STORY OF THE DAY: A costly wheel problem on Monaco’s unforgiving streets

Alain Prost finished fifth for Ferrari in the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix, the fourth round of the Formula One World Championship. Ayrton Senna won from pole for McLaren-Honda, maintaining his perfect start to the season, while Nigel Mansell and Jean Alesi completed the podium. Prost’s result brought useful points but underlined Ferrari’s difficulty in matching the leading McLaren.

Prost initially ran among the principal contenders and moved into second place after Stefano Modena’s engine failed in the tunnel and the resulting oil contributed to Riccardo Patrese’s accident. Mansell then passed him under braking for the harbour chicane. A damaged wheel caused a slow puncture, and the long repair stop dropped Prost to fifth behind Roberto Moreno, ending his chance of a podium finish.

The Ferrari 642 was an evolution of the previous season’s 641, retaining a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V12 and a semi-automatic transmission. Its elegant appearance concealed an unsettled chassis whose handling and aerodynamic performance fell short of McLaren and the rapidly improving Williams. Ferrari replaced it with the extensively revised 643 later in the season.

Alain Prost was a French driver celebrated for his analytical approach, precise technique and exceptional understanding of race strategy. A three-time world champion when he joined Ferrari in 1990, he came close to securing that year’s title for the Scuderia. At Monaco in 1991, his controlled drive kept him in contention until mechanical trouble turned a possible podium into fifth place.