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 was sacked by Renault two days later for his post-season comments and moved back to McLaren for 1984, where he finished runner-up to teammate Niki Lauda by a record half-point.

In Their Own Story

In 1984, the pressure at McLaren was palpable as Prost faced his more experienced teammate Niki Lauda. The season tightened into a mathematical puzzle where every point mattered. At the final race in Portugal, Prost needed to finish ahead of Lauda but retired due to an engine failure while leading, handing the title to Lauda by a record half-point. This loss fueled a fire for 1985. Prost approached the new campaign with surgical precision, refusing to rely on raw speed alone. He capitalized on consistency and reliability, outlasting his rivals to secure his maiden crown. Later, facing Senna in 1989, the rivalry turned physical. At Suzuka, Prost navigated the collision that ended Senna's title defense. Unlike the volatile nature of others, Prost drove with a calm demeanor, dissecting races as solvable equations rather than chaotic battles, proving that intellect could outmaneuver instinct on the track.

Reader's Guide

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.

Did You Know?

• Prost was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
• After retiring from Formula One, Prost was a race-winner in the 2005 FFSA GT Championship.
• Prost is a three-time champion of the Andros Trophy in ice racing, competing from 2003 to 2012.
• He was the co-owner of Renault e.dams in Formula E until 2018, winning three consecutive Teams' Championships from 2014–15 to 2016–17.