Editing Alain Prost (section)

===Renault (1981–1983)===
Prost was partnered with [[Formula One drivers from France|fellow Frenchman]] [[René Arnoux]] for {{F1|1981}}. Motor sports author [[Nigel Roebuck]] reports that there were problems between Prost and Arnoux from the start of the season, Prost being immediately quicker than his more experienced teammate{{sfn|Roebuck|1986|p=129}} He did not finish the first two Grands Prix, due to collisions with [[Andrea de Cesaris]] in [[1981 United States Grand Prix West|Long Beach]] and [[Didier Pironi]] at [[1981 Brazilian Grand Prix|Jacarepaguá]], but scored his first [[Podium#Usage in motorsport|podium finish]] at [[1981 Argentine Grand Prix|Buenos Aires]]. He also did not finish in the next four races, and then won his first Formula One race at his [[1981 French Grand Prix|home Grand Prix in France]] at the fast Dijon circuit, finishing two seconds ahead of his old teammate John Watson.<ref>{{cite news |last=Callcott |first=John A. |date=5 July 1981 |title=Alain Prost of France won the French Formula 1 |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/05/Alain-Prost-of-France-won-the-French-Formula-1/9010363153600/ |work=[[United Press International]] |access-date=9 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2375138-5-great-moments-from-alain-prosts-formula-1-career |title=5 Great Moments from Alain Prost's Formula 1 Career |last=James |first=Neil |date=24 February 2015 |website=[[Bleacher Report]] |access-date=27 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227101031/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2375138-5-great-moments-from-alain-prosts-formula-1-career |archive-date=27 February 2015}}</ref>

For Prost, his debut victory was memorable mostly for the change it made in his mindset. "Before, you thought you could do it," he said. "Now you know you can."<ref name=":2" /> Prost led from the start the next 5 races, and won two more races during the season, took his first [[pole position]] in [[1981 German Grand Prix|Germany]] and finished on the podium every time he completed a race distance. He won again in Holland and Italy, and finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship, seven points behind champion [[Nelson Piquet]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/98415.html |title=Prost wins as Piquet erases gap |date=30 August 1981 |website=ESPN UK |access-date=26 May 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526070721/http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/98415.html |archive-date=26 May 2019}}</ref>

Prost won the first two Grands Prix of the [[1982 Formula One season|1982 season]] in [[1982 South African Grand Prix|South Africa]], where Prost recovered from losing a wheel,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jenkinson|first=Denis|date=March 1982|title=1982 South African Grand Prix race report|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1982/36/south-african-grand-prix-14|access-date=9 February 2021|website=Motor Sport Magazine|language=en-GB|archive-date=16 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616205357/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1982/36/south-african-grand-prix-14|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[1982 Brazilian Grand Prix|Brazil]], where he finished 3rd but was awarded the win after Piquet (1st) and [[Keke Rosberg]] (2nd) were disqualified.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Grandprix.com|date=21 March 1982|title=Brazilian GP, 1982|url=http://www.grandprix.com//races/brazilian-gp-1982.html|access-date=9 February 2021|website=www.grandprix.com|language=en-GB|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213060002/https://www.grandprix.com//races/brazilian-gp-1982.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He finished in the points on four other occasions, but did not win again. Despite retiring from seven races, Prost improved on his Drivers' Championship position, finishing in fourth,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Alain Prost • Career & Character Info {{!}} Motorsport Database|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/alain-prost/|access-date=9 February 2021|website=Motorsport Database – Motor Sport Magazine|language=en-GB|archive-date=9 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209163239/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/alain-prost/|url-status=live}}</ref> but with nine fewer points than the previous year. His relationship with Arnoux deteriorated further after the [[1982 French Grand Prix|French Grand Prix]]. Prost believes that Arnoux, who won the race, went back on a pre-race agreement to support Prost during the race.<ref>{{Cite web|last=ESPN Staff|date=25 July 1982|title=Rene Arnoux defies team orders to win at Paul Ricard for Renault|url=http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/111547.html|access-date=9 February 2021|website=ESPN UK|language=en|archive-date=14 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214151426/http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/111547.html|url-status=live}}</ref> His relationship with the French media was also poor. He has since commented that "When I went to Renault the journalists wrote good things about me, but by 1982 I had become the bad guy. I think, to be honest, I had made the mistake of winning! The French don't really like winners."{{sfn|Roebuck|1986|p=129}} He added that "It's hard to explain, but the French prefer martyrs who lose gloriously."<ref name="mcbride_nyt_p3" />

In November 1982, three years before it became a round of the F1 World Championship, Prost, along with fellow F1 drivers [[Jacques Laffite]] and [[Nelson Piquet]], made the trip to [[Melbourne]], Australia to drive in the non-championship [[1982 Australian Grand Prix]] at the short (1.609&nbsp;km (1.000&nbsp;mi)) [[Calder Park Raceway]]. Driving a [[Formula Pacific]] spec [[Ralt|Ralt RT4]] powered by a 1.6 litre [[Cosworth#The BDA series|Ford engine]], Prost sat on pole for the race with a time of 39.18. He then led every lap to win what would be the first of 3 [[Australian Grand Prix]] wins. He finished 15.32 seconds clear of Laffite, with [[1981 Australian Grand Prix]] winner, young Brazilian driver [[Roberto Moreno]] finishing third.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Calder, 7 Nov 1982 « Australian Formula Pacific « OldRacingCars.com|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=AU82#note1|access-date=9 February 2021|website=www.oldracingcars.com|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212232221/https://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=AU82#note1|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Prost Renault Paris.jpg|thumb|Prost's 1983 [[Renault RE40]], in which he came close to winning his first championship]]
Arnoux left Renault in {{F1|1983}} and American [[Eddie Cheever]] replaced him as Prost's partner, allegedly because of Renault's desire to sell more road cars in North America (three of the season's 15 races were on the North American continent). Prost earned a further four victories for Renault during the season and finished second in the Drivers' Championship, two points behind Nelson Piquet. Piquet and the [[Brabham]] team overhauled Prost and Renault in the last few races of the season. Prost, who felt the team had been too conservative in developing the car, found himself increasingly at odds with Renault's management, who made him the scapegoat for failing to win a championship. In addition to that, the French fans recalled the bitter fight that had caused their favourite, Arnoux, to leave the team. Prost said in an interview with ESPN during [[1983 South African Grand Prix|the final race]] that his car was "not competitive" and that he "didn't lose by my own fault"<ref>{{YouTube|YXZ08ziFJzI}}</ref> Renault fired Prost only two days after the South African race. He re-signed for McLaren for the 1984 season within days and moved his family home to Switzerland after Renault factory workers burned the second of 2 of Prost's cars, one of them being a Mercedes-Benz.{{sfn|Roebuck|1986|p=129}}