Prost Can Wrap Up Drivers Title Today

Alain Prost has never won at Brands Hatch, the site for today’s Grand Prix of Europe. And this year, he doesn’t have to.

It is almost certain that Prost will become the first Frenchman to win the world drivers championship. He’s been the runner-up the last two years, but Prost has safely made sure this year’s title is his.

He has five victories this season and a finish of fifth or better today would wrap up the championship. History dictates a cautious approach to the race.

In 1983 and 1984, Prost was beaten for the world championship in the final race of the season.

“Of course I will try to win if I get the chance, but not if it means taking any risks,” the McLaren driver said.

With a 16-point lead over Italian Michele Alboreto, Prost needs two points to win the title.

Prost has finished in the top three in the past seven Grand Prix events while Alboreto’s Ferrari, beset by mechanical problems, retired from the last two races.

And as Ferrari mechanics battled to fix their cars, the reliability of the McLaren helped Prost to a blistering time in unofficial testing at Brands Hatch last week.

Prost’s best effort at Brands Hatch--an exciting, undulating circuit full of fast corners--was a second-place finish in a Renault two years ago. But Niki Lauda won for McLaren there in 1982 and 1984 and the team is fully geared to take its second successive drivers’ title.

Today, Prost will be partnered by Briton John Watson, the man he replaced at McLaren two years ago. Watson gets his first Grand Prix drive for two years as the replacement for Lauda, out with an injured wrist.

For Tyrrell, Italian Ivan Capelli will be making his Formula One debut while West German Christian Danner--newly-crowned as the first European Formula 3000 champion--gets his second Grand Prix outing in place of injured Jonathan Palmer in the Zakspeed.

Alan Jones of Australia, who won at Brands Hatch during his world championship season in 1980, has his second drive in the new Lola, which retired in its debut Grand Prix in Italy four weeks ago.

Today could also be the last Formula One appearance of the Ram team, which this week lost its major sponsor.

Prost’s main rivals on the track, apart from a possibly resurgent Alboreto, should include Brazilian Ayrton Senna, winner in Belgium three weeks ago. If the weather forecast for rain holds, Senna will be in his element.

The Williams’ pair of Finn Keke Rosberg and Briton Nigel Mansell could also figure spectacularly.

A crowd of more than 100,000 is expected.