Prost’s magnificent win

Press, 28 August 1984, Page 44

Prost’s magnificent win

NZPA-Reuter Zandvoort A magnificent win ' by Alain Prost, of France, in the Dutch motor-racing grand prix has virtually ensured McLaren the world manufacturers’ championship, but Prost and his Austrian team-mate, Niki Lauda, remain locked in battle for the individual drivers’ title. Prost’s victory from Lauda yesterday left them well clear in the championship. The Austrian double world champion still leads with 54 points, but now by just 1.5 points from Prost. Third is Elio de Angelis, of Italy, who has 29.5 points after finishing fourth yesterday. With three grand prix races left this season, de Angelis is the only other driver with a mathematical chance of victory, but he will have to win every remaining grand prix while

Prost and Lauda hardly score any points. The Dutch race again emphasised the superiority of the McLaren chassis, with Prost and Lauda a lap ahead of their nearest pursuers until they slowed in the closing stages. Third was Nigel Mansell, of Britain, in a Lotus, who

had a fine drive from twelfth place on the grid. With his team-mate, de Angelis, finishing fourth, Lotus had its most successful race of a season in which it has yet to score a win. Prost, aged 29, took the lead on the eleventh lap when Nelson Piquet, of Brazil, who had jumped ahead of him at the start, quit with engine trouble in his Brabham. Piquet, plagued with mechanical problems this year, led by nearly four seconds at the time. Prost’s win was a scintillating answer to critics who suggested he did not have the temperament to be world champion after his crash in last week’s Austrian grand prix, which cost him the lead in the championship. McLaren team officials said Prost had felt under extreme strain and bad been very tense in the past

week, while Lauda remained as calm as ever. But despite this, the Frenchman drove the coolest of races in the Dutch race. Championship standings:— Niki Lauda (Austria), 54 points, 1; Alain Prost (France), 52.5, 2; Elio de Angelis (Italy), 29.5, 3; Rene Arnoux (France), 24.5, 4; Nelson Piquet (Brazil), 24, 5; Derek Warwick (Britain), 23, 6; Keke Rosberg (Finland), 20, 7; Michele Alboreto (Italy), 15, 8; Nigel Mansell (Britain), 13, 9; Patrick Tambay, (France), 10, 10; Ayrton Senna, (Brazil), Teo Fabi (Italy) 8, equal 11; Jacques Laffite, (France), 4, 13; Eddie Cheever (United States), Riccardo Patrese (Italy), Thierry Boutsen (Belgium), 3, equal 14; Andrea de Cesaris, (Italy), Piercarlo Ghinzani, (Italy), 2, equal 17; Marc Surer (Switzerland), 1, 19.