All at McLaren are very sorry to hear the recent news that Guy Ligier has died.

Eric Boullier has reacted as follows.

"It was with great sadness that I heard the news that Guy Ligier had passed away.

"As a child growing up in Le Mans, I was inspired and entranced by his iconic and beautiful pale-blue-and-white Ligier Formula 1 cars, driven with panache and aplomb by such French racing heroes as Jacques Laffite, Patrick Depailler and Didier Pironi.

"Ligier was a very French team, employing very French drivers, but it was also very successful on the world stage, winning grands prix not only in Europe [Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Monaco] but also the Americas [Argentina, Brazil, Canada].

"Guy himself was a tough and uncompromising character, but he was also a racer through and through. Indeed, as a young man, he and his great friend Jo Schlesser had raced Formula 2 McLarens - and, when Jo later met his death during the French Grand Prix at Rouen in 1968, Guy decided to add the prefix JS to all subsequent Ligier cars as a mark of respect.

"On behalf of all at McLaren, I'd like to offer my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of a great Frenchman. Qu'il repose en paix."