Editing Alain Prost (section)

====1987====
With [[Keke Rosberg|Rosberg]] retiring from Formula One at the end of 1986 season, [[Swedes|Swedish]] driver [[Stefan Johansson]] filled the McLaren seat alongside Prost for the {{F1|1987}} season. Even though McLaren had introduced the new [[Steve Nichols]] designed [[McLaren MP4/3|MP4/3]] after three seasons with the MP4/2 model (Barnard had departed for Ferrari), the TAG engines were not the force they had been previously, lagging behind in power and with unreliability previously unseen. He never gave up though and challenged [[Nelson Piquet|Piquet]] and [[Nigel Mansell|Mansell]] almost until the end, winning three races and breaking [[Jackie Stewart]]'s record for race victories by winning for the 28th time at the [[1987 Portuguese Grand Prix|Portuguese Grand Prix]]. "People might not believe me," said Stewart at the time. "But I'm glad to see Alain take my record. I am glad that he has done it because he's the one that deserves it. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best race driver of his generation."<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 September 2017|title=McLaren Racing – Alain's record breaking year|url=https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/driver/alain-prost/alains-record-breaking-year-mp43-2119871/|access-date=13 February 2021|website=www.mclaren.com|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227150006/https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/driver/alain-prost/alains-record-breaking-year-mp43-2119871/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> Prost considers his win in the opening round in [[1987 Brazilian Grand Prix|Brazil]] as his best and most rewarding race ever. The Williams-Hondas had been dominant during qualifying, and Prost started fifth on the grid with a time three seconds slower than Mansell's pole time. Knowing he didn't have the qualifying speed, he instead worked on his race set-up, and with everyone else going for a high-downforce set-up, he went the other way. The set-up meant less tyre wear, thanks to slower speeds in the corners while going fast down the straights. With his car having less tyre wear than his rivals, Prost was able to get through the 61 laps of the abrasive [[Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet|Jacarepaguá Circuit]] with only two stops compared to the three or more by his rivals (Piquet pitted for tyres 3 times within the first 40 laps). Prost finished 40 seconds in front of Piquet, with Johansson a further 16 seconds back in third.

<blockquote>When you win a race like this the feeling is very, very good. There have been times when I have been flat-out to finish sixth, but you can't see that from the outside. In {{f1|1980}} I finished three or four times in seventh place. I pushed like mad, yet everyone was gathered around the winner and they were thinking that I was just trundling around. But that's motor racing. So in fact the only thing you can judge in this sport is the long term. You can judge a career or a season, but not one race.<ref>transcript of recording from [http://www.forix.com/8w/prost.html Forix.com, paragraphs 19 & 20] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104033847/http://www.forix.com/8w/prost.html |date=4 January 2007 }}.</ref></blockquote>

Prost finished the 1987 season in fourth place in the championship behind [[Nelson Piquet|Piquet]], [[Nigel Mansell|Mansell]] and [[Team Lotus|Lotus]] driver [[Ayrton Senna]]. Prost finished 30 points behind champion Nelson Piquet.<ref>{{cite news |title=Auto Racing Results;NEWLN:Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix At Estoril, Portugal, Sept.20 |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/09/20/Auto-Racing-ResultsNEWLNPortuguese-Formula-One-Grand-Prix-At-Estoril-Portugal-Sept20/9221559108800/ |work=United Press International |date=20 September 1987 |access-date=9 February 2021}}</ref> Other than his debut season in 1980 and {{f1|1991}}, it was the furthest away he would finish a season from the championship lead.<ref name=":2" />

Despite a slightly disappointing 1987 season, nevertheless by the end of that year Prost had the honour of notching up his 4th consecutive No.1 driver of the year by the editor of the ''[[Autocourse]]'' annual, matching Niki Lauda's run of No.1's from 1975 to 1978 in the same annual. Writing in 1987, the ''Autocourse'' editor mentioned that despite driving a down on power engine (compared to the Honda's) "Prost should have won at least 6 races in 1987 – but he won't moan about it. Despite being out of championship contention, 1987 was a memorable year for Prost. His win at Estoril was exceptional."<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Hamilton |editor-first=Maurice |date=1987 |title=Autocourse 1987–1988 |title-link=Autocourse |publisher=Hazleton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0-905138-47-3}}</ref> In 1985, the ''Autocourse'' editor wrote of Prost: "In the long run, Ayrton Senna may be the better driver, but in 1985 for speed and consistency Prost had no equal",<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Hamilton |editor-first=Maurice |date=1985 |title=Autocourse 1985–1986 |publisher=Hazleton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0-905138-38-4}}</ref> while in 1986, the ''Autocourse'' editor commented on Prost's season "Alain had an almost faultless year. 1986 was a year of Prost's outstanding all round ability."<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Hamilton |editor-first=Maurice |date=1986 |title=Autocourse 1986–1987 |publisher=Hazleton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0-905138-44-9}}</ref>