Editing Alain Prost (section)

====1984–1986====
Prost joined double world champion [[Niki Lauda]] at McLaren in {{f1|1984}}, driving the [[John Barnard]] designed [[McLaren MP4/2]] which used a 1.5 litre [[Techniques d'Avant Garde|TAG]]-[[Porsche in Formula One|Porsche]] [[V6 engine]]. He lost the world championship to Lauda in the [[1984 Portuguese Grand Prix|final race]] of the season in Portugal by half a point, despite winning seven races to Lauda's five,<ref name=":3" /> including winning in Portugal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Portuguese GP, 1984|url=https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr404.html|access-date=9 February 2021|website=www.grandprix.com|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414140959/https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr404.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The half point came from the {{F1GP|1984|Monaco}}, where Prost had been leading, albeit with [[Ayrton Senna]] ([[Toleman]]) and [[Stefan Bellof]] ([[Tyrrell Racing|Tyrrell]]) closing on him rapidly, when Clerk of the Course [[Jacky Ickx]] stopped the race at half distance due to heavy rain, which was controversial, for Ickx displayed the red flag without consulting the race officials. Under Formula One regulations, Prost received only half of the nine points normally awarded for a victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prost wins under a cloud of controversy |url=http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/394.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125182722/http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/394.cfm |archive-date=2006-11-25 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=GPRacing.net}}</ref> Prost's seven wins in 1984 equalled the record set by [[Jim Clark]] in {{F1|1963}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Toynton|first=Dave|date=24 October 2020|title=Formula 1's Curious Statistical History In Portugal|url=https://worldinsport.com/formula-1s-history-in-portugal/|access-date=9 February 2021|language=en-GB|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125042230/https://worldinsport.com/formula-1s-history-in-portugal/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lauda's 0.5-point margin of victory is the closest title race in Formula One history.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-08-15 |title=The Professor nearly an eight times F1 world champion |url=https://www.grandprix247.com/2015/08/15/the-professor-nearly-an-eight-times-f1-world-champion/ |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=GRANDPRIX247.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:ProstAlain McLarenMP4-2B 1985.jpg|thumb|Prost driving the McLaren MP4/2B at the [[1985 German Grand Prix]]]]
[[File:Cockpit of Alain Prosts F1 McLaren TAG-Porsche turbo, from his first Championship year (6283362892).jpg|thumb|Cockpit of Prost's F1 McLaren TAG-Porsche turbo, from his first Championship year]]
In {{f1|1985}} Prost became the first French Formula One [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Champion]]. He won five of the sixteen Grands Prix during the season. He had also won the [[1985 San Marino Grand Prix|San Marino Grand Prix]], but was disqualified after his car was found to be 2&nbsp;kg underweight in post-race [[scrutineer]]ing.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{cite web|title=1985 San Marino Grand Prix |url=http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/407.cfm |work=GPRacing.net192.com |access-date=7 October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060722110141/http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/407.cfm |archive-date=22 July 2006 }}</ref> Prost finished 20 points ahead of his closest rival, [[Michele Alboreto]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=1985 F1 World Championship|magazine=Motor Sport Magazine|url=https://database.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/f1/1985-f1-world-championship|access-date=27 January 2021}}</ref> Prost's performance in 1985 earned him the [[Légion d'honneur]] distinction in France.<ref name="mcbride_nyt_p3" /><ref name=":9" /> At the end of the season, Lauda retired; he would later credit Prost with sending him into retirement, explaining that "I had this perfect car, and then this French pain-in-the-ass arrives and blows me away. If he hadn't turned up I'd have gone on for another few years."<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |date=2014-07-07 |title=Alain Prost: too good to be true? |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-2001/26/too-good-be-true/ |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=Motor Sport Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Lauda was replaced at McLaren by {{f1|1982}} World Champion [[Keke Rosberg]] for {{f1|1986}}. Prost successfully defended his title, despite his car struggling against the [[Honda Racing F1|Honda]]-powered Williams cars driven by Nelson Piquet and [[Nigel Mansell]]. Until the latter stages of the final race of the 1986 season, the {{F1GP|1986|Australian}}, Prost appeared set to finish second in the Championship, behind Mansell. Prost had the same number of wins as Piquet, but he had four second places to Piquet's three, thus placing him second before the final race. While running third behind Piquet, and directly behind Prost on the road (3rd was all he needed to win the title), Mansell suffered a rear tyre failure at {{Convert|180|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and crashed out. The [[Williams F1|Williams]] team then pitted Piquet to change tyres as a safety precaution, while Prost had already pitted earlier due to a puncture and did not need to change his tyres again. He then held the lead ahead of a charging Piquet to the chequered flag and the championship.<ref name=":3" /> Prost became the first driver to retain the title since [[Jack Brabham]] in 1960.<ref name="UPI1986">{{Cite news |date=1986-10-26 |title=Alain Prost, auto racing world champion, 1985 and 1986 |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/10/26/Alain-Prost-auto-racing-world-champion-1985-and-1986/8271530683200/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241128015646/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/10/26/Alain-Prost-auto-racing-world-champion-1985-and-1986/8271530683200/ |archive-date=2024-11-28 |access-date=2024-11-27 |work=[[United Press International]]}}</ref>

Another memorable race that year for Prost was at the {{F1GP|1986|San Marino}}. He was cruising to victory when his car began to run out of fuel three corners from the chequered flag. Frantically weaving the car back and forth to slosh the last drops of fuel into the pickup, he managed to keep it running just long enough to creep over the line and win the race.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roebuck|first=Nigel|title=Grand Prix Gold: San Marino GP 1986 {{!}} F1 {{!}} Autosport Plus|url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/feature/3776/grand-prix-gold-san-marino-gp-1986|access-date=9 February 2021|website=Autosport.com|date=17 August 2011|language=en|archive-date=14 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214132936/https://www.autosport.com/f1/feature/3776/grand-prix-gold-san-marino-gp-1986|url-status=live}}</ref> Prost commented after the race that when his car started running dry he immediately thought to himself ''"shit, I am going to lose this race again"'', referring to his 1985 disqualification at Imola.<ref name=":4" /> It happened again at the {{F1GP|1986|German}}: while running in fourth position, Prost's car ran out of fuel on the finishing straight of the last lap. Instead of retiring at a time in the season when points were critical, Prost got out of his car and tried to push it to the finish, to great applause from the crowd.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-27 |title=Prost runs out of fuel on final straight |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/onthisday/motorsport/story/2438.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528114500/http://en.espn.co.uk/onthisday/motorsport/story/2438.html |archive-date=2023-05-28 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=ESPN UK |language=en-GB}}</ref> The finish line was too far, though, and he never reached it. He was eventually classified sixth in the race, as the seventh-placed car (the [[Brabham BT55|Brabham]]-BMW of [[Derek Warwick]]) was a lap behind.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Prix Results: German GP, 1986 |url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr430.html |publisher=GrandPrix.com |access-date=7 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109022342/http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr430.html |archive-date=9 November 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> Prost also finished sixth at the {{F1GP|1986|Belgian}}, where he collided with [[Gerhard Berger]] in the Benetton. As a result, the car's front suspension and engine mountings were bent, which badly affected its handling. It would behave one way in left hand corners and a completely different way in right hand corners. McLaren Technical Director [[John Barnard]] said afterwards that the car was "bent like a banana" upon the teams' post-race inspection of the car.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Keilloh|first=Graham|date=24 July 2011|title=In defence of Alain Prost|url=http://www.talkingaboutf1.com/2011/07/in-defence-of-alain-prost.html|access-date=10 February 2021|website=|archive-date=11 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211030202/http://www.talkingaboutf1.com/2011/07/in-defence-of-alain-prost.html|url-status=live}}</ref>