Alain Prost
Francés · 1980–1993
Alain Prost, nicknamed "The Professor", is one of the most intelligent and complete drivers in history. The Frenchman from Saint-Chamond turned calculation into an art: he preferred to nurse the car, manage the tyres and accumulate points with precision rather than risk everything on every lap. That philosophy, the opposite of Senna's, proved hugely effective.
He won four world championships (1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993) with McLaren and Williams, and racked up 51 wins, a figure that stood as the all-time record for years. His rivalry with Ayrton Senna as McLaren team-mates in 1988 and 1989 (with on-track collisions, political tension and two titles decided at Suzuka) is the most legendary the sport has known.
After a sabbatical year, he returned in 1993 with Williams, took his fourth crown and retired at the top. He later ran his own team, Prost Grand Prix. His legacy is that of the thinking driver, the one who proved the head could beat pure instinct.
What if Prost had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era: in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Himself, in 1988-8 pts | P1.5 | 7 | 50% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese+92 pts | P1 | 11.8 | 100% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+102 pts | P1 | 14.1 | 100% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+119 pts | P1 | 15.9 | 100% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton+3 pts | P1.5 | 11.3 | 55% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+117 pts | P1 | 18.9 | 100% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+53 pts | P9 | 0 | 0% |
His toughest team-mate is Lewis Hamilton in the 2016 Mercedes, and he still finishes 3 points clear.
Prost against everyone, in the same car
We put the 11 names that come up most often head to head with identical machinery, 150 seasons of 18 races per duel. Prost comes out 4 of 11, between Senna and Hamilton.
The full league, duel by duel, with who beats whom and by how much.
Ver en españolRating by season
- First season
- 94 1988
- Peak
- 94 1988
- 1993
- 93 Williams
5 seasons in the database, from 1988 to 1993. Our own rating, from 50 to 99.
Teams
Tags
Wins
51
Poles
33
Titles
4
Best year
1989
What would Alain Prost have achieved with a different car or in a different era?
Hypotheses featuring Alain Prost
Related drivers
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Where Alain Prost comes up in what we have measured, with our own numbers.
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