François Hesnault is a racing driver from France who last raced in Formula 1 for Renault. Hesnault has recorded 0 wins and 0 podiums from 19 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 5,340 ranks Hesnault 752th of 40,700 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the high 8,000s. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1985-08-04 | Nürburgring | DNF | −70 |
| 1985-05-05 | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | DNF | −63 |
| 1985-04-21 | Autódromo do Estoril | DNF | −105 |
| 1985-04-07 | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet | DNF | −81 |
| Rating won | Race | Series | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| +111 | Zandvoort 1984 | Formula 1 | P7 |
| +110 | Hockenheimring 1984 | Formula 1 | P8 |
| +104 | Red Bull Ring 1984 | Formula 1 | P8 |
| +72 | Nürburgring 1984 | Formula 1 | P10 |
| +62 | Kyalami 1984 | Formula 1 | P10 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | ▸Formula 1 | Renault | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | P15 | −319 | 5,340 |
| 1984 | ▸Formula 1 | Ligier | 15 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | P17 | +4,310 | 5,660 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 Alain Prost | 6,802 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% |
| 🇧🇷 Nelson PiquetFIA Platinum | 6,711 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% |
| 🇮🇹 Riccardo PatreseFIA Bronze | 6,417 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 26% |
| 🇬🇧 Nigel Mansell | 6,388 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 32% |
| 🇦🇹 Niki Lauda | 6,274 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0% |
| 🇮🇹 Elio de Angelis | 6,204 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% |
| 🇫🇮 Keke Rosberg | 6,156 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 32% |
| 🇫🇷 Jacques Laffite | 6,099 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% |
| 🇬🇧 Derek Warwick | 6,033 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% |
| 🇮🇹 Michele Alboreto | 5,938 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% |
| 🇦🇹 Gerhard BergerHigher-rated | 6,491 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% |
| # | Driver | Series | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 742 | 🇧🇷 Mario Haberfeld | International Formula 3000 | 5,356 |
| 743 | 🇫🇷 Franck Lagorce | FIA GT Championship | 5,354 |
| 744 | 🇬🇧 Perry McCarthy | FIA GT Championship | 5,354 |
| 745 | 🇦🇹 Karl Wendlinger | FIA GT Championship | 5,353 |
| 746 | 🇮🇹 Enrico Bertaggia | International Formula 3000 | 5,352 |
| 747 | 🇬🇧 Kenny Acheson | International Formula 3000 | 5,350 |
| 748 | 🇺🇸 Robbie Groff | IndyCar | 5,350 |
| 749 | 🇫🇷 Jonathan Cochet | Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie | 5,345 |
| 750 | 🇸🇪 Linus Lundqvist | Zenith Racing Series | 5,341 |
| 751 | 🇪🇸 Antonio Garcia | IMSA WeatherTech | 5,340 |
| 752 | 🇫🇷 François Hesnault | Formula 1 | 5,340 |
| 753 | 🇯🇵 Rikuto Kobayashi | Super GT | 5,340 |
| 754 | 🇬🇧 Sam Hancock | WEC | 5,340 |
| 755 | 🇺🇸 Charlie Kimball | IndyCar | 5,339 |
| 756 | 🇧🇷 Nelson Piquet Jr | Stock Car Pro Series | 5,339 |
| 757 | 🇩🇪 Sven Müller | Super GT | 5,338 |
| 758 | 🇺🇸 Jason Leffler | NASCAR Truck | 5,337 |
| 759 | 🇺🇸 Gar Robinson | IMSA WeatherTech | 5,336 |
| 760 | 🇬🇧 Ross Hockenhull | International Formula 3000 | 5,335 |
| 761 | 🇩🇪 Alexander Mattschull | Asian Le Mans Series | 5,334 |
| 762 | 🇬🇧 Jeff Ward | IndyCar | 5,334 |
François Hesnault was an established professional racing driver competing in Formula 1 between 1984 and 1985. Driving for Ligier, he made 19 starts in the world championship across two seasons.[1]
Hesnault's Formula 1 career consisted of two seasons with limited success. In 1984, his first year, he competed in 15 rounds without scoring championship points. The 1985 season saw him start only 4 races before his time in the series ended; he finished 15th in the championship standings, still without a points finish. His best results came against established professionals: he beat Gerhard Berger once and Riccardo Patrese once, both drivers who would continue racing in Formula 1 at length.[2]
He raced regularly against the elite of the era. Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet, both multiple Formula 1 champions, were his usual opponents on the grid, though Hesnault consistently finished behind them. The Ligier team he drove for was a modest operation within the championship, having fielded 29 drivers across its indexed history with nine race wins to its name, its strongest driver being Didier Pironi, an established professional in his own right.