Alain Prost Biography

1955-

French race car driver

Formula One auto racing (F1) is the most elite, well funded, avidly followed, and competitive sport in the world. The drivers of F1 are among the most talented racing car drivers in the world, and Alain Prost retired in 1993 as the greatest driver in F1 history. Known for his seemingly effortless ability, Prost won a recordbreaking fifty-one races in his career, with a style so understated that it was joked he lacked verve. "He can go stunningly fast without looking as if he's trying," Frank Williams, head of the Williams F1 team once said, according to Sports Illustrated. He was considered "a master strategist on the racecourse and a cunning opportunist off it," according to Sports Illustrated, a reputation that earned him his nickname, "The Professor."

Prost was born in 1955 in Lorette, France, to Andre and Marie-Rose (Karatchian) Prost. He aspired to becoming a professional soccer player until he began kart racing as a teen. He quickly emerged as a competitive talent by winning the 1973 Karting World Championship. After graduating to cars, Prost clinched the 1976 European Formula Renault series, and the 1979 European Formula 3 championship. His impressive win that season at Monaco—one of F1's most prestigious circuits—foretold his bright future in the F1 series.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Alain Prost, Federation des Sports automobiles, 136 rue de Longchamp, Paris 75116, France.