Philippe Alliot

Philippe René Gabriel Alliot (27 July 1954 - Present): French racing driver from Voves, Eure-et-Loir who competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1990 and 1993 to 1994, participating in 109 Grands Prix for RAM, Ligier, Larrousse, and McLaren, scoring five championship points with a career-best finish of fifth place at the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix, but whose career was marked by frequent accidents leading legendary commentator James Hunt to call him "one of the worst Grand Prix drivers ever to drive a Grand Prix car," though he achieved considerable success in sports car racing winning three World Sportscar Championship races with Peugeot. Born in Voves, a small town in north-central France, on 27 July 1954, Alliot initially studied political science at university before dropping out to pursue his racing ambitions, a risky decision that his family questioned.

He began racing in Formula Renault, winning the championship in 1978 driving for the BP Racing team, establishing himself as a promising French talent. By 1983, Alliot had progressed to Formula Two, though he struggled to make an impact in the highly competitive series. However, he made headlines that year when he finished third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans co-driving with Michael and Mario Andretti in a Kremer Porsche, demonstrating his abilities in endurance racing and earning international recognition. This Le Mans podium helped secure his Formula One opportunity for 1984 with RAM Racing (Racing Applications & Materials), a small British team sponsored by Skoal Bandit tobacco.

Alliot made his Formula One debut at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix on 25 March 1984, driving the RAM 02-Hart. However, the RAM was hopelessly uncompetitive, and Alliot struggled throughout 1984 and into 1985, frequently failing to qualify or retiring with mechanical problems. His two seasons with RAM produced no points and few memorable moments beyond demonstrating his determination to continue despite awful machinery. Alliot's fortunes changed dramatically when Jacques Laffite was seriously injured in a crash at the 1986 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, shattering both legs and ending his Formula One career.

Ligier called up Alliot to replace the beloved Frenchman for the remainder of 1986, and with significantly better equipment, Alliot showed marked improvement, scoring his first championship point with sixth place at the 1986 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. For 1987, Alliot joined Larrousse-Calmels, the team run by former Formula One driver Gérard Larrousse. He scored two points during the season but was developing a reputation for accidents and spins, frequently crashing in practice or racing incidents. This pattern continued through 1988 and 1989 with Larrousse, where Alliot scored additional points but also suffered numerous crashes that damaged both cars and his reputation.

He returned to Ligier for 1990 but his accident-prone reputation was now firmly established—commentator James Hunt famously described Alliot as "one of the worst Grand Prix drivers ever to drive a Grand Prix car" during a live broadcast, a devastating assessment that followed Alliot throughout his career. Following a frustrating 1990 season, Alliot left Formula One to focus on sports car racing, joining the Peugeot works team run by Jean Todt (later Ferrari team principal and FIA president). In the World Sportscar Championship from 1991-1992, Alliot enjoyed considerable success, winning three races and finishing third in the championship standings in both 1991 and 1992, demonstrating that with the right machinery and team environment, he was a capable and quick driver.

This sports car success convinced Larrousse to bring Alliot back to Formula One for 1993. Now 38 years old and driving for the Anglo-French Larrousse team, Alliot delivered his career-best Formula One result at the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on 25 April 1993, finishing fifth and scoring two championship points in a race of high attrition. This represented the highlight of his Formula One career and proved he could deliver strong results when circumstances aligned. For 1994, Alliot remained with Larrousse for most of the season, but financial difficulties plagued the team.

His final notable Formula One moment came at the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix on 14 August 1994 when McLaren's Mika Häkkinen was suspended for one race after colliding with Eddie Irvine at the German Grand Prix. McLaren hired Alliot as a substitute driver, giving him the opportunity to drive for one of Formula One's most prestigious teams. He qualified 14th but retired from the race with engine failure. Alliot's final Formula One appearance came at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 28 August 1994, again driving for Larrousse, where he retired with engine problems.

At the end of 1994, with Larrousse folding due to financial collapse and no other offers forthcoming, Alliot's Formula One career ended. His final statistics showed 109 Grand Prix starts across ten seasons, five championship points, and the distinction of being the driver with the most race starts who had never achieved at least one of: a podium finish, a pole position, or a fastest lap—a dubious record that highlighted his status as a persistent but ultimately unsuccessful Formula One driver. After leaving Formula One, Alliot quit racing entirely to concentrate on his sportswear business in Brazil, stepping away from motorsport for several years. He occasionally appears at historic Formula One events and reunions, representing the era of smaller French teams like Ligier and Larrousse that provided opportunities for French drivers during the 1980s and 1990s.

Alliot remains a controversial figure—while James Hunt's brutal assessment was harsh, statistics support the view that Alliot was among Formula One's less successful regular competitors, though his sports car success with Peugeot proves he possessed genuine racing ability when given appropriate machinery and support. Known for his 109 Formula One starts without a podium, pole, or fastest lap, for James Hunt calling him "one of the worst Grand Prix drivers ever," for his three World Sportscar Championship victories with Peugeot, for his best Formula One finish of fifth at Imola 1993, and for his substitute drive for McLaren in 1994, Philippe Alliot represents the persistent but ultimately frustrated driver—talented enough to secure drives across a decade but never quite good enough to achieve major success, remembered more for accidents and harsh criticism than achievements.