Alain Marie Pascal Prost (born 24 February 1955) is a French retired racing driver.
This new sport quickly became his career of choice. Prost was married to Anne-Marie (born 14 February 1955), but they divorced sometime later.
Prost became the first driver to retain the title since Jack Brabham in 1960. Another memorable race that year for Prost was at the .
In 1974, he left school to become a full-time racer, supporting himself by tuning engines and becoming a kart distributor.
His prize for winning the 1975 French senior karting championship was a season in French Formula Renault, a category in which he won the title and all but one race in 1976. Prost went on to win the 1977 Formula Renault European championship before moving up to Formula Three (F3) in 1978.
Other than his debut season in 1980 and , it was the furthest away he would finish a season from the championship lead. Despite a slightly disappointing 1987 season, nevertheless by the end of that year Prost had the honour of notching up his 4th consecutive No.1 driver of the year by the editor of the Autocourse annual, matching Niki Lauda's run of No.1's from 1975 to 1978 in the same annual.
His prize for winning the 1975 French senior karting championship was a season in French Formula Renault, a category in which he won the title and all but one race in 1976. Prost went on to win the 1977 Formula Renault European championship before moving up to Formula Three (F3) in 1978.
His prize for winning the 1975 French senior karting championship was a season in French Formula Renault, a category in which he won the title and all but one race in 1976. Prost went on to win the 1977 Formula Renault European championship before moving up to Formula Three (F3) in 1978.
His prize for winning the 1975 French senior karting championship was a season in French Formula Renault, a category in which he won the title and all but one race in 1976. Prost went on to win the 1977 Formula Renault European championship before moving up to Formula Three (F3) in 1978.
Other than his debut season in 1980 and , it was the furthest away he would finish a season from the championship lead. Despite a slightly disappointing 1987 season, nevertheless by the end of that year Prost had the honour of notching up his 4th consecutive No.1 driver of the year by the editor of the Autocourse annual, matching Niki Lauda's run of No.1's from 1975 to 1978 in the same annual.
In 1979, he won both the French and European F3 championships, by which time he was on the shopping lists of several Formula One teams.
He surprised the British team by declining their offer of a race drive in a third car at the final race of the 1979 season at Watkins Glen — reasoning that the token effort would benefit neither him nor the team.
He progressed through motor sport's junior ranks, winning the French and European Formula Three championships, before joining the McLaren Formula One team in 1980 at the age of 24.
He finished in the points on his Formula One début – at the San Martin Autodrome in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he took his first podium a year later – and took his first race victory a year later at his home Grand Prix in France, driving for the factory Renault team. During the 1980s and early 1990s Prost formed a fierce sporting rivalry, mainly with Ayrton Senna but also Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell.
Prost lived in his hometown, Saint-Chamond, until he and his Renault team fell out in the early 1980s.
I said I thought it would be a better idea to organise a test." ===Formula One=== ====1980: McLaren==== Prost began his career with McLaren (being run by Teddy Mayer) in 1980 alongside Ulsterman John Watson.
Other than his debut season in 1980 and , it was the furthest away he would finish a season from the championship lead. Despite a slightly disappointing 1987 season, nevertheless by the end of that year Prost had the honour of notching up his 4th consecutive No.1 driver of the year by the editor of the Autocourse annual, matching Niki Lauda's run of No.1's from 1975 to 1978 in the same annual.
They have two sons, Nicolas (born 18 August 1981) and Sacha Prost (born 30 May 1990).
He finished 15.32 seconds clear of Laffite, with 1981 Australian Grand Prix winner, young Brazilian driver Roberto Moreno finishing third. 1983 Arnoux left Renault in and American Eddie Cheever replaced him as Prost's partner, allegedly because of Renault's desire to sell more road cars in North America (three of the season's 15 races were on the North American continent).
He won again in Holland and Italy, and finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship, seven points behind champion Nelson Piquet. 1982 Prost won the first two Grands Prix of the 1982 season in South Africa, where Prost recovered from losing a wheel, and Brazil, where he finished 3rd but was awarded the win after Piquet (1st) and Keke Rosberg (2nd) were disqualified.
He has since commented that "When I went to Renault the journalists wrote good things about me, but by 1982 I had become the bad guy.
I think, to be honest, I had made the mistake of winning! The French don't really like winners." In November 1982, three years before it became a round of the F1 World Championship, Prost, along with fellow F1 drivers Jacques Laffite and Nelson Piquet, made the trip to Melbourne, Australia to drive in the non-championship 1982 Australian Grand Prix at the short (1.609 km (1.000 mi)) Calder Park Raceway.
In April 1983 the Prost family moved to Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, and shortly after to Yens, Switzerland.
He re-signed for McLaren for the 1984 season within days and moved his family home to Switzerland after Renault factory workers burned the second of 2 of Prost's cars, one of them being a Mercedes-Benz. ====1984–1989: Return to McLaren==== 1984 Prost joined double world champion Niki Lauda at McLaren (now being run by Ron Dennis) in , driving the John Barnard designed McLaren MP4/2 which used a 1.5 litre TAG-Porsche V6 engine.
Under Formula One regulations, Prost received only half of the nine points normally awarded for a victory. Prost's seven wins in 1984 equalled the record set by Jim Clark in . 1985 In Prost became the first French Formula One World Champion.
Prost's performance in 1985 earned him the Légion d'honneur distinction in France. 1986 Niki Lauda retired for good at the end of 1985, and was replaced at McLaren by World Champion Keke Rosberg for .
Prost commented after the race that when his car started running dry he immediately thought to himself "shit, I am going to lose this race again", referring to his 1985 disqualification at Imola.
His win at Estoril was exceptional." In 1985, the Autocourse editor wrote of Prost: "In the long run, Ayrton Senna may be the better driver, but in 1985 for speed and consistency Prost had no equal", while in 1986, the Autocourse editor commented on Prost's season "Alain had an almost faultless year.
Prost's helmet changed in 1985, as his helmet now had the blue detail around the front, surrounding the visor (with also a blue stripe on the side region, making the white area become a P) and a white ring with red lines surrounding the top (forming a white circle with a blue half in the rear of the top).
In 1986, at Adelaide in the last race of the season, he beat Mansell and Piquet of Williams to the title, after Mansell retired late in the race and Piquet was pulled in for a late precautionary pit stop.
Prost had one younger brother called Daniel, who died of cancer in September 1986.
Through Sacha, he has another grandson named Liam (born June 2018). In 1986, Prost was awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French President, François Mitterrand. ==Driving career== ===Pre-Formula One=== Prost won several karting championships in his teens.
Until the latter stages of the final race of the 1986 season, the , Prost appeared set to finish second in the Championship, behind Mansell.
McLaren Technical Director John Barnard said afterwards that the car was "bent like a banana" upon the teams' post-race inspection of the car. 1987 With Rosberg retiring from Formula One at the end of 1986 season, underrated Swede Stefan Johansson filled the McLaren seat alongside Prost for the season.
His win at Estoril was exceptional." In 1985, the Autocourse editor wrote of Prost: "In the long run, Ayrton Senna may be the better driver, but in 1985 for speed and consistency Prost had no equal", while in 1986, the Autocourse editor commented on Prost's season "Alain had an almost faultless year.
A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, from 1987 until 2001 he held the record for most Grand Prix victories until Michael Schumacher surpassed Prost's total of 51 victories at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix.
You can judge a career or a season, but not one race." Prost finished the 1987 season in fourth place in the championship behind Piquet, Mansell and Lotus driver Ayrton Senna.
Other than his debut season in 1980 and , it was the furthest away he would finish a season from the championship lead. Despite a slightly disappointing 1987 season, nevertheless by the end of that year Prost had the honour of notching up his 4th consecutive No.1 driver of the year by the editor of the Autocourse annual, matching Niki Lauda's run of No.1's from 1975 to 1978 in the same annual.
Writing in 1987, the Autocourse editor mentioned that despite driving a down on power engine (compared to the Honda's) "Prost should have won at least 6 races in 1987 - but he won't moan about it.
Despite being out of championship contention, 1987 was a memorable year for Prost.
1986 was a year of Prost's outstanding all round ability." 1988 Despite Nelson Piquet winning the 1987 Drivers' Championship and Williams winning the Constructors' Championship, Honda decided not to supply the team with their engines, reportedly due to Williams's refusal to dump Nigel Mansell and hire Japanese driver and Honda test driver Satoru Nakajima (who debuted with Lotus in 1987), and instead supplied the McLaren team for .
Prost had convinced Ron Dennis to sign Ayrton Senna to a three-year contract, which played a role in luring Honda (Senna's ability had been highly regarded by the Japanese giant when using their engines with Lotus in 1987 and both were keen to continue their association).
Senna had already developed a close relationship with the Honda engineers during the 1987 season when he was at Lotus.
Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988 and the two had a series of controversial clashes, including a collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix that gave Prost his third Drivers' Championship.
In stark contrast, late in the race when Senna was lapping Prost (who was on fresh tyres), Senna was easily able to power past Prost on the straight. ====1990–1991: Ferrari==== 1990 Prost signed to join Ferrari in 1990, becoming the first driver signed to the team after the death of team founder Enzo Ferrari in 1988.
The rivalry originated in 1988, when Senna joined Prost at the McLaren team.
Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988 and the two had a series of controversial clashes, including a collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix that gave Prost his third Drivers' Championship.
Kawamoto was able to convince Prost that he would work something out on the Honda end of the McLaren-Honda partnership for the 1989 season, but this was not to be. 1989 McLaren's domination continued throughout , and the struggle between Prost and Senna for supremacy put them on a collision course.
Before the race Prost, who had announced in July 1989 that he would depart from McLaren, announced he was joining Ferrari.
To the delight of the tifosi whose team he signed for the 1990 season, at the rostrum Prost dropped his driver's trophy into the crowd, to the anger of Dennis who since changed McLaren's policy requiring that all trophies won by drivers belong to the team. As 1989 wore on, Prost continually claimed his Honda V10s were not producing the same amount of power as those in Senna's car.
As in 1989, a controversial collision between the two settled the race.
Prost managed to edge Senna outwards, taking the lead as they went into the first corner, but remained angered by Senna's manoeuvre. The rivalry intensified after the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix, where the two drivers had an agreement that neither would get in each other's way to the first corner (cf.
Prost mentioned many times during 1989 that he believed his car was not as competitive as Senna's, and even that this was confirmed to him by the CEO of Honda when Prost traveled to Japan.
The information was actually confirmed during the French GP press conference when Ron Dennis said that Prost's car was consistently using more fuel, but not getting more power, than Senna's engine. The rivalry reached its peak at the end of 1989, when the title was to be decided between Senna and Prost at Suzuka.
Although not an official race, riders fight hard for places; Prost finished 12th in his category, 42nd overall out of over 5000 riders. ===Prost Grand Prix=== During 1989 Prost began to contemplate starting his own team, as his relationship with his McLaren teammate, Ayrton Senna, had turned sour.
He finished in the points on his Formula One début – at the San Martin Autodrome in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he took his first podium a year later – and took his first race victory a year later at his home Grand Prix in France, driving for the factory Renault team. During the 1980s and early 1990s Prost formed a fierce sporting rivalry, mainly with Ayrton Senna but also Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell.
They have two sons, Nicolas (born 18 August 1981) and Sacha Prost (born 30 May 1990).
Prost went on to be a proponent of essentially the 1990s scoring system: all points counting toward the final results, with a race winner scoring 10 (rather than 9). In November of that year, Prost had a meeting with the head of Honda's R&D department and F1 racing program, Nobuhiko Kawamoto in Geneva.
To the delight of the tifosi whose team he signed for the 1990 season, at the rostrum Prost dropped his driver's trophy into the crowd, to the anger of Dennis who since changed McLaren's policy requiring that all trophies won by drivers belong to the team. As 1989 wore on, Prost continually claimed his Honda V10s were not producing the same amount of power as those in Senna's car.
In stark contrast, late in the race when Senna was lapping Prost (who was on fresh tyres), Senna was easily able to power past Prost on the straight. ====1990–1991: Ferrari==== 1990 Prost signed to join Ferrari in 1990, becoming the first driver signed to the team after the death of team founder Enzo Ferrari in 1988.
Mansell recalls one incident where at the 1990 British Grand Prix, the car he drove didn't handle the same as in the previous race where he had taken pole position, and later found out from team mechanics that Prost saw Mansell as having a superior car and had them swapped without Mansell knowing.
Prost and John Barnard, formerly chief designer at McLaren, came close to founding a team in 1990; but a lack of sponsorship meant that this was not possible, so Prost moved to Ferrari and Barnard left Ferrari to join Benetton.
Before the end of a winless 1991 season Prost was fired by Ferrari for his public criticism of the team.
"He is a man without value." Prost finished the season seven points behind Senna, and his Ferrari team were runners-up to McLaren. 1991 Mansell left the Scuderia due to his unstable relationship with Prost, to rejoin Williams for the 1991 Formula One season.
He was replaced by Italian driver Gianni Morbidelli for the final race of the 1991 season and by another Italian, Ivan Capelli, for the following season.
After falling out with the Italian team at the end of 1991, Prost found himself without a drive for 1992; after the failure of extensive negotiations with Guy Ligier about buying his Ligier team, Prost decided to join Williams for 1993.
Prost hired his 1991 Ferrari teammate Jean Alesi to drive the lead car and German Nick Heidfeld, who had won the 1999 Formula 3000 championship, to partner him.
After a sabbatical in 1992, he joined the Williams team, prompting Mansell, the reigning Drivers' Champion, to leave for CART.
Prost performed pre-season testing for Ligier early in 1992 and later turned down an offer to drive for the team.
After falling out with the Italian team at the end of 1991, Prost found himself without a drive for 1992; after the failure of extensive negotiations with Guy Ligier about buying his Ligier team, Prost decided to join Williams for 1993.
With a competitive car, Prost won the 1993 championship and retired from Formula One driving at the end of the year. In 1997, Prost took over the French Ligier team, running it as Prost Grand Prix until it went bankrupt in 2002.
After hearing that Prost would be his teammate again in 1993, Mansell left Williams to race in the CART series.
Shortly before the Portuguese Grand Prix in October 1993, Prost announced he would not defend his world title, because the clause in his contract did not extend to 1994 and Senna would be able to join Williams for the upcoming season, and instead opted to retire.
On the podium in Adelaide in 1993, Prost's last race, he and Senna embraced.
Prost announced his signing with Williams for the upcoming 1993 season.
And if he wants to be sportive, he must be prepared to race anybody, at any condition, at equal terms." During the 1993 season, Prost and Senna continued their on-track rivalry.
Prost was escorted by police to the Interlagos circuit for the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix due to the hostility of Brazilians towards him.
At Prost's last Grand Prix, the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, he was pulled up by Senna onto the top step of the podium for an embrace. On 1 May 1994, Ayrton Senna was killed during the .
Senna had also felt the same when Prost had retired at the end of 1993, when he admitted to a close friend that he had realised how much of his motivation had come from fighting with Prost.
After falling out with the Italian team at the end of 1991, Prost found himself without a drive for 1992; after the failure of extensive negotiations with Guy Ligier about buying his Ligier team, Prost decided to join Williams for 1993.
Shortly before the Portuguese Grand Prix in October 1993, Prost announced he would not defend his world title, because the clause in his contract did not extend to 1994 and Senna would be able to join Williams for the upcoming season, and instead opted to retire.
At Prost's last Grand Prix, the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, he was pulled up by Senna onto the top step of the podium for an embrace. On 1 May 1994, Ayrton Senna was killed during the .
In 2010, he used a pearl white helmet with silver flames and a blue-white-red-white-blue stripe on the visor, designed by Kaos Design. ==Later life== During 1994 and 1995, Prost worked as TV pundit for the French TV channel TF1.
In 2010, he used a pearl white helmet with silver flames and a blue-white-red-white-blue stripe on the visor, designed by Kaos Design. ==Later life== During 1994 and 1995, Prost worked as TV pundit for the French TV channel TF1.
By 1995, when Prost was working for Renault, people had assumed that a Prost-Renault team would be formed.
For the team's first season, Prost kept one of Ligier's 1996 drivers, Olivier Panis, who had won the Monaco Grand Prix the previous year; Japanese driver Shinji Nakano was signed to partner Panis.
With a competitive car, Prost won the 1993 championship and retired from Formula One driving at the end of the year. In 1997, Prost took over the French Ligier team, running it as Prost Grand Prix until it went bankrupt in 2002.
Renault refused Prost's request to supply engines for his team, ending the speculation. On 13 February 1997, Prost bought the Ligier team from Flavio Briatore and renamed it "Prost Grand Prix".
Prost GP finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship in its first season, with 21 points. Prost became the president of Prost Grand Prix at the start of 1998.
In 1999, Prost received the World Sports Award of the Century in the motor sport category. Prost discovered karting at the age of 14 during a family holiday.
They lived there until November 1999, when they moved to Nyon in the same country.
Prost hired his 1991 Ferrari teammate Jean Alesi to drive the lead car and German Nick Heidfeld, who had won the 1999 Formula 3000 championship, to partner him.
The car was not a major concern but the Peugeot V10 engine proved to be heavy and unreliable. Peugeot's final year as Prost's engine supplier in 2000 saw some optimism.
A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, from 1987 until 2001 he held the record for most Grand Prix victories until Michael Schumacher surpassed Prost's total of 51 victories at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix.
Prost's performances earned him an OBE. German Michael Schumacher broke Prost's record of 51 Grand Prix wins during the 2001 season.
With a competitive car, Prost won the 1993 championship and retired from Formula One driving at the end of the year. In 1997, Prost took over the French Ligier team, running it as Prost Grand Prix until it went bankrupt in 2002.
The money ran out at the start of the season and Prost was out of business, leaving debts of around $30 million. ===After Prost Grand Prix=== During 2002, Prost spent time with his family and competed in eight bicycle races, finishing third in the Granite – Mont Lozère.
From 2003 to 2012 he competed in the Andros Trophy, which is an ice racing championship, taking 38 race victories and winning the championship 3 times. Prost employed a smooth, relaxed style behind the wheel, deliberately modelling himself on personal heroes like Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.
The Frenchman raced in the Andros ice race series in 2003, finishing second in the championship behind Yvan Muller.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
In 2007 he used his original design, but with the circle top all red and a red line in the lower chin area.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
In 2009, an Autosport survey taken by 217 Formula One drivers saw Prost voted as the fourth greatest Formula One driver of all time.
In 2010, he used a pearl white helmet with silver flames and a blue-white-red-white-blue stripe on the visor, designed by Kaos Design. ==Later life== During 1994 and 1995, Prost worked as TV pundit for the French TV channel TF1.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
Prost was the first such driver to take on this role, at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Prost also took part in the Race of Champions in 2010, a race organised for legends of motor sport to compete in equal machinery. In February 2012, Prost was named as Renault's new international ambassador, representing the company in sports demonstrations and at events organized or attended by Renault. Prost has finished the Absa Cape Epic, an eight-day 700 km mountain bike race in South Africa, twice.
In 2003 and 2004, Prost took part in the Étape du Tour. Prost also became an Ambassador for Uniroyal, a position he would keep until May 2006. Prost continued to compete in the Andros Trophy, winning the title with Toyota in 2006/07, 2007/08 and with Dacia in 2011/2012. For the 2010 Formula One season, the Sporting Regulations were changed so that a former driver sits on the stewards' panel.
From 2003 to 2012 he competed in the Andros Trophy, which is an ice racing championship, taking 38 race victories and winning the championship 3 times. Prost employed a smooth, relaxed style behind the wheel, deliberately modelling himself on personal heroes like Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.
Prost also took part in the Race of Champions in 2010, a race organised for legends of motor sport to compete in equal machinery. In February 2012, Prost was named as Renault's new international ambassador, representing the company in sports demonstrations and at events organized or attended by Renault. Prost has finished the Absa Cape Epic, an eight-day 700 km mountain bike race in South Africa, twice.
He first completed the race in 2012 with partner Sebastien di Pasqua and then again in 2013, and started but did not finish the race in 2014. In October 2013, it was announced that Prost would join forces with Jean-Paul Driot's DAMS racing team to form e.dams, a team which would compete in the FIA Formula E Championship for electric racing cars from its commencement in September 2014.
He first completed the race in 2012 with partner Sebastien di Pasqua and then again in 2013, and started but did not finish the race in 2014. In October 2013, it was announced that Prost would join forces with Jean-Paul Driot's DAMS racing team to form e.dams, a team which would compete in the FIA Formula E Championship for electric racing cars from its commencement in September 2014.
From 2014 to 2018, Nicolas raced in Formula E for e.dams Renault, a team partially run by his father.
He first completed the race in 2012 with partner Sebastien di Pasqua and then again in 2013, and started but did not finish the race in 2014. In October 2013, it was announced that Prost would join forces with Jean-Paul Driot's DAMS racing team to form e.dams, a team which would compete in the FIA Formula E Championship for electric racing cars from its commencement in September 2014.
In June 2014, the team announced that its initial driver line-up would consist of Nicolas Prost and Sébastien Buemi.
Through Nicolas, Prost has two grandsons named Kimi (born November 2015) and Mika (born December 2020).
In 2017, he was employed as a special adviser for the Renault Formula One Team.
From 2014 to 2018, Nicolas raced in Formula E for e.dams Renault, a team partially run by his father.
Through Sacha, he has another grandson named Liam (born June 2018). In 1986, Prost was awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French President, François Mitterrand. ==Driving career== ===Pre-Formula One=== Prost won several karting championships in his teens.
Since July 2019, he took up a non-executive director role with Renault Sport.
Through Nicolas, Prost has two grandsons named Kimi (born November 2015) and Mika (born December 2020).
In October 2020, The Economist ranked champion drivers by the relative importance of car quality to driver skill.
In November 2020, Carteret Analytics used quantitative analysis methods to rank Formula One drivers.
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