Monday 15 February 2010

Alain Prost


The second entrant into our hall of fame is Alain Prost. A four time formula one champion Prost won more titles than anyone bar Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix victories. Schumacher surpassed this record at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix.

Prost began karting at the age of 14 whilst on a family holiday. He quickly progressed through the motorsport ranks winning both the French and European Formula 3 Series, before joining the Mclaren formula 1 team. He finished in the points on his F1 debut before taking a maiden victory in the following years French Grand Prix driving for Renault.

Throughout the eighties and early nineties Prost formed a fierce rivalry with Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and famously Ayrton Senna. In 1986 he took the title on the final race of the season pipping Piquet and Mansell for the honour.

In 1988 Prost was teamed up with Senna at Mclaren and the pair had a number of controversial run ins. Most notably a collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix that handed Prost the title. A year later a crash on the first corner of the same Grand Prix saw Senna take the title in the most controversial of fashions.

After a disappointing 1991 season Prost was fired for disparaging remarks he made regarding his Ferrari team and due to this he had a year out of the sport in 1992, returning at Williams in 1993. This move forced current world champion Nigel Mansell out of the team and he took up a drive in the American CART series.

1993 saw Prost seal his fourth drivers' title but he retired at the end of the campaign as he did not wish to be partnered with Senna again who was moving to the team in 1994.

Four years later Prost took over the ailing Ligier team and rebranded them Prost Grand Prix. In 2001 the team fell into financial difficulties and were eventually made bankrupt.

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