DAMS GD-01

The DAMS GD-01 was an unraced Formula One car used by the French motorsport team, Driot-Arnoux Motor Sport (DAMS). The GD-01 was designed and built by a collaboration of DAMS and Reynard engineers from 1994 to 1995, and was intended to establish the team—which had achieved considerable success in lower categories—in Formula One (F1), the premier Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)-sanctioned level of racing. However, due to insufficient financial backing, the team never entered the championship, despite completing construction of the chassis and conducting limited testing.

Concept

DAMS was founded by Jean-Paul Driot and F1 driver René Arnoux in 1988, and was based in Le Mans. The team quickly became a competitive force in International Formula 3000, the level of motorsport immediately below F1, winning the 1990, 1993 and 1994 drivers' championships with Érik Comas, Olivier Panis and Jean-Christophe Boullion respectively. Driot aimed to take the next step in the team's progression by moving up to F1, thus emulating the examples of the Jordan, Pacific and Forti teams, all successful Formula 3000 teams which graduated to F1 in the first half of the 1990s.