FEBRUARY 6, 2001

Bigois leaves Prost

PROST GRAND PRIX's former chief designer Loic Bigois has departed the team. The move has been expected for some time following the arrival as technical director of former McLaren aerodynamicist Henri Durand. Bigois has been involved in Formula 1 for 10 years and was hired by Ligier to replace Durand when he moved to McLaren. Bigois stayed with the team for most of the time but spent a year with Sauber when Ligier was under the control of Flavio Briatore. When Tom Walkinshaw took control he took on Sauber's Andre de Cortanze to be technical director and Bigois followed de Cortanze back to the French team. After de Cortanze departed Bigois became the last technical director of Ligier. When Alain Prost took over the team he was pushed back into the role of chief designer under Bernard Dudot and then Alan Jenkins but with Durand returning, Bigois's period with the team has come to an end. It is anticipated that he will be hired by de Cortanze to be one of the design team at Toyota Motorsport in Cologne.