François Hesnault (born 30 December 1956) is a French former racing driver who made 21 Formula One Grand Prix appearances. His debut came on 25 March 1984, and although he never scored a championship point, his final race earned an unusual place in the sport’s technical history.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | French |
| Birthplace | Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Born | 30 December 1956 |
| First Grand Prix | 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1985 German Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1984–1985 |
| Current/Last Team | Renault |
Born into a wealthy family that owned a major transport company, Hesnault followed a far from conventional route into motorsport. He completed his military service with the French parachute corps and saw action in West Africa before turning his attention to racing.
Hesnault began competing in French Formula Renault in 1980 and quickly emerged as a serious prospect. He won twice on his way to third place in the 1982 French Formula Three Championship. The following season brought five victories and a close title fight with Michel Ferté, who ultimately defeated him by just two points.
Alongside his single-seater progress, Hesnault made two appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, contesting the race in 1982 and 1983.
Formula One followed with Ligier in 1984. His strongest result was seventh at the Dutch Grand Prix—one position short of the points under the scoring system of the period.
Brabham hired Hesnault for 1985 as teammate to world champion Nelson Piquet, but the partnership unravelled after four uncompetitive races. A serious testing accident at Circuit Paul Ricard further darkened the period shortly before his departure from the team.
Hesnault returned for one final Grand Prix in Germany, driving a third works Renault fitted with an experimental onboard camera. It was the first use of the technology during a Formula One Grand Prix and produced footage that would help shape how future audiences experienced the sport.
The appearance was historic for another reason: it remains the last occasion on which one Formula One team entered three cars in the same race. Modern third drivers may take part in practice sessions but cannot compete in the Grand Prix itself.
After that one-off Renault drive, Hesnault stepped away from motor racing altogether, ending a brief but eventful career at the age of 28.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 21 |
| Race Starts | 19 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | 13th |
| Best Race Finish | 7th |
| Retirements | 14 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 2 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 21 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ligier | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1985 | Brabham Renault | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17 | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ligier | 1984 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Brabham | 1985 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Renault | 1985 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | – | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea de Cesaris | 1984 | 16 | 1-15 |
| Nelson Piquet | 1985 | 4 | 0-4 |
| Derek Warwick | 1985 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Patrick Tambay | 1985 | 1 | 0-1 |
