Alain Prost: “McLaren brings a lot to Renault”

Honda's history in F1 was it of no use to him?

No, as it was of no support to the other engine manufacturers. To be completely honest, even Renault, which was the pioneer of the V6 Turbo and which dominated in atmospheric with V10 and V8, did not arrive with an exceptional V6 T/H. And he is still not at the level of Mercedes after four seasons...

McLaren Isn't it a difficult team to work with, a little too sticky on principles, and impatient?

Difficult to answer. Yes, she is demanding, yes she will complete her fifth season without a victory, yes she certainly believed that by relaunching a partnership with Honda, she would very quickly relive the best moments of their common past. If, in addition, we put a third big name in the middle, Fernando Alonso, also in a hurry to relive the victory... The war of words, in public, is sometimes terrible...

What “bonus” will Renault get from powering McLaren next season?

Like Renault, McLaren belongs to the history of F1. She has experienced ups and downs and knows very well the hazards of this discipline. She knows what people put into the partnerships she wants. Means, time, assistance, the best possible product and above all exemplary equal treatment. The Renault engine is probably not the best in the field, but it is regularly approaching it and it will miss very little next year against the Mercedes. But this little can be compensated by certain other facets which contribute to performance. And McLaren will bring a lot to Renault…

Discover the full interview withAlain Prost and our report on Renault in AUTO n°2133hebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on kiosks.