Alain Prost

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Lorette, Loire, Prost began karting aged 14, winning the junior World Cup four years later, and progressing to junior formulae in 1976. Prost won his first title at the Formula Renault National Championship that year, prior to winning the Challenge de Formule Renault Europe in 1977. Replaced by the French Formula Three Championship the following season, he successfully defended his titles in 1978 and 1979. His junior career culminated in his victory at the 1979 FIA European Formula 3 Championship with Oreca. Prost signed for McLaren in 1980, making his Formula One debut at the Argentine Grand Prix, where he finished sixth. He moved to Renault in 1981, taking his maiden victory at his home Grand Prix in France, with further wins in the Netherlands and Italy. Following multiple race wins in his 1982 campaign with Renault, Prost finished runner-up to Nelson Piquet in the 1983 World Drivers' Championship after retiring with a turbo failure in the title-decider. Prost left Renault due to a breakdown in his relationship with the team and moved back to McLaren for 1984, where he finished runner-up to teammate Niki Lauda by a record half-point. In 1985, Prost won his maiden title with McLaren, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from France. He successfully defended his title the following season, amidst a close title battle with Piquet and Nigel Mansell. After winning several races in his 1987 campaign, Prost was partnered by Ayrton Senna. Together, they won all Grands Prix bar one in 1988—driving the Honda-powered MP4/4—with Senna taking the title by three points. Their fierce rivalry culminated in title-deciding collisions at Suzuka in 1989 and 1990, despite Prost's move to Ferrari in the latter, with Prost winning the former championship and Senna taking the following. Amidst a winless 1991 campaign, he was sacked by Ferrari over comments made about the 643. After a year hiatus, Prost returned with Williams in 1993, breaking several records on the way to his fourth championship and retiring at the end of the season. He returned to Formula One as the owner of Prost Grand Prix from 1997 to 2001, having purchased Ligier. Prost held an advisory role at Renault—later re-branded as Alpine—from 2017 to 2021.

In Their Own Story

Prost's Formula One career started in 1980 with McLaren, where he finished sixth on debut at the Argentine Grand Prix. After leaving for Renault due to reliability issues and team friction, he secured his maiden victory at the French Grand Prix in 1981. His relationship with teammate René Arnoux deteriorated by 1982 after a disputed pre-race agreement at the French Grand Prix. In 1983, Prost finished runner-up to Nelson Piquet after retiring from the title-decider with a turbo failure; he was sacked by Renault two days later for post-season comments. Returning to McLaren in 1984, he lost the championship to teammate Niki Lauda by just half a point. The following year, Prost won his first title as the first French World Champion, defending it in 1986 against Piquet and Nigel Mansell. His partnership with Ayrton Senna in 1987 led to a dominant 1988 season where they won all but one race, though Senna took the title by three points. Rivalry peaked with collisions at Suzuka in 1989 (Prost won) and 1990 (Senna won). After a winless 1991 campaign with Ferrari, he was sacked over comments about the 643 car. He returned to Williams in 1993, winning his fourth title before retiring.

Reader's Guide

Alain Prost won four World Drivers' Championships: with McLaren in 1985, 1986, and 1989, and with Williams in 1993. He never won a championship with Renault. His time at Renault (1981–1983) yielded his first Grand Prix victory and multiple race wins, but he finished runner-up in 1983 and was sacked after that season. Prost's record of 51 wins, 41 fastest laps, and 106 podiums were set across his entire career, not with any single team.

Did You Know?

• Prost was nicknamed 'the Professor' for his analytical approach to racing.
• He was the first French driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
• Prost held the record for most Grand Prix wins (51) at the time of his retirement.
• He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.