I personally always liked the small Larrousse team. Besides their colourful liveries and sponsors like Kronenbourg/Tourtel, it are also the results on the circuits. Larrousse is one of those teams that came in the Formula One after the Turbo engines were forbidden. Their best year was 1990 when Aguri Suzuki managed to finish third during the Japanese Grand Prix. The team continued to score a couple of points every year. It is also the team where a lot happened like the arrest of Didier Calmels for murdering his wife. Another fact is the lack of paying the bills (see Lola and Lamborghini). However, while still competitive, during 1994 it was clear that the team from Gérhard Larrousse was struggling financially. The struggle for 1995 was real, stay or leave.
Let’s step back to 1994. The team appeared with the Larrousse LH94 on the grid, a beautiful car. Olivier Beretta and Érik Comas were doing a decent job. However, the team started to lack the money and after the Hungarian Grand Prix Beretta had to leave. Alliot replaced Beretta in Belgium retiring with an engine failure. Yannick Dalmas replaced Alliot for the Italian and Portuguese Grand Prix. Eventually, the Japanese Hideki Noda brought enough yens with him to compete the last three races of the season. The Swiss Jean-Denis Délétraz replaced comas as well in Australia. All signs were on orange after the last race of the season. The team was in difficulties as they still had a pay to bill from Lamborghini.
During the season, Robin Herd started working on the Larrousse LH95. It was reported that the design stage was shortly after the season stopped. There were simply no funds left to continue designing and building the car. Gérard Larrousse hoped that the French government would financially support the team. In the end, they did this with Ligier as well. Would this help to solve the struggle for 1995? It would not. The French government simply did not help. Another struggle was the so called Evin’ Law that stated that Tobacco sponsorship was forbidden in France.
While the team tried to solve the puzzle, American driver Elton Julian, who previously had tested for the team, was announced as their test driver for 1995. How serious this contract was, seen the situation, is questionable. On the background, some interesting movements were happening. Earlier in 1994 there was an announcement made by Laurent Bearlesi and Jean Messaoudi that they were working on a Junior F1 Team. Looking to debut the team in 1995.
The story of the Junior F1 Team even dates back to the days when both ex-drivers had their Junior Formula 3000 team; they never scored serious results mostly the team was on the bottom of the results list. In 1990/1991, their first plans raised to start a brand-new Formula One team. With their own factory, design bureau, manufacturing hall and their own test track near Pouilly en Auxois. Their plans eventually failed to materialise, it seems that “a” track was build. However, due to the economic situation in the early 1990s they were forced to ditch the project.
For 1995, they were working again on their Junior F1 Team. They even lured design engineer Steve Nichols from Jordan Grand Prix. However, their issue in 1994 was that setting up a new team from scratch meant a lot of work and money. Instead, they met Gérard Larrousse who was in desperate need of funds. He sold around 50% of the team to the two. In the meantime, Gérard Larrousse had a meeting with Robin Herd (from Larrousse UK) and Bernie Ecclestone in January 1995 to discuss the situation with Larrousse, and their struggle to appear on the grid. There were several companies claiming a piece of the money they gained form the TV Rights. Robin Herd was asked if he would continue constructing the Larrousse LH95.
The 27th of February 1995, when Gérard Larrousse was still trying to have Robin Heard constructing the LH95, the FIA published the entry list. On the list was Érik Comas as one of the Larrousse drivers. While the other seat was yet to be filled. Just a week later, the situation with the drivers was totally different. Érik Comas was not mentioned anymore. Instead Eric Helary and Christophne Bouchut were, according to strong rumours, announced as the drivers. While Eric Bernard was also on speaking terms.
Sadly, for the team, Robin Herd, who also still had a bill open from them, refused to continue constructing the car. After Herd’s answer Gérard Larrousse had contact with the FIA where he requested to miss the first two races. To do so he would have just enough time to prepare the team. The FIA refused, and Gérard had to turn to plan-b. He ordered his factory, now mostly overseen by Michel Tetu to modify the LH94 with the at that time new regulations for 1995 so they would arrive at Interlagos the 26th of March 1995.
It seemed that Larrousse would appear in Interlagos. The 24th of March 1995 the FIA published the “final” entry list for 1995. Christophe Bouchut and Eric Bernard were on the list for the team. While Bouchut was subject to a super license. However, the team never appeared in Interlagos. The team would not appear at any Grand Prix at all.
The struggle to survive properly was too big for the team. While the team said that their new chassis was ready for the San Marino Grand Prix the French paper L ‘Equipe interviewed them on Monday the 17th of April. “We are studying all options to see whether or not we can continue to participate in the Formula One”. “The penalty for missing two races is enormous therefore we can better pull out and fully concentrate on 1996”. The team would never re surface in the Formula One. Christophe Bouchut went back to the International Formula 3000 Championship. While Gérard Larrousse was looking to appear with his team and Lamborghini in the GT Series in 1996.
