Prost reflects on current F1, Hamilton, Schumacher, and Vettel
Four-time world champion (1985, 1986, 1989, and 1993), Alain Prost remains a significant figure in motorsport whose words are listened to because they are quite rare. Inexorably linked to Ayrton Senna, with whom he shared a rivalry whose aura extends beyond the confines of Formula 1 to encompass the entire world of sports, his time in F1 is not limited to that. Beginning in the premier category in 1980 with the Renault team, he experienced the turbo engine era, the constant risks of injury or death, F1's evolution towards even more professionalism, the joys of victory, but also, after his career, the joys and especially the hardships of team management with Prost Grand Prix.
When interviewed by our colleagues from the daily L’Equipe, “the Professor” looks at the modern F1 with some distance: “The spectacle offered this season was beautiful. After that, it’s difficult to judge…”. Prost appears rather satisfied with some regulatory adjustments: “It’s still better without refueling; the hard and soft tires are very good, even if I recommended a third type of tire, semi-soft, to create more differences. I wouldn’t criticize the introduction of small engines starting in 2014. It’s a necessary good or bad to change the philosophy of F1. F1 must remain a show, a spectacle that brings something to the average person.”
Regarding possible criticisms: « It’s tough to be critical because we’re in a very difficult economic situation. You can imagine lots of improvements, but they would be very expensive. It’s unfortunate to freeze the engine settings […] Another criticism is freezing the cars from Saturday to Sunday. Besides running the F1 cars to allow engineers to find a strategy for Sunday, choosing between hard and soft tires, there’s almost no fine-tuning » regrets the only French Formula 1 world champion.
When asked about the role of the driver, Alain Prost is realistic: The driver still has importance, but doesn’t do the same thing anymore. They are asked for speed and punch. If the car has potential, it will be exploited. Look, sometimes between two teammates, there’s only a tenth of a second difference. […] The driver is less complete, but that’s not what is being asked of them.
When asked which current drivers he likes, his answer is straightforward: Today, it’s impossible to say which driver is more spectacular than another, reminding that in his time, it was easier to differentiate between spectacular drivers like Rosberg, Alesi, or Senna and more consistent ones like Lauda or himself. I tend to focus more on behaviors. Vettel is impressive because he’s always there, even when you think it could go wrong. […] For a team, having a solid guy like Alonso is really great. I have a soft spot for the characters Button and Webber. They have class, even if they can be intense from time to time. I also appreciate Rosberg who is completely underused.
On the two drivers who are most talked about currently, Prost is more critical: [Schumacher], I set him apart… There are comebacks that can be planned with objectives. If the objective was to become world champion, then it was ridiculous to do it. If it was to help Rosberg and Mercedes be world champions or perform well, then it would have been noble and positive. Ultimately, it benefits no one. On the case of Hamilton: He is more aggressive, but not spectacular in overtaking. Joining the remarks of Anthony Hamilton, he believes that the McLaren driver is too aggressive and should be calmed by his manager because he has incredible talent and is wasting it a bit.
When questioned about the future double-world champion, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost is full of admiration: « He has matured a lot, and his second title is perhaps better than the first. He always takes significant risks, but his approach to races is better and he has shown a lot of mastery this season ».
Finally, on the thorny issue of Formula 1 in France, the quadruple world champion believes it is mainly a question of mentality: Among all European countries, France is the most car-phobic. Now, the economic and environmental situation makes everything very complicated. We need to find a synergy, with a specifically targeted manufacturer and partner at the core. Rewrite a story like Renault and Elf in the early 1980s. Behind this, there was turbo engine technology, driving schools, of which I was a part. Lastly, he also commented on the French drivers aspiring to the premier discipline: There are some good ones. Those in GP2: Pic, Bianchi, Grosjean, and also Jean-Eric Vergne. Afterward, it’s hard to judge in these promotional Formulas, even if they are fast. For F1, they need to be good in terms of personality, integration into the teams, all of which are Anglo-Saxon or Italian.
