabham BT54 was designed specifically around the Brazilian's driving style and preferences. Hesnault struggled to match Piquet's pace, and the gap between the teammates was often embarrassingly large.

The 1985 season is remembered for a significant accident Hesnault suffered during testing at the Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. His Brabham left the track at high speed and became wrapped in the catch-fencing, trapping Hesnault inside the car. The crash was serious, though Hesnault escaped without career-ending injuries. The incident highlighted the continuing dangers of Formula One during an era when safety standards, while improving, remained primitive by modern standards. The catch-fencing that trapped Hesnault was designed to prevent cars from leaving the circuit but created its own hazards when cars became entangled.

Despite the testing crash and his struggles with the Brabham, Hesnault achieved an unlikely claim to fame during the 1985 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Formula One had been experimenting with onboard cameras for several years, but technical limitations had prevented live transmission of footage. At the German Grand Prix, Hesnault's Brabham was fitted with an experimental onboard camera system that successfully transmitted live footage during the race—the first time this had ever been achieved in Formula One. The innovation revolutionized motorsport broadcasting, and within a few years, onboard cameras became standard equipment on Formula One cars, fundamentally changing how audiences experience racing by providing drivers' perspective views that had previously been impossible.

Unfortunately for Hesnault, his role as unwitting pioneer of onboard camera technology was the highlight of his 1985 season. He continued to struggle against Piquet's dominance within the Brabham team and failed to score championship points. At the end of the season, Brabham declined to renew his contract, effectively ending his Formula One career. After 21 Grand Prix starts across two seasons with two different teams, Hesnault had scored zero championship points—a disappointing statistic that failed to reflect his talent in junior categories but accurately captured his struggles at Formula One's highest level.

Hesnault's Formula One career can be characterized as a combination of bad timing, uncompetitive machinery, and exceptionally strong teammates. At Ligier in 1984, he drove an uncompetitive car that frequently broke down. At Brabham in 1985, he faced arguably the most difficult teammate assignment in Formula One—racing against a reigning world champion in a car designed specifically for that champion's driving style. Even talented drivers would struggle under such circumstances, and Hesnault was unable to overcome these disadvantages.

After leaving Formula One, Hesnault's racing career details become less documented, though he likely continued competing in other categories as many ex-Formula One drivers do. His lasting contribution to Formula One is inadvertent but significant: as the first driver to transmit live onboard camera footage during a race, he participated in a technological innovation that permanently changed motorsport broadcasting. Every time modern audiences watch Formula One or other racing series with onboard cameras, they are experiencing a technology that Hesnault helped pioneer at the 1985 German Grand Prix.

François Hesnault's story is common in Formula One: a talented driver with financial backing who reached the pinnacle of motorsport but lacked either the exceptional talent or the opportunity with competitive machinery necessary to succeed at that level. His 21 starts and zero points place him among the sport's forgotten drivers—men who briefly competed at the highest level before fading into obscurity. Yet his role in pioneering live onboard camera technology ensures he retains a small but permanent place in Formula One history, even if this contribution was entirely unintentional.