Alain Prost

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Prost's career was defined by strategic brilliance and intense rivalries. In 1984, driving for McLaren, he finished runner-up to teammate Niki Lauda by a record half-point. He secured his maiden title in 1985, becoming the first French World Drivers' Champion, and defended it in 1986 amidst battles with Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. The late 1980s saw him partnered with Ayrton Senna at McLaren; together they won every Grand Prix bar one in 1988 driving the Honda-powered MP4/4, though Senna took that title by three points. Their fierce rivalry culminated in title-deciding collisions at Suzuka in 1989 and 1990. Prost won the 1989 championship following his move to Ferrari for the latter year, while Senna claimed the 1990 title.

In Their Own Story

In 1979, before his Formula One debut, Marlboro sponsors offered to cover costs for a third McLaren car at Watkins Glen. Prost declined, reasoning it was a mistake to debut without being fully prepared: "I didn't know Watkins Glen and I didn't know the car. I said I thought it would be a better idea to organise a test." He finally debuted in 1980 with McLaren, scoring sixth on his first race in Buenos Aires. His relationship with Renault soured by 1982; he later noted, "When I went to Renault the journalists wrote good things about me, but by 1982 I had become the bad guy." After finishing runner-up in 1983 due to a turbo failure in the title-decider, Prost was sacked two days later for his post-season comments. He returned to McLaren in 1984, eventually breaking records on his way to a fourth championship with Williams in 1993 before retiring at season's end.

Reader's Guide

Prost began karting at 14, winning the junior World Cup four years later and progressing to Formula Renault in 1976. He won the French F3 title in 1978 and both European and French F3 titles in 1979. His F1 journey started with McLaren (1980), then moved to Renault (1981–1983) where he took his maiden victory at the French Grand Prix. He returned to McLaren for a dominant period (1984–1989), winning titles in 1985, 1986, and 1989. Post-F1, he owned Prost Grand Prix from 1997 to 2001, won the Andros Trophy three times (2003–2012), and held an advisory role at Renault/Alpine from 2017 to 2021.

Did You Know?

• Prost was the first World Drivers' Champion from France, winning his maiden title in 1985.
• He finished runner-up to Niki Lauda by a record half-point margin in the 1984 championship.
• In 1979, he declined an early Formula One debut at Watkins Glen because he didn't know the circuit or the car.
• Prost was sacked by Renault two days after retiring with a turbo failure in the 1983 title-decider due to his post-season comments.
• He won three consecutive Teams' Championships as co-owner of Renault e.dams in Formula E from 2014–15 to 2016–17.