Alain Prost is one of the all-time greats in Formula 1, with four titles, yet he’s rarely mentioned in the same breath as Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher.
Probably that’s due to a personality that was difficult to warm to and his cool, calculating driving style. Maybe also to blame is the relationship he had with Senna, which we alluded to at the 1993 Portuguese GP at Estoril, when ‘The Professor’ announced his retirement ahead of winning his final title with Williams.
We reported: “In a calm and dignified press conference, Prost said the time was right – he wanted to quit while on top. Few believed him, since it’s expected that Williams will shortly confirm that Senna is to join the team for 1994.” Prost had shared a happy relationship with rookie Damon Hill and surely would have completed his contract beside the Brit but, we speculated, the toxicity between the bitter rivals led him to trigger his break clause.
Prost also suggested that unfair treatment from the FIA, both on and off the track, was a factor.
Did he have any regrets about the way he was retiring, though, we asked? “None at all,” he answered immediately. “The time is right. I will not be driving an F1 car again.”