Alain Prost’s 1984 McLaren race suit, worn during one of the most dramatic championship duels in the history of the sport, could be yours for the taking. The suit is being auctioned by Bonhams on the Miami Grand Prix weekend and is expected to reach a price of around £11,000 ($15,000).
During the 1984 Formula 1 season, Prost and team-mate Niki Lauda clashed in a rivalry that culminated in a lead of just half a point at the season end – the smallest margin recorded in the sport’s history. While Prost took victory at seven races and Lauda only five, the Austrian racing driver finished the season with his third world championship under his belt.
While this was maybe a season to forget for Prost, it became a history book favourite for fans, and his distinctive racing suit a thing of nostalgia with it featuring sponsorship logos from Saima, Boss, Marlboro, Michelin, Segafredo, Hercules, and TAG.
Alain Prost’s original 1984 McLaren race suit, worn during his legendary title battle with Niki Lauda, now up for auction.
Photo by: Bonhams
Being a used piece, wear and tear is evident, and there are even marks from where a patch from Malboro has been removed.
The suit was worn behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4/2 – a car designed by John Barnard and one that showed almost complete dominance that season, winning 12 of the 16 Grands Prix.
Tell me more about this half point?
The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix saw Prost and the grid’s other drivers take on incredibly harsh weather conditions.
“It was really bloody dangerous, really, really dangerous,” he admitted in conversation with McLaren about the number of cars on-track. Qualifying at Monaco this year saw 27 drivers in total fight for their place on Sunday. “It’s not like today. It was almost impossible to have a clear lap without overtaking someone.
“I’m very surprised that we never had a very bad accident in qualifying. They were all very scared about Monaco, but that was part of the challenge.”
Sunday saw torrential conditions, with Nigel Mansell taking the lead momentarily before crashing at the casino, joining a handful of other drivers whose races also came to a premature end, including Lauda.
“The weather is impossible to predict in Monaco, but this one in ‘84 was for sure the worst,” he continued. “The reason why a lot of people were having problems is because this was the year when we introduced carbon breaks. Initially, these brakes were difficult to use and get into the right temperature [window], and Monaco was a good example of this.”
Eventually the race was stopped, and half points were rewarded due to less than 75% of the race being completed.
Lauda wouldn’t win another championship, but Prost’s luck finally caught up with him in 1985 where he took his first of four championship wins.
The auction page can be viewed by clicking here.
Leave feedback about this