Niki Lauda vs Alain Prost

1984·

Niki Lauda and Alain Prost finished level 8–8 on race day at McLaren in 1984. Alain Prost took qualifying 15–1. Niki Lauda scored 72 points to 71.5.

Niki LaudaAlain Prost

1Qualifying15

16 shared races

8Race day8

16 shared races

72Points71.5

in shared races, as awarded at the time

209Points (today’s rules)226

in shared races, rescored 25-18-15…

Wins: 5/7
Podiums: 9/9
Poles: 0/3
Retirements: 6/5
Best finish: P1/P1
Avg. grid: 7.7/3

Race by race

Round-by-round comparison of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Niki Lauda	Alain Prost	Points
1	1Brazilian Grand Prix	6/4	Electrical	P1	0 / 9
2	2South African Grand Prix	8/5	P1	P2	9 / 6
3	3Belgian Grand Prix	14/8	Water pump	Distributor	0 / 0
4	4San Marino Grand Prix	5/2	Engine	P1	0 / 9
5	5French Grand Prix	9/5	P1	P7▼	9 / 0
6	6Monaco Grand Prix	8/1	Spun off	P1	0 / 4.5
7	7Canadian Grand Prix	8/2	P2	P3	6 / 4
8	8Detroit Grand Prix	10/2	Electrical	P4	0 / 3
9	9Dallas Grand Prix	5/7	Spun off	Spun off	0 / 0
10	10British Grand Prix	3/2	P1	Gearbox	9 / 0
11	11German Grand Prix	7/1	P2	P1	6 / 9
12	12Austrian Grand Prix	4/2	P1	Spun off	9 / 0
13	13Dutch Grand Prix	6/1	P2	P1	6 / 9
14	14Italian Grand Prix	4/2	P1	Engine	9 / 0
15	15European Grand Prix	15/2	P4	P1	3 / 9
16	16Portuguese Grand Prix	11/2	P2	P1	6 / 9
	Average finish		P1.7	P2.1

How to read this table

The driver ahead in a round is shown in bold, the other in grey. Grid shows Niki Lauda / Alain Prost.
P1 a win,P3 a podium,DNF a retirement.
▲ a finish at least 4 places better than that driver’s own average finish this season (see the average row), ▼ at least 4places worse. Retirements are not counted in the average.

Niki Lauda and Alain Prost in other seasons

Other seasons in which Niki Lauda and Alain Prost were teammates
Season	Team	Matchup	Quali	Race	Points
1985	McLaren	Niki Lauda vs Alain Prost	1–13	4–10	14–69

Niki Lauda’s career Alain Prost’s career McLaren 1984 season All teammate battles

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 Entries that did not qualify, did not pre-qualify or were withdrawn are excluded, as are cars that never left the grid or the garage, and the Indianapolis 500 of 1950–1960.
Until the mid-1960s drivers could share a car during a race. Each driver is compared from the car they started (which sets their grid position), with the best result of any car they drove and the points from all of them, as officially credited.
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. Where the season used an older system, a second points row rescores every round under the current system so seasons from different eras can be compared.
These are points scored in the races both drivers started, not their season totals: races either missed, or contested alongside a different teammate, are left out. Up to 1990 even full-season totals differ from the championship standings, because 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.