Alain Prost, Niki Lauda and Huub Rothengatter. Image: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain Mark 1.0) - Credit links at the end of the content
In our previous article, we explored the Formula 1 cars driven by Alain Prost throughout his legendary career. This time, we shift our focus to Alain Prost teammates, examining every driver who shared the garage with the four-time World Champion.
We have previously covered the teammates of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Since these articles require extensive research and careful fact-checking, we take our time with each one to ensure every statistic and head-to-head comparison is accurate.
Alain Prost Teammates
But what about Alain Prost? Just how good was he against the drivers who shared his garage? Which teammates managed to challenge the four-time World Champion, and who simply couldn’t keep up with his remarkable consistency, racecraft, and speed? Let’s take a closer look at every teammate Prost faced throughout his Formula 1 career.
Alain Prost vs. John Watson: A Rookie Makes His Mark
When Prost joined McLaren in 1980, he entered F1 as one of the brightest young talents; but few expected him to immediately challenge the experienced driver.
Watson was already a winner in F1, and one of the quickest drivers on the grid; while Prost was making his debut.
Over the course of their 14 race weekends together, the young Frenchman quickly showed his potential, despite driving an uncompetitive McLaren M29C, he consistently extracted impressive pace from the car.
The final championship standings can be misleading at first glance; with Watson narrowly finishing ahead by six points to five, Prost’s rookie campaign was heavily disrupted by bad luck rather than a lack of speed!
A broken wrist sustained during the South African GP forced him to miss two races.
When both drivers were on track; Prost frequently looked like McLaren’s fastest driver, winning the qualifying battle 8-5 and scoring points in twice as many races as Watson.
Prost vs. John Watson: Head-to-Head stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | John Watson |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 14 | 14 |
| Championship Points | 5 | 6 |
| Qualifying Battle | 8 | 5 |
| Best Race Finish | 5th (Brazil) | 4th (Canada) |
| Points Finishes | 4 | 2 |
| Championship Position | 15th | 14th |
Alain Prost vs. René Arnoux: The Renault Years
After impressive performances at McLaren, Renault signed Alain Prost for 1981.
He stepped into one of F1’s most ambitious projects and immediately found himself alongside fellow Frenchman Rene Arnoux.
On paper; the pairing looked ideal, both great talents, and Renault hoped they could lead the manufacturer’s turbo-powered revolution.
Instead, their partnership quickly developed into one of the most intense teammate rivalries of the early 1980s.
Over their two seasons together; Prost established himself as the more complete competitor, although Arnoux earned a reputation as one of F1’s fastest qualifiers and collected more pole positions overall, but Prost consistently delivered when it mattered most on race day.
Across 31 races; he outscored Arnoux by an emphatic 77 points to 23, claimed five victories compared to Arnoux’s two.
Alain Prost Stats vs. René Arnoux (1981–1982)
| Statistic | Alain Prost | René Arnoux |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 31 | 31 |
| Championship Points | 77 | 23 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 5 | 2 |
| Podiums | 10 | 5 |
| Qualifying Battle | 18 | 13 |
| Pole Positions | 5 | 9 |
| Best Championship Finish | 4th (1981 & 1982) | 6th (1982) |
Alain Prost vs. Eddie Cheever: The first battle
The 1983 F1 season paired Alain Prost with American driver Eddie Cheever at Renault; creating a partnership built around one clear objective, winning the team’s first World Championship.
By this point, Prost had already established himself as Renault’s undisputed leader, while Cheever arrived as a quick and dependable teammate capable of scoring points.
However, Cheever enjoyed a solid campaign with four podium finishes, he found himself overshadowed by Prost, who delivered one of the strongest seasons of his career and remained in title fight until the final race of the year.
Across their 15 races together; Prost comfortably outperformed Cheever in nearly every key stat, 57 points for Prost, 22 for Cheever, Prost won four races, qualifying battle 12-3, and finished second in the World Championship.
The season ended in heartbreak when Prost suffered a turbo failure during the decisive race at Kyalami, allowing Nelson Piquet to snatch the championship.
Prost vs. Eddie Cheever (1983) Stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Eddie Cheever |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 15 | 15 |
| Championship Points | 57 | 22 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 4 | 0 |
| Podiums | 7 | 4 |
| Qualifying Battle | 12 | 3 |
| Pole Positions | 3 | 0 |
| Championship Finish | 2nd | 7th |
Alain Prost vs. Niki Lauda: A Battle Between Champions
Alain Prost comeback to McLaren, and Niki Lauda as his teammate, who already completed one of F1’s greatest comebacks following his retirement and return to the sport.
Although Lauda was entering the final stage of his career, he remained one of the smartest and most calculating drivers on the grid.
The partnership became one of F1’s greatest teammate battles; over the next two seasons, the pair pushed each other to extraordinary heights, helping McLaren dominate the championship while producing one of the closest title fights the sport has ever witnessed.
Looking at the stats, Prost held the upper hand, across 31 races together, Prost outqualified Lauda by an astonishing 29-2, scored more total championship points, won twice as many races, and stood on podium six more times.
But the numbers cannot explain their rivalry, in 1984, lauda relied on consistency, race strategy to beat Alain Prost in the final race of the season by just half a point, the smallest winning margin in F1 history.
However, Prost responded a year later by comfortably securing his first F1 title, while Lauda struggled with reliability throughout his final season before retiring from F1.
Prost vs. Niki Lauda (1984–1985) stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Niki Lauda |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 31 | 31 |
| Championship Points | 124.5 | 85 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 12 | 6 |
| Podiums | 16 | 10 |
| Qualifying Battle | 29 | 2 |
| Pole Positions | 5 | 0 |
| World Championships | 1 (1985) | 1 (1984) |
Alain Prost vs. Stefan Bellof: The Teammate Who Never Raced
Stefan Bellof is occasionally listed among Alain Prost’s McLaren teammates, but the reality is more complicated.
Stefan Bellof was registered by Mclaren for the the final round of the season in 1984, Portuguese GP, after his regular team, Tyrrell, had been exluded from the remainder of the championship following its disqualification over technical infringements.
Bellof briefly appeared on McLaren’s list entry, he never actually drove the team’s car or shared the garage with Prost during a competitive session.
Even so; Prost and Bellof will forever be connected through one of the most remarkable races in F1 history, the rain-soaked 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, while Prost led comfortably in his McLaren and Ayrton Senna produced the charge that would make him a future superstar, Bellof was arguably the fastest driver on the circuit, starting from P20 on the grid in an underpowered car, the young German carved his way through the field and rapidly closed the gap to both Senna and Prost as the rain intensified.
Concerned by the dangerous conditions, Prost repeatedly signaled for the race to be stopped, and the red flag was eventually shown on lap 31.
Prost won the race, Senna finished second, and Bellof crossed the line in third, although his podium was later erased after Tyrrell’s disqualification from the championship.
READ: Stefan Bellof story: The unfulfilled dream of the legend
Alain Prost vs. Keke Rosberg: Champions at McLaren
The 1986 F1 season brought together two champions, when Prost was partnered with 1982 title winner Keke Rosberg at McLaren.
Rosberg, known for his fearless driving style, he built reputation by attacking every lap, Prost, on the other hand, approached racing with consistency, and strategic thinking, many expected the pairing to produce an evenly matched contest, the season qucikly became one-sided as Prost adapted perfectly to Mclaren’s fuel-saving philosophy, while Rosberg struggled to extract the best from the TAG-Porsche turbo-powered McLaren MP4/2C.
Across the 16 races, Prost comfortably established himself as McLaren’s leading driver, he outscored Rosberg by 72 to 22, won four races, collected 11 podium finishes, and secured his second title.
Prost vs. Keke Rosberg (1986) stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Keke Rosberg |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 16 | 16 |
| Championship Points | 72 | 22 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 4 | 0 |
| Podiums | 11 | 1 |
| Qualifying Battle | 12 | 4 |
| Pole Positions | 1 | 1 |
| Championship Finish | 1st | 6th |
Alain Prost vs. Stefan Johansson: McLaren’s Final Season Before Senna
Following Keke Rosberg’s retirement; McLaren signed Swedish driver Stefan Johansson to partner Alain Prost for the 1987 F1 season.
Johansson arrived with a solid reputation after previous spells at Ferrari.
Although McLaren could no longer match the pace of the dominant Wiliams Honda cars, the team remained a consistent front, with Prost leading its championship challenge.
The stats underline just how commanding Prost was in 1987, in 16 races, he outscored Johansson 46 points to 30, won three races while JOhansson failed to win, 15-1 in qualifying, and Prost made history at the Portuguese GP by securing his 28th race win, surpassing Sir Jackie Stewart’s long-standing record to become the most successful Grand Prix winner in the sport at the time.
Prost vs. Stefan Johansson (1987) Head-to-Head stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Stefan Johansson |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 16 | 16 |
| Championship Points | 46 | 30 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 3 | 0 |
| Podiums | 7 | 5 |
| Qualifying Battle | 15 | 1 |
| Pole Positions | 0 | 0 |
| Championship Finish | 4th | 6th |
Alain Prost vs. Ayrton Senna: Formula 1’s Greatest Teammate Rivalry
When Senna joined McLaren in 1988; F1 witnessed the beginning of what many consider the greatest teammate rivalry in the sport’s history.
Two extraordinary talents; Alain Prost, already a two-time world champion, and the young Brazilian whose breathtaking speed had already made him one of the grid’s biggest stars.
Driving the dominant McLaren MP4/4, they overwhelmed the competition; winning 15 out of 16 races in 1988, yet while they were teammates, they quickly became fierce rivals, battling not only for wins, but also for supremacy within the team.
Across the 1988 and 1989, Prost and Senna won 25 of the 32 races they contested together, with each claiming a World Championship.
Senna held a clear advantage over a single lap, dominating qualifying by 28-4 and collecting 26 pole positions compared to Prost’s two.
Prost actually scored more total points over the season, but the championship’s best 11 results rule handed the title to Senna.
A year later, the relationship completely collapsed following disagreements within the team, culminating in the infamous collision at Suzuka that secured Prost’s third title.
By the end of 1989; Prost left McLaren for Ferrari.
Alain Prost vs Ayrton Senna stats (1988–1989)
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Ayrton Senna |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 32 | 32 |
| Championship Points (Gross) | 186 | 154 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 11 | 14 |
| Podiums | 25 | 18 |
| Qualifying Battle | 4 | 28 |
| Pole Positions | 2 | 26 |
| World Championships | 1 (1989) | 1 (1988) |
Alain Prost vs. Nigel Mansell: Ferrari’s Fierce Internal Battle
1990, Prost joined Ferrari, he partnered one of the biggest stars in F1, Nigel Mansell.
Prost arrived at the team as the reigning World Champion, while Mansell was already adored by the team for his spectacular driving style.
Although Ferrari produced a car capable of challenging McLaren for the title; the relationship between its two drivers quickly became strained, with internal politics and growing tensions frequently making headlines throughout the season.
Despite the drama surrounding the team; Prost established himself as Ferrari’s undisputed leader on track; in 16-race season, he outscored Mansell by 71 points to 37, claimed five wins compared to Mansell’s one, and won their qualifying battle 11-5.
While Mansell produced flashes of brilliance, including three pole positions, Prost’s consistency and ability to maximize results kept him firmly in the championship fight against Ayrton Senna until the final rounds.
Prost vs. Nigel Mansell (1990) stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Nigel Mansell |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 16 | 16 |
| Championship Points | 71 | 37 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 5 | 1 |
| Podiums | 9 | 5 |
| Qualifying Battle | 11 | 5 |
| Pole Positions | 0 | 3 |
| Championship Finish | 2nd | 5th |
Alain Prost vs. Jean Alesi: Ferrari’s Difficult Final Chapter
The 1991 F1 season paired Alain Prost with rising French star Jean Alesi at Ferrari, creating what many hoped would become one of the strongest driver lineups on the grid.
Alesi arrived at Ferrari with enormous expectations, reports suggest that Alesi turned down Williams to join Ferrari, to fulfill his dream of racing for Ferrari alongside the three-time world champion.
However, Ferrari’s hopes quickly faded as the 643 proved both uncompetitive and difficult to drive; instead fighting for wins, Prost and Alesi spent much of the season battling simply to reach the podium.
Again, Prost remained Ferrari’s benchmark; he outscored Alesi by 34 points to 21, claimed five podium finishes compared to Alesi’s three, and comfortably won their qualifying battle by 11-5.
Prost vs. Jean Alesi (1991) stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Jean Alesi |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 16 | 16 |
| Championship Points | 34 | 21 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 0 | 0 |
| Podiums | 5 | 3 |
| Qualifying Battle | 11 | 5 |
| Pole Positions | 0 | 0 |
| Championship Finish | 5th | 7th |
Alain Prost vs. Damon Hill: The Perfect Farewell
Alain Prost returned to F1 in 1993 after taking a year away from racing.
Joining the dominant Williams-Renault team alongside Damon Hill, while Prost was chasing a fourth World Championship, Hill was beginning his first full season in F1, the 31-year old at the time.
Despite the difference in experience; the partnership quickly became one of the strongest on the grid, with the Williams FW15C proving to be the class of the field, equipped with advanced tech including active suspension, traction control, and anti-lock brakes, the car allowed both drivers to dominate much of the season and regularly lock out the front row of the grid.
Hill impressed throughout the campaign and developed rapidly as a future title contender, Prost remained the benchmark inside the team.
Prost outscored Hill by 99 points to 69, won seven races compared to Hill’s three, and dominated qualifying by an emphatic 14-2 margin, Prost collected 13 pole positions on his way to securing his fourth and final World Championship.
Prost vs. Damon Hill (1993) stats
| Statistic | Alain Prost | Damon Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Race Weekends Together | 16 | 16 |
| Championship Points | 99 | 69 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 7 | 3 |
| Podiums | 12 | 10 |
| Qualifying Battle | 14 | 2 |
| Pole Positions | 13 | 2 |
| Championship Finish | 1st | 3rd |
Another story of Alain Prost: The F1 Cars That Defined Alain Prost’s Career
FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Alain Prost, Niki Lauda and Huub Rothengatter. Image: Picryl (Public Domain Mark 1.0).
