Alain Prost Grand Prix Homepage
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Do you know what gives me the passion for running this website? Let me tell you. It is the support of visitors from all over the world. I've got feedback from more than 30 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Uruguay, UAE, UK, USA and Venezuela.

Prost's helmet story

In 1975 Alain Prost won the Volant Elf at Winfield driving school. He had no ideas for the design of his helmet. He first tried a plain white one, then changed to a blue one. Later he asked the artist, Michel Raymond to design his helmet based on the Winfield arrow. It has been modified slightly but has basically remained the same since 1978. He thinks it will remain this way for the rest of his life.

May 16, 1997
Source

Alain drives AP01! (?)

No, he doesn't. I cut-and-pasted Alain's helmet over Panis' to see how AP01 would look with Prost driving it. Very stylish, isn't it? Sorry if you don't like this joke. But it is THE dream of every Alain Prost's fans, to see Prost drive a Prost. Are we going to see Nicolas, Alain's first son, in Formula One? Time will tell.

Alan Wong
February 9, 1998

Message From Fellow Prostist

Hello Prost Fans:
	I just want to confirm all of you that Alain still the number one
        driver in the history of the Formula One racings. I'm a big fan of
        him since he started in the same team as Nikki Lauda. And in the
        mean time no one could be called as Him "the Professor".

		He still the Best One
				MARIO JOSE.

September 2, 1998

Email to Webmaster on March 10, '02
Alain in the eyes of a professional racer
Duilio Casali

Well young man, I'll write in english as you requested (french is my first tongue, I was born in Belgium and am Italian). First let me compliment you on your site, you obviously have a great passion for Alain and I'd like to share with you my thoughts and hope you contact me anytime you wish. Before I start I'd like you to know, that I'm a retired professional racer of another discipline at world level and that by virtue of my age I go back to the day's of Jackie and so on. Who I am is of no importance but I think you'll like to share my views with your fellowship as perhaps I will give you an even more phsycological overview of what an incredible racer Alain actually was (much to the dismay of armchair journalists).

I happened to be back in Europe when Alain burst on the F1 scene and almost instantly all of Europe was "a buzz" about this funny, likeable, competitive and very fast young man. Within a few short years he was on the verge of winning his 1st world title but it was'nt meant to be, all the luck had to be with Piquet and it was (you need it to win any championship).

Hardly ever mentioned is the fact that although still young Alain had already endured and seen the passing of a fellow racer on the starting grid in Montreal (by FIRE!) but also that of a young friendship growing between him and a fellow french-canadian named Villeneuve. A lot to deal with in a career so young, yet tragedy would continue to rear it's ugly head at times for Alain. I remember how often Alain was praised by the British media for his professionalism, class and never waivering workload for the Mclaren team as PR man and tester. Ironically all feared how Alain would manage once a certain Ayrton (would become his teammate)...let me just say I'm not here to "bash" Ayrton, as I have a somewhat mutual respect for him but wish to point out what made Alain so special in the eyes of many racers. What followed was probably the most televised, scrutinized and endured psychological warfare between two athelete's ever seen.

Lost in all of this was over and above all was the fact that Alain by now was already a father and husband in a competition that effortlessly leave widows and orphans behind. Yet week in week out Alain showed up with his near perfect driving style (not always at his best, as no one, even Ayrton could do) and precision left us in the know bewildered.

Remember if you will how many times Alain in race conditions made an error...not mechanically related. Almost amazing that this father/husband would race around in an F1 car at the speed of a Senna and by now had already lost (and been one of the first on site) another good friend...DiAngelis. Still embroilled in battle with Ayrton a season or two later, another close friend of another discipline is left paralyzed...a certain Mr. Wayne Rainey...Are we keeping count at home???! I mention this because so much is made of the few (not to minimize the effect) moments that touched Ayrton's life, yet pause and reflect for a moment...who's shoes would you have chosen. Alain was chastized for be careful in the rain yet until his phenominal spin in Belgium while reeling in the two Lotus's of DeAngelis and Senna, Alain was one of the fastest ever, that spin again solidified his thoughts that you must "finish to win", afterall he'd done nothing wrong but catch DeAngelis and have the aquaplane and spray throw him off on a straightaway. Monaco...Alain was in a championship, Ayrton was'nt at that time.

Add up the championships that escaped Alain (one of which your site acknowledged) and Alain would have 7 in an era that saw Lauda, Villeneuve, Pirroni, Piquet, Mansell, Senna, Tambay, Berger, Rosberg to name a few. Still it seems that the media failed in keeping public informed of so much more, instead it was better to jump on the other guy's bandwagon as is alway's the easiest way. Prost was gracious in defeat at first even laughing at the championships end and admitting he'd chosen the wrong gear box for Suzuka that day, but one can ignore the allegation's that could be seen to the naked eye when Alain would cry foul. The begining of the end at Mclaren was set the class of the field who alway's told like it is was now the ridiculed...so already...who was winning the psychological warfare. No more was it evident than in '91, when in Hokkenheim in sub par equippment for both Ayrton and Alain that approching the chicane Alain make a move to out brake Ayrton and Ayrton responds with a twitch of his wheel towards Alain's Ferrari, after all those year's and Suzuka '90 behind him, Alain snap's and misses the chicane (this is visible to the naked eye if you pay attention). Two year's later Ayrton again show's the world to what extent at Brands Hacht he will go to impeed Alain's progress no matter what the cost.

Again I wish to remind you, he was a father/husband racing at the speed of a Senna and where was the praise??? His worst season had to be at William's. The pressure was staight forward, Win...big deal you had the best car / lose...and you are the brunt of all jokes... and by the way "sorry if your auto-clutch does'nt work reliably", we all saw Alain struggle with supermodern techno cars...a push here dummy type. It was a breath of fresh air to hear former fellow racers comment on national coverage tv, ie; Cheevers (Belgium 94) sounding like an excited young man watching Alain from his on-board cam..."he's turned of his computer...unbelieveable" "this is amazing, this is surgery, you have no idea how easy he makes this look" once again does anyone believe Alain loses that GP, were it not for his love hate relationship with that William's.

As so often in the past when young Michael had the lead in Portugal and Alain caught him, had Alain forced the issue, Michael may very well have to wait for next time, but that was Alain, a father/husband racing at the speed of a young Michael again choosing safety over possible tragedy. I could point out many instances of Alain taking the extra few laps if required to pass safely, has anyone asked Nannini and others what they thought of Ayrtons passing at times???!

Team tactics...how often did Berger in front of all of us, cut hard right or left, off the grid to impeed Alains progress for 10-20 laps???...again no mention by the bandwagoners...but would have accepted the win Suzuka which sent the message..."I've beat you, but take the victory for all the interferrence you got away with all year, my treat...not many racers, myself included would take that gift. It is sad, that one could not exist without the other yet it was that very thing that gave any real race fan the thrill of two men head and shoulders above the rest do battle, each with thier own qualities but one that was so precision like and vitually error free all his career that he will and must always be acknowledged in the same breath as Ayrton, Schumi, Lauda, Stewart, Hill (sr.) and most importantly Fangio who perhaps had the style closest to that of Alain's. Perfection will never be reached 60 or 70 laps in a row, but one man, father/husband who witnessed the loss of many in his discipline, pushed perfection lap after lap for year after year. Saddly, perhaps the greatest compliment for Alain came on that BLACK sunday when according to Italian tv, Ayrton on a made for tv lap, radioed from his car a message to Alain simply stating "I miss you" and minutes later Alain, the father/husband/formula one racer had once again lost a friend, whom it had become apparent to many, needed him as much as the other.

Does anyone out there see the significance of Alain being a pal bearer, so many overlook it, to me it speaks volumes. As a retired professional racer I say without reservation...Alain you have all my respect as a RACER.

I hope you'll respond to me in your own way and if you wish to share this (including Alain), please do so...
Ciao for now............

A Prost in Italy

Hi, I'm an Italian student whose name is Enrico Prost (it's true, I'm
not joking!). I like this site a lot because I love the Professor since I
was 8 (ten years ago).

But now, I am desperate because I have seen a thing that I want - at every
cost! I saw in my city ( Parma, in the north-centre of Italy ) a blue
scooter : the PROST PEUGEOT ONE !

So, as you can understand, I need it. I pray you, please, put my e-mail
address on the page, 'cause I need informations about it : where can I buy
it ? How much does it cost ?

Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

enprost@tin.it
February 13, 1999

Good and fresh news from Prost GP

I just came back from Magny-Cours where I spent this second day of testing
(from tuesday to friday), and despite the weather (rain on the morning,
cloudy, about 15C), I could see the technical staff present there with a
large, spontaneous smile.

The reason? The very goods debuts made by their junior driver, Stephane
Sarrazin : 1'18''78 on wednesday while Trulli's best lap was 1'18''90 on
wednesday.

Of course, there's no question of rivality between the two young driver, time
performance was not the goal for Sarrazin, neither for Trulli, who had to test
new mechanical solutions. But, to explain the good moud spread in the PROST
GRAND PRIX team, it must be said that they both made their best lap with new
tyres, during their last lap serie, on dry track, it was about 17h00 GMT. So,
Sarrazin had an oldest car configuration and an oldest engine specification.
As a conclusion, this young driver brought a new enthousiastic spirit, that
disappeared as the races go by this year. Those two days might have been as
important - to wake up again the fighting spirit of the team - as the point
scored by Jarno Trulli at Spa. Sure, a wonderful '99 season is yet on air for
Prost Grand Prix, with another very talented driver to help the staff for
making a very good AP02. There are no more than 2 GP for us to endure
difficult results!!!! 

NB: It isn't necessary to tell you that I was not able to endure all the
afternoon seeing the AP01 so slow - compared with the Benetton, Sauber,
Williams, McLaren and Jordan- in the curves, especially "le chateau d'eau"(
opposite Adelaide hairpin)  in wich they come into on the 4th gear and go out
on the 2nd gear.