Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 6, 1993 TAG: 9311060137
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA LENGTH: Medium
Prost, 38, has set records throughout his 13-year career and leaves after clinching his fourth world driving championship.
Prost's total of 51 victories is a career record, and he has secured more points than any driver in Formula One history - a total of 792.5.
Sunday's race through the streets of Adelaide will be Prost's 199th Grand Prix. Known as "the Professor" because of his cerebral driving style, he made his Formula One debut in 1980, finishing sixth for McLaren in the Argentine Grand Prix after several years driving karts and Formula Three cars.
His first victory came the following year, and he became the first Frenchman to win the world driving title in 1985 - after two runner-up finishes.
In Adelaide, in 1986, he became the first driver since five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio to win consecutive world titles.
In Portugal in 1987, he scored the 28th victory of his career to better the previous record held by Scotland's Jackie Stewart. In Silverstone, England, this year, he became the first driver with 50 triumphs.
Prost sat out the 1992 season, but he showed this year that his skills had not diminished. He has won seven races, and a victory Sunday would make him the only driver to win the Australian Grand Prix three times.
The teams Prost has raced for are McLaren (twice), Renault, Ferrari and now Williams-Renault. Thirty of his victories were for McLaren, nine for Renault, seven for Williams-Renault and five for Ferrari.
His versatility is underlined by the fact that Japan and Hungary are the only two grands prixs he has not won.
Prost enjoyed the early years of his career the most.
"Today, it's different," he said. "Racing is less fun. The fact that Formula One became a business, became very commercialized, made the difference."
Williams team owner Frank Williams said he believes Formula One will be poorer without the smooth driving of Prost.
"He is not only a great driver, but a great gentleman," Williams said. "He will be missed very much."
Prost said Friday the sport would not suffer from his absence.
"Formula One does not exist because of one team, or one driver," he said.
Prost attributes "80 percent" of his decision to quit to the politics of Formula One.
"I have suffered a lot from that," he said.
At the start of the 1993 season, Prost was summoned by FISA to explain remarks criticizing the governing body. Although his racing license was in jeopardy, he answered all the questions to FISA's satisfaction and he was cleared to drive during the 1993 season.
Prost wanted to leave at the top, but his move apparently was prompted by his long-time bitter rival, Ayrton Senna, moving to Williams-Renault for the 1994 season.
Prost's final year with McLaren - 1989 - was marked by a feud with Senna. The Brazilian was known for his aggressive style, which was in sharp contrast to Prost's more subtle skills.
Prost has dominated the 1993 season - winning 13 of 16 poles and seven races.
Friday, however, Senna loomed as the major threat to Prost winning his farewell race.
Senna, winner of the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 24, raced around the street circuit in the fastest lap ever recorded on the 2.348-mile course. Driving a McLaren-Ford, he was timed in 1 minute, 13.371 seconds, an average speed of 115.245 mph.
Prost was second-fastest, at 1:13.807.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB