BIOGRAPHY

P R O S T , Alain (F)
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Nationality     French
Date of Birth   February 24th, 1955

Place of Birth  St Chamond, France
Marital Status  Married to Anne-Marie, two
                children, Nicolas and Sacha

Resident        Monges, Switzerland


McLaren International - Alain Prost
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Alain Prost's stature in the history of
Formula One has little to do with
his diminutive appearance.

In his 13 years of competition, the
Frenchman has amassed a record 51 Grand
Prix wins and four World Championships,
becoming one of the all-time greats of
Formula One, alongside legends such as 
Juan-Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jackie
Stewart and Ayrton Senna.

Known as "The Professor" by generations of
drivers paying tribute to his extremely
smooth driving style, strategic flair and
deep understanding of the technical aspects
of Formula One, Alain displayed from very
early on the meticulous approach and
intelligence that would inevitably take him
to the highest spheres of motor racing's
history.

Bred to the sport through karting - a
category that brought him the World
Championship in 1973 - he started his
career in single seaters in 1975, aged 20,
at the famous Winfield School in France.

He immediately established himself as a
future superstar by winning the "Volant
Elf", France's most coveted prize for all
aspiring Formula One drivers.  He confirmed 
his talent by winning the 1976 Formula
Renault and 1977 European Formula Renault
series and the 1979 F3 European F3
championship in a Renault MK27, taking
both French and European titles.

Formula One was the natural step and the
McLaren team, then led by Teddy Mayer,
signed him for the 1980 season. He made his
Grand Prix debut in Argentina and
immediately scored championship points.

He returned to the Renault stable for the
three following years, winning his first
Grand Prix in front of his home crowd at
Dijon in 1981 and finishing runner-up in
the 1983 Drivers Championship.

In 1984, he moved to the newly-formed
McLaren International, now headed by Ron
Dennis, alongside Niki Lauda.  Between 1984
and 1986, at the wheel of the V6
Turbo-engined Marlboro McLaren TAG Porsche,
Alain and McLaren completely dominated the
Formula One scene.

The popular Frenchman missed out on the
1984 title by only half a point despite 
winning two more races than the champion,
his teammate Lauda, but finally clinched
the 1985 and 1986 titles consecutively,
bringing two more Constructors titles to
McLaren in the process.

McLaren conceded both championships to
Nelson Piquet and Williams in 1987, but
bounced back in dramatic style in 1988 as
Prost and his new teammate Ayrton Senna
took the Honda-powered MP4/4 to a
unprecedented 15 wins out of 16 races.

With seven victories to Ayrton's eight, 
Alain had to content himself with second
place to the Brazilian  in the Drivers
Championship. 

The tables turned round the following year
as, still in dominating style, the two
McLaren aces fighted for the top prize,
with Alain taking the trophy home for the
third time.

Sadly, the rivalry between Alain and Ayrton
had reached such levels of intensity that
the "Professor" decided to leave McLaren
and joined Ferrari for 1990. The on-track
battle continued but this time, McLaren and
Senna took the better of Prost's impressive
performance.

In 1991, however, Alain's relationship with
his Italian employers deteriorated and he
departed before the end of the season. He
then took a sabbatical from motor racing
for the whole of 1992.

Sensing that their former driver still had
a lot to give to the sport, Renault
persuaded Prost to return to the cockpit
in 1993 at the wheel of the
Williams-Renault FW15B.

That season yielded Alain's fourth and
final championship title. He announced his
retirement from racing at the end of 1993,
aged 38, and took up an ambassadorial role
for Renault, while working as a commentator
for the French channel TF1 and trying - in
vain - to set up his own team.

However, these activities did not fulfill
his post-driving ambitions and after two
years on the fringe of Formula One he now
returns to McLaren as a member of the
Technical and Development Team, a role
which will enable "The Professor" to
contribute, with his wealth of knowledge
and experience, to the development of the
team's young drivers and of McLaren's 
technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz.

Alain is 40, married to Anne-Marie and has
two children, Nicolas and Sacha.

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SOURCE: TAG-McLaren Marketing Services Ltd
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RACING CAREER:

P R O S T , Alain (F)
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1969 - 1974 Karting
1975 - Winfield Racing School - 
       "Volant Elf" winner.
1976 - French Formule Renault. Won 12 out 
       of 13 races. Champion
1977 - French Formule Super Renault. 8 
       wins & Championship
1978 - F3 (Martini-Renault)
1979 - French F3 (Martini-Renault) 
       champion. European F3 champion, 67 
       points,
       7 wins: Vallelunga, Osterreichring, 
       Zolder, Magny Cours, Zandvoort,
       Knutsdorp, Jarama. Won Monaco F3 
       race
1980 - 13 F1 GP (McLaren), 5 points, 
       J15th. (5th Brazil, 6th Argentina,
       Britain, Holland). DNS US East, 
       practice accident
1981 - 15 F1 GP (Renault), 43 points, 5th. 
       3 wins (France, Holland, Italy)
       (2nd Germany, Las Vegas, 3rd 
       Argentina)
1982 - 16 F1 GP (Renault), 34 points, 4th. 
       2 wins (S.Africa, Brazil). (2nd
       France, Swiss GP, 4th Las Vegas, 
       6th Britain)
1983 - 15 F1 GP (Renault), 57 points, 2nd. 
       4 wins (France, Belgium, Britain,
       Austria). (2nd Imola, Europe, 3rd 
       Monaco, 4th Germany, 5th Canada)
1984 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 71.5 points, 
       2nd. 7 wins (Brazil, Imola, Monaco
       (half points), Germany, Holland, 
       Europe, Portugal). (2nd S.Africa,
       3rd Canada, 4th Detroit)
1985 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 73 points, 
       World Champion. 5 wins (Brazil,
       Monaco, Britain, Austria, Italy). 
       (2nd Germany, Holland, 3rd Canada,
       Belgium, S.Africa, 4th Europe). DSQ 
       San Marino - car underweight
1986 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 72 points, 
       World Champion. 4 wins (Imola,
       Monaco, Austria, Australia). (2nd 
       Canada, France, Portugal, Mexico,
       3rd Spain, US, Britain, 6th 
       Belgium, Germany)
1987 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 46 points. 3 
       wins (Brazil, Belgium, Portugal)
       (2nd Spain, 3rd US, France, 
       Hungary, 6th Austria)
1988 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 105 points, 
       2nd. 7 wins (Brazil, Monaco, Mexico,
       France, Portugal, Spain, 
       Australia). (2nd Imola, Canada, US, 
       Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Japan)
1989 - 16 F1 GP (McLaren), 81 points, 
       World Champion. 4 wins (US, France,
       Britain, Italy). (2nd Brazil, 
       Imola, Monaco, Germany, Belgium,
       Portugal, 3rd Spain, 4th Hungary, 
       5th Mexico). DNS Australia - refused
       to start because of conditions 
       (heavy rain)
1990 - 16 F1 GP (Ferrari), 73 points, 2nd. 
       5 wins (Brazil, Mexico, France,
       Britain, Spain, 2nd Belgium, Italy, 
       3rd Portugal, Australia, 4th
       Imola, Germany, 5th Canada)
1991 - 15 F1 GP (Ferrari), 34 points. (2nd 
       US, France, Spain, 3rd Britain,
       Italy, 4th Brazil, Japan, 5th 
       Monaco). Prost was fired before end 
       of season for being too outspoken in
       his criticism of car
1992 - Took year off. Commentated for TF1 
       (French TV)
1993 - 16 F1 GP (Williams), 99 points, 
       World Champion. 7 wins (S.Africa,
       Imola, Spain, Canada, France, 
       Britain, Germany). (2nd Portugal,
       Japan, Australia, 3rd Belgium, 
       Europe, 4th Monaco). Retired from F1
1994 - tested McLaren. Decided to stay in 
       retirement from F1

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SOURCE: Darren Galpin
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~py3dlg/motorsport/
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