Forty years on from his first title, Alain Prost is still very much part of the F1 conversation. His L'Equipe column is required reading in France, and in December 2025 he was guest of honour at a London evening celebrating the 40th anniversary of his 1985 championship.
Calm, calculating and devastatingly quick, the Professor won four titles and fought the most famous rivalry in motorsport. Shop every racing icon in our Formula 1 collection.
Alain Prost Fact File
| Full name | Alain Marie Pascal Prost |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 February 1955 (age 71) |
| Place of birth | Lorette, Loire, France |
| Discipline | Formula One driver |
| Nationality | French |
| F1 teams | McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Williams |
| Current status | Retired; columnist and pundit |
| Car number | 2 (Williams, 1993) |
| Nickname | The Professor |
Career History
| Years | Team | Starts | Wins | Poles | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | McLaren | 11 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981–1983 | Renault | 46 | 9 | 10 | – |
| 1984–1989 | McLaren | 96 | 30 | 10 | 1985, 1986, 1989 |
| 1990–1991 | Ferrari | 30 | 5 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | Williams | 16 | 7 | 13 | 1993 |
| Career | 199 | 51 | 33 | 4 |
Season figures from f1-fansite.com, matching career totals on Formula1.com and Wikipedia. Prost also scored 106 podiums and 41 fastest laps.
Karts to Formula One
Prost started karting at 14 and won the French senior karting title in 1975, then swept French and European Formula Renault and F3 championships. He scored a point on his F1 debut for McLaren in Argentina in 1980.
Moving to Renault, he won his home race at Dijon in 1981 and took nine wins in three seasons, missing the 1983 title by two points.
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France's First Champion
Back at McLaren, Prost lost the 1984 crown to teammate Niki Lauda by half a point, the closest margin in F1 history. He made amends in 1985, becoming France's first world champion, and retained the title in 1986.
In 1987 his 28th win broke Jackie Stewart's record.
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Senna
Ayrton Senna joined McLaren in 1988 and their rivalry became legendary. At Suzuka in 1989 the pair collided and Prost clinched his third title. A year later, now at Ferrari, he was taken out by Senna at the first corner at Suzuka, handing the Brazilian the crown.
Ferrari dismissed Prost before the end of 1991, and he spent 1992 in the commentary box.
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A Fourth Title and Beyond
Prost returned with Williams in 1993, took seven wins and 13 poles and clinched a fourth title, then retired holding the records for wins, podiums and fastest laps. He ran his own Prost Grand Prix team from 1997 to 2001 and later co-owned the e.dams Formula E squad that won the first three teams' titles.
Honours
Formula One
- World Champion: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993
- Runner-up: 1983, 1984, 1988, 1990
- 51 Grand Prix wins, 33 poles, 106 podiums
Junior titles
- French senior karting champion: 1975
- European Formula Renault: 1977
- European F3: 1979
Recognition
- Légion d'honneur: 1985
- Honorary OBE: 1993
- International Motorsports Hall of Fame: 1999
Away From the Track
Prost is a keen cyclist who has ridden L'Etape du Tour and completed the Cape Epic. He won the Andros Trophy ice-racing series three times, and his son Nicolas also became a racing driver.
FAQs
How old is Alain Prost?
Alain Prost was born on 24 February 1955, so he is 71.
Where was Alain Prost born?
He was born in Lorette, in the Loire department of France, near Saint-Chamond.
How many world titles did Alain Prost win?
Four: 1985 and 1986 with McLaren, 1989 with McLaren and 1993 with Williams.
What teams did Alain Prost drive for?
McLaren (1980 and 1984–89), Renault (1981–83), Ferrari (1990–91) and Williams (1993).
How many races did Alain Prost win?
He won 51 Grands Prix from 199 starts, a record when he retired in 1993.
What happened between Prost and Senna at Suzuka?
In 1989 they collided while fighting for the title, which Prost won. In 1990 Senna took Prost out at the first corner, deciding the title in Senna's favour.
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda.
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