François Hesnault

Template:Short description Template:No footnotes {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} François Hesnault (born 30 December 1956) is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 21 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 25 March 1984. He scored no championship points.<ref name="Small2000" />

Hesnault was born to a wealthy family who owned a large transport business. He did his military service in the French parachute corps and was involved in action in West Africa. Hesnault made his racing debut competing in the French Formula Renault in 1980. He enjoyed some success in the French Formula Three Championship, finishing third in the series with two race victories in 1982 and second in 1983 with five race wins and battled Michel Ferté for the series title that he lost out by two points.<ref name="MSportMagBio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="GPComBio" /> Hesnault competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, firstly in Template:24hLM and again in Template:24hLM.<ref name="LeMansResults" />

The Frenchman debuted in Formula One in the Template:F1 season with Ligier, with a best result of 7th at the Dutch Grand Prix. For the Template:F1 season, he was hired to be Nelson Piquet's teammate at Brabham, but he was sacked after four uncompetitive races. He returned for a one-off at the German Grand Prix in a third Renault which carried a prototype onboard camera, making it the first use of this technology in a Grand Prix. This is also the last race in which three cars have been entered for the same team (current third drivers are not eligible to compete in the races). After this race, Hesnault retired from motor racing, having suffered a particularly heavy crash in testing at Circuit Paul Ricard shortly before parting company with Brabham.<ref name="Small2000" /><ref name=GPComBio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Racing results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
Template:F1	Ligier Loto	Ligier JS23	Renault V6 (t/c)	BRA Template:Small	RSA Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	SMR Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	MON Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	DET Template:Small	DAL Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	NED Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	EUR Template:Small	POR Template:Small	NC	0
Template:F1	Motor Racing Developments	Brabham BT54	BMW S4 (t/c)	BRA Template:Small	POR Template:Small	SMR Template:Small	MON Template:Small	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR									NC	0
	Equipe Renault Elf	Renault RE60	Renault V6 (t/c)									GER Template:Small	AUT	NED	ITA	BEL	EUR	RSA	AUS
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24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon C. Haldi	Template:Flagicon Claude Haldi Template:Flagicon Rodrigo Terran	Porsche 934/5	Gr.5 SP	141	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon A.S. École Supérieure de Tourisme	Template:Flagicon Thierry Perrier Template:Flagicon Bernard Salam	Lancia LC1	Gr.C	133	NC	NC
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References

Template:France-autoracing-bio-stub Template:F1-bio-stub