30 YEARS OF THE PANIS – LIGIER TRIUMPH IN MONACO
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
Olivier Panis and Ligier Automotive will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ligier’s victory in Monaco
in 1996, during the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique (May 8–10, 2026).
This anniversary — the last win of a Formula 1 car assembled in France — will also coincide with
Ligier’s 50 years in Formula 1. An exhibition and demonstrations will retrace the manufacturer’s
great adventure in motor racing. Five former team drivers will also be present !
© Ligier Automotive
On May 19, 1996, Olivier Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix to everyone’s surprise.
This victory remains one of the most remarkable in the entire history of Formula 1, because no one saw it coming — and for good reason :
In 1996, the Ligier team had not won a race for 15 years ;
That day, Olivier Panis started only from 14th place on a circuit where overtaking is almost impossible.
From the very first laps, the driver from Grenoble took advantage of several retirements to gain positions, then made a well-timed pit stop to pick up a few more. But above all, he delivered a series of spectacular overtakes on a track made extremely treacherous by the rain: Martin Brundle (Jordan) on lap 7 in the Beaurivage climb, Mika Häkkinen (McLaren) on lap 15 at Mirabeau, Johnny Herbert (Sauber) on lap 25 at the Loews hairpin (now Fairmont), and then Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) on lap 36, again at the Loews hairpin. Towards the end of the race, Olivier Panis had to manage his fuel consumption while keeping David Coulthard (McLaren) at bay, eventually taking victory after two hours of effort.
At the time, no one knew it yet, but this victory would go down in history as the last Formula 1 win by a car assembled in France (at Magny-Cours, in this case). It would then take 24 years — and Pierre Gasly’s
victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix — for a French driver to win again in Formula 1. On May 8, 9, and 10, the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique will celebrate the 30th anniversary of this achievement, one of the greatest in French sport. Olivier Panis will be present and will share his memories of that famous Sunday, May 19, 1996, on the microphone.
CONTACT
The KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique is the only event in France to feature genuine Formula 1 races. Founded in 2017 by HVM Racing with the support of the Fédération Française du Sport Automobile (FFSA), it has been co-organized with the Circuit Paul Ricard since 2023. Each year, nearly 200 racing cars — including more than 60 iconic Formula 1 cars from the 1970s to 2010 — take part in the event. The 2025 edition welcomed over 106,000 visitors from 21 different nationalities, confirming its appeal and international reach.
