Alain Prost vs John Watson
Alain Prost beat John Watson 7–3 at McLaren in 1980, helped by 6 retirements for John Watson. Race-by-race qualifying, finishing and points record.
Alain ProstJohn Watson
7Qualifying3
10 shared races
7Race day3
10 shared races
5Points3
as awarded at the time
46Points (today’s rules)22
rescored 25-18-15…
- Wins
- 0/0
- Podiums
- 0/0
- Poles
- 0/0
- Retirements
- 3/6
- Best finish
- P5/P4
- Avg. grid
- 13.8/15.6
| R | Grand Prix | Alain Prost | John Watson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentine Grand Prix | P6 | Gearbox |
| 2 | Brazilian Grand Prix | P5 | P11 |
| 5 | Belgian Grand Prix | Transmission | Not classified |
| 7 | French Grand Prix | Transmission | P7 |
| 8 | British Grand Prix | P6 | P8 |
| 9 | German Grand Prix | P11 | Engine |
| 10 | Austrian Grand Prix | P7 | Engine |
| 11 | Dutch Grand Prix | P6 | Engine |
| 12 | Italian Grand Prix | P7 | Wheel bearing |
| 13 | Canadian Grand Prix | Suspension | P4 |
How these numbers are calculated
- Only races both drivers started are counted. Entries that did not qualify, did not pre-qualify or were withdrawn are excluded, as is the Indianapolis 500 of 1950–1960.
- Qualifying is compared on grid position rather than session times. Session-by-session qualifying data only exists from 1994, while grid position is recorded for over 99% of entries right back to 1950 — including every race of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
- On race day the driver classified ahead takes the round. If neither was classified, the one who completed more laps is credited; if both retired on the same lap it is scored as a tie and excluded from the tally.
- Points are those awarded at the time and include sprint races from 2021. The second points row rescores every round under the current system so seasons from different eras can be compared.
- These are points scored across the season, which up to 1990 is not the same as the championship total: only a driver’s best results counted towards the title. In 1988 Alain Prost outscored Ayrton Senna 105 to 94 and still lost the championship. Theseason page has the final standings.