Alain Prost facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alain Prost
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Prost in 2015
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| Born |
Alain Marie Pascal Prost
24 February 1955 Lorette, Loire, France
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| Spouse(s) |
Anne-Marie Barges
(m. 1980; div. 2017) |
| Children | 3, including Nico |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 1980–1991, 1993 |
| Teams | McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Williams |
| Entries | 202 (199 starts) |
| Championships | 4 (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993) |
| Wins | 51 |
| Podiums | 106 |
| Career points | 768.5 (798.5) |
| Pole positions | 33 |
| Fastest laps | 41 |
| First entry | 1980 Argentine Grand Prix |
| First win | 1981 French Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1993 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1993 Australian Grand Prix |
| Signature | |
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Alain Marie Pascal Prost (born 24 February 1955) is a famous French former racing driver. He also worked as a leader in motorsport. People called him "The Professor" because he was so smart and strategic in his racing.
Alain Prost won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles. When he stopped racing, he held records for the most wins (51), fastest laps (41), and podium finishes (106). A podium finish means coming in first, second, or third place.
Contents
Early Life and First Races
Alain Prost was born in Lorette, Loire, France. He started karting when he was 14 years old. Karting is like racing small, open-wheel cars. He quickly became very good at it!
In 1974, he left school to become a full-time racer. He won many karting championships. His prize for winning the 1975 French senior karting championship was a season in French Formula Renault. He won that championship too, winning almost every race in 1976.
Prost then won the 1977 Formula Renault European championship. After that, he moved up to Formula Three (F3) in 1978. He won both the French and European F3 championships in 1979. By then, many Formula One teams wanted him to join them.
He decided to sign with McLaren for the 1980 season. He was very careful and wanted to be fully ready before racing in Formula One.
Formula One Career
Starting with McLaren (1980)
Alain Prost began his Formula One journey with McLaren in 1980. His first race was in Argentina, where he finished sixth. This earned him one point, which was a great start for a new driver! He scored a few more points that year.
However, Prost had some accidents. He broke his wrist during practice in South Africa. He also had a concussion in the United States. Because of these issues and problems with the car, he decided to leave McLaren. He then signed with Renault.
Racing for Renault (1981–1983)
Prost joined fellow French driver René Arnoux at Renault in 1981. He didn't finish his first two races, but then he got his first podium finish in Argentina.
His first Formula One win came at his home race, the 1981 French Grand Prix, at the fast Dijon circuit. This victory changed his mindset. He said, "Before, you thought you could do it. Now you know you can." He won two more races that season and finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship.
In 1982, Prost won the first two races. He finished fourth in the championship that year. His relationship with his teammate Arnoux became difficult. He also had problems with the French media, who he felt didn't like winners.
In 1983, Prost won four more races for Renault. He finished second in the Drivers' Championship, just two points behind Nelson Piquet. Prost felt that the team was too careful with developing the car. Renault blamed him for not winning the championship and fired him. He quickly signed to return to McLaren for the 1984 season.
Back to McLaren (1984–1989)
Prost joined two-time world champion Niki Lauda at McLaren in 1984. He drove the McLaren MP4/2 car, which used a powerful TAG-Porsche engine. He lost the world championship to Lauda by only half a point in the final race! This was despite winning seven races, more than Lauda. The half-point happened because a race in Monaco was stopped early due to heavy rain.
In 1985, Prost became the first French Formula One World Champion. He won five races that year. He was disqualified from one race because his car was too light. But he still finished 20 points ahead of his closest rival. His amazing performance earned him the Légion d'honneur award in France.
Niki Lauda retired in 1985, and Keke Rosberg joined McLaren in 1986. Prost successfully defended his title! He had a tough battle with Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. In the final race in Australia, Mansell had a tire problem. Prost then took the lead and won the championship. He was the first driver since 1960 to win two titles in a row.
One famous moment in 1986 was at the San Marino Grand Prix. Prost was winning, but his car started running out of fuel near the end. He managed to keep it going just enough to cross the finish line and win!
1987 Season
In 1987, Prost continued to race for McLaren. The team's TAG engines were not as powerful as before. Still, Prost won three races and broke Jackie Stewart's record for most race victories. Stewart himself said he was glad Prost broke his record because he deserved it. Prost considers his win in Brazil that year his best race ever. He started fifth but won by a large margin because his car was set up perfectly for the race.
Rivalry with Ayrton Senna (1988–1989)
In 1988, Ayrton Senna joined Prost at McLaren. This began one of the most famous rivalries in Formula One history! McLaren-Honda cars were super fast, winning 15 out of 16 races. Prost won seven races and scored more points than Senna overall. However, because only the best 11 results counted, Senna won the championship by three points.
The rivalry grew stronger in 1989. Prost felt that Senna drove dangerously and that McLaren and Honda favored Senna. Senna, on the other hand, accused Prost of having special treatment from the racing officials. Their fights became very intense.
At the Japanese Grand Prix in 1989, the championship was on the line. Prost and Senna collided on the track. Prost got out of his car, thinking the race was over. Senna restarted his car and went on to win, but he was later disqualified for missing part of the track. This meant Prost won his third world title.
Moving to Ferrari (1990–1991)
Prost joined Ferrari in 1990. He won five races for Ferrari that year. One amazing win was in Mexico, where he started in 13th place and still won!
The championship again came down to the second-to-last race in Japan. Prost was behind Senna in points. At the first corner, Senna intentionally crashed into Prost's car, taking both of them out of the race. This gave Senna the championship. Prost was very upset by this.
In 1991, Ferrari's cars were not as competitive. Prost didn't win any races and only finished on the podium five times. He publicly criticized the team and the car. Because of this, Ferrari ended his contract before the season was over.
Final Championship with Williams (1993)
Prost took a break from racing in 1992. That year, Nigel Mansell dominated with the Williams-Renault car. When Prost decided to return with Williams in 1993, Mansell left the team. Prost also had a special rule in his contract that prevented Senna from joining Williams that year.
Prost won his fourth and final championship in 1993. He was often challenged by his teammate Damon Hill and by Ayrton Senna. Before the Portuguese Grand Prix, Prost announced he would retire at the end of the season. He knew that his contract rule wouldn't stop Senna from joining Williams in 1994.
At his last race in Australia in 1993, Prost and Senna shared a special moment. Senna pulled Prost onto the top step of the podium for an embrace. This surprised Prost, as they had been such fierce rivals. Prost's 51 Grand Prix wins record stood for almost ten years. He also holds the record for starting every race of a season from the front row (16 times in 1993).
Helmet Design
Alain Prost's helmet design used the three colors of the French flag: blue, white, and red. His name was written along the side. Over the years, the exact design changed slightly, but it always featured these colors.
Career Legacy
Alain Prost is considered one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. Many experts and other drivers have ranked him among the top drivers in history.
Rivalry with Ayrton Senna
The battles between Prost and Ayrton Senna were legendary. Their rivalry started in 1988 when Senna joined McLaren. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, Senna tried to block Prost at high speed, which made Prost very angry.
Their rivalry grew even more intense after the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix. They had an agreement not to block each other at the first corner. Senna broke this agreement at the restart, making Prost furious. Prost also believed that McLaren was favoring Senna.
The rivalry reached its peak at the end of 1989 and 1990, with championship-deciding collisions at the Japanese Grand Prix. In 1989, they crashed, and Senna was disqualified, giving Prost the title. In 1990, Senna intentionally crashed into Prost at the first corner, securing the title for himself. Prost was disgusted by this.
Prost took a break in 1992. Senna wanted to join Williams in 1993, but Prost's contract prevented it. During the 1993 season, their rivalry continued on track. However, at Prost's last race in Australia, Senna pulled him onto the podium for a hug, showing respect.
On May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna tragically died in a crash. Prost was a pallbearer at his funeral. Prost later said that when Senna died, "a part of himself had died also," because their careers were so connected. Senna had also said that fighting Prost was a big motivation for him. Just days before his death, Senna sent a special hello to Prost on French television, saying, "We all miss you Alain." Prost was very touched by this.
Later Life
After retiring from Formula One, Prost worked as a commentator for French TV. He also worked for Renault in public relations.
Prost Grand Prix
In 1997, Prost bought the Ligier racing team and renamed it "Prost Grand Prix." He signed a deal with Peugeot to supply engines. The team had some good moments, like finishing fifth in their first race in Australia. However, they struggled with reliability and performance in later years.
Prost Grand Prix faced many challenges, including engine problems and financial difficulties. By 2002, the team ran out of money and had to close down.
Other Roles
After his team closed, Prost spent time with his family. He also competed in bicycle races and the Andros Trophy, an ice racing series, which he won three times.
In 2010, Prost became the first former driver to sit on the stewards' panel in Formula One. He also became a global ambassador for Renault.
In 2013, Prost helped form e.dams, a team for the new FIA Formula E Championship for electric racing cars. His son, Nicolas Prost, raced for the team. They won three team championships in a row! From 2017 to 2022, Prost worked as a special adviser and non-executive director for the Renault Formula One Team (later renamed Alpine F1 Team).
Personal Life
Alain Prost has two sons, Nicolas and Sacha, and a daughter, Victoria. The Prost family moved to Switzerland in the 1980s.
Prost has received many honors. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French President. He also received an honorary OBE from Britain. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Besides French, he speaks fluent English and Italian.
Images for kids
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Prost's 1983 Renault RE40, in which he came close to winning his first championship
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Cockpit of Prost's F1 McLaren TAG-Porsche turbo, from his first Championship year
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See also
In Spanish: Alain Prost para niños
