|
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (born 24 February 1955) is a French former racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, only Sebastian Vettel (four championships), Juan Manuel Fangio (five championships), and Michael Schumacher (seven championships) have equalled or surpassed his number of titles. From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix victories. Schumacher surpassed Prost's total of 51 victories at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix. In 1999, Prost received the ''World Sports Awards of the Century'' in the motor sport category.〔(Prostfan.com – Profile ). Retrieved 8 March 2008.〕 Prost discovered karting at the age of 14 during a family holiday. He progressed through motor sport's junior ranks, winning the French and European Formula Three championships, before joining the McLaren Formula One team in 1980 at the age of 24. He finished in the points on his Formula One début at the in San Martin Autodrome in Buenos Aires, Argentina (where he took his first podium a year later) and took his first race victory at his home Grand Prix in France a year later, driving for the factory Renault team. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Prost formed a fierce rivalry mainly with Ayrton Senna, but also Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. In 1986, at the last race of the season, he beat Mansell and Piquet of Williams to the title after Mansell retired late on in the race, and Piquet was pulled in for a late precautionary pit stop. Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988 and the two had a series of controversial clashes, including a collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix that gave Prost his third Drivers' Championship. A year later at the same venue they collided again, but this time Prost, driving for Ferrari, lost out. Before the end of a winless 1991 season Prost was fired by Ferrari for his public criticism of the team. After a sabbatical in 1992, Prost joined the Williams team, prompting reigning drivers' champion Mansell to leave for CART. With a competitive car, Prost won the 1993 championship and retired from Formula One driving at the end of the year.〔("Prost, 38, Announces Retirement" ), ''Los Angeles Times'', 25 September 1993〕 In 1997, Prost took over the French Ligier team, running it as Prost Grand Prix until it went bankrupt in 2002. He currently competes in the Andros Trophy, which is an ice racing championship. Prost employed a smooth, relaxed style behind the wheel, deliberately modeling himself on personal heroes like Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.〔Roebuck, Nigel (1986) ''Grand Prix Greats'' p. 131 Book Club Associates ISBN 0-85059-792-7〕 He was nicknamed "The Professor" for his intellectual approach to competition, though it was a name he did not particularly care for, although he would admit later on that it wasn't a wrong summation of his approach to his racing. Skilled at setting up his car for race conditions, Prost would often conserve his brakes and tyres early on in a race, leaving them fresher for a challenge at the end.〔( Hall of Fame — Alain Prost ), Formula1.com. Paragraph 6. Retrieved 16 August 2006.〕 ==Personal and early life== Alain Prost was born near the town of Saint-Chamond, close to the cities of Lyon and Saint-Etienne in the département of Loire, France, to André Prost and Marie-Rose Karatchian, born in France of Armenian descent.〔( Alain's Biography ) (1921–54), ProstFan.com. Retrieved 22 November 2006.〕 Prost had one younger brother called Daniel, who died of cancer in September 1986.〔( Alain Prost Siblings ), ProstFan.com. Retrieved 25 September 2006.〕 Although short, standing at 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) Prost was an active, athletic child, who enthusiastically took part in diverse sports, including wrestling, roller skating and football. In doing so he broke his nose several times.〔''Hall of Fame — ( Alain Prost )'', Formula1.com. Paragraph 2. Retrieved 16 August 2006.〕 He considered careers as a gym instructor or a professional footballer before he discovered kart racing at the age of 14 while on a family holiday.〔''Hall of Fame — ( Alain Prost )'', Formula1.com. Paragraph 1. Retrieved 16 August 2006.〕 This new sport quickly became his career of choice. Prost is married to Anne-Marie (born 14 February 1955). They have two sons, Nicolas (born 18 October 1981) and Sacha Prost (born 30 May 1990). Prost also has a daughter, Victoria. , Nicolas races in the World Endurance Championship for Rebellion.〔''(– Nicolas' career year by year, 2003 – 2008 )'', ProstFan.com. Retrieved 24 March 2008.〕 Prost lived in his hometown, Saint-Chamond, until he and his Renault team fell out in the early 1980s. In April 1983 the Prost family moved to Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, and shortly after to Yens, Switzerland. They moved to Switzerland after Renault workers went to Prost's house in France and burned his Mercedes-Benz. They lived there until November 1999, when they moved to Nyon in the same country.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Alain Prost Information )〕 In 1985 Prost was awarded the Légion d'Honneur by President François Mitterrand.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alain Prost」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|