STORY OF THE DAY: Prost Delivers Ferrari’s Hundredth Grand Prix Win

Alain Prost won the 1990 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard in the Ferrari F90 641/2 number 1, recording Ferrari’s 100th victory in the Formula One World Championship. Racing before his home crowd, Prost secured a landmark success that strengthened his challenge to Ayrton Senna and added particular significance to the third of his five victories for Ferrari that season.

The race was shaped by the unexpected pace and ambitious strategy of Ivan Capelli and Maurício Gugelmin in the Leyton House cars, which attempted to complete the distance without changing tyres. Prost worked his way into contention, passed Gugelmin and then pursued Capelli. With the leading Leyton House beginning to suffer fuel-system difficulties, Prost overtook Capelli near the end and carried Ferrari to its historic century.

The Ferrari 641/2 was a developed version of the 641, powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V12 and equipped with Ferrari’s electro-hydraulic semi-automatic transmission. Its paddle-operated gearbox, aerodynamically clean bodywork and balanced chassis represented a significant refinement of the original 1989 concept. The car’s combination of speed and improved reliability made it a genuine championship contender in Prost’s hands.

Alain Prost was a French driver whose analytical approach and economy of movement earned him the enduring nickname “The Professor.” He joined Ferrari in 1990 as the reigning World Champion and became the team’s principal title challenger during his first season in red. His calm pursuit of Capelli at Paul Ricard suited both his reputation and the occasion: a home victory achieved through patience, precision and an exact reading of the race.