Ducarouge resigned shortly after to begin work at the new Formula One team founded by Guy Ligier at Vichy, close to Gerard’s home town of Paray-le-Monial.
He began work on Ligier’s entrant to the 1976 season, the JS5 which retained links with Matra including their 3-litre V12 engine and SEITA Gitanes brand sponsorship.
In 1981 a revised Matra V12 was fitted in the latest Liger chassis and with Talbot backing it seemed as though the team would be contenders to win the constructors' championship.
Following the 1st qualifying session of the 1983 French Grand Prix where Andrea de Cesaris was disqualified for his car being underweight, Ducarouge was blamed and dismissed.
Lotus had witnessed a severe decline in fortunes following their dominant 1978 campaign, and had culminated with the death of their founder Colin Chapman in December 1982.
He immediately began work on the Type 94T which was designed and built in five weeks, and helped salvage some degree of success for the remainder of the 1983 season.
The still born Lotus 96T Indy Car incorporated the innovative use of lightweight aluminium foil honeycomb in the chassis replacing the previous nomex construction.
At the Portuguese Grand Prix held at a torrential Estoril, Senna would score his maiden win in a Ducarouge Lotus 97T.
The major faults of the 100T (driven in 1988 by reigning World Champion Nelson Piquet and Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima) were allegedly laid at incorrect aerodynamic data amassed during testing at Comtec, as well as the chassis being reported to be like "jelly on springs" and not rigid enough to handle the abrupt power delivery of Honda's 650 bhp (485 kW; 659 PS) engine.