Alain Prost might simply contend that he has raced alongside probably the most exceptional lineup of teammates in Components 1 historical past.
Over the course of his illustrious profession, the Frenchman shared the grid with legendary figures similar to Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna, and Nigel Mansell—a powerful checklist that options a number of world champions.
Moreover, Prost partnered with extremely succesful drivers like John Watson, Rene Arnoux, Jean Alesi, and Stefan Johansson, all of whom displayed distinctive pace and ability throughout their peaks.
That Alain Prost concluded his profession as a four-time Components 1 world champion, regardless of competing towards such a rare roster of teammates, stands as a testomony to his unimaginable expertise and consistency.
Nonetheless, Alain Prost’s relationships together with his teammates diverse significantly. As an example, after enduring a tumultuous interval as Ayrton Senna’s companion at McLaren, Prost actively prevented Senna from becoming a member of him on the Maranello crew. That call not directly enabled Senna to say one other championship with McLaren the next yr. Prost’s reluctance to repeat the expertise of battling one in all his fiercest rivals inside the similar crew was evident. Conversely, Prost started his profession content material to play a supporting function to Lauda and held deep admiration for the Austrian throughout their time as teammates at McLaren.
When Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell turned Ferrari teammates through the 1990 season, the Frenchman decisively outperformed the Briton, although the title finally went to Senna. Regardless of this, their partnership was removed from harmonious.
In a 2018 interview on the *Past The Grid* podcast, Alain Prost make clear his strained relationship with Nigel Mansell, expressing his perception that the British driver’s emotions of ‘jealousy’ contributed to the strain throughout their tenure on the Italian aspect.
The dynamics behind Nigel Mansell’s ‘jealousy’ towards Alain Prost at Ferrari
Prost was requested about his popularity for seemingly forcing his teammates into retirement throughout his time in Components 1. He acknowledged that Keke Rosberg had been one in all his greatest teammates, describing him as a real good friend and a very good driver. Nonetheless, Prost famous that Rosberg could not have tailored effectively to McLaren’s method and its philosophy for automobile setup, regardless of his ability.
Turning to Nigel Mansell, Prost remarked that Mansell was a distinct case altogether, stating that he might by no means absolutely perceive why Mansell had been jealous, even mentioning that it stemmed from one thing as trivial as Prost with the ability to converse Italian. He steered that such an angle was unproductive.
In distinction, Prost highlighted his relationship with Niki Lauda, emphasizing that the 2 by no means had any points or arguments throughout their two years as teammates.
Nigel Mansell confirmed confidence in his rivalry with Alain Prost
The dynamic between Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost throughout their two seasons collectively at Ferrari provided a compelling chapter in Components 1 historical past.
Mansell ended the 1989 and 1990 seasons in fourth and fifth place, respectively, whereas Prost claimed the world championship of their debut yr as teammates. The next yr, Prost narrowly misplaced out on the title to Ayrton Senna, however he remained the stronger performer inside the Ferrari camp.
Regardless of their time as teammates concluding after these two seasons, the aggressive pressure between the 2 drivers continued to linger, protecting their rivalry alive past their shared tenure at Ferrari.
Forward of the transient Grand Prix Masters sequence, the place Prost and Mansell have been anticipated to reunite, Mansell remarked, as reported by Autosport, that the rivalry between them remained sturdy. He famous that Prost was extremely aggressive and would do every thing doable to safe victory, including that Prost significantly disliked shedding to anybody, particularly to him.
Nigel Mansell is satisfied he would have dominated Alain Prost in 1993 if he had remained in Components 1 as a substitute of turning his consideration to the CART sequence in the US.
Though the showdown between the 2 by no means materialized, Mansell appeared decided to show himself towards Prost, who had as soon as steered that Mansell harbored ‘jealousy’ over his rapport with the Ferrari crew. The potential conflict between them stays one of many nice “what-ifs” of Components 1 historical past.
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