Prost returns to the F1 fray

©WRI2

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©WRI2

After an outstanding career which garnered 51 race wins and four world titles, Alain Prost returned to F1 as a team owner on this day in 1997.

The French F1 legend completed the buy-out of the Ligier team and changed the name to Prost. There was no time to build a new car, so the squad relied on the Ligier JS45 designed over the winter by Loic Bigois.

Olivier Panis was Prost's lead driver, flanked by Japanese hopeful Shinji Nakano. The team enjoyed a strong start to its campaign, with podium finishes in Brazil and Spain, but Panis' crash in Canada put the Frenchman out of contention for most of the season, with rookie Jarno Trulli taking over.

Unfortunately, 1997 was as good as it got for Prost. It was pretty much all downhill thereafter until the team's inevitable demise at the end of 2001.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.