French Drivers Point Finger of Blame at Prost

Former champion Alain Prost received limited sympathy from French drivers on Tuesday after he blamed a lack of local support for the collapse of his Formula One team.

"It's not because you're a great driver that you end up a good manager," said Rene Arnoux, who was the four times World Campion's teammate at Renault in the 1980s. "There is such a big difference between the life of a driver and that of a businessman.

"You need talent, motivation, energy, the right environment. Not everybody can be Jean Todt," added Arnoux, referring to the French manager of Ferrari. Prost Grand Prix were placed into liquidation by a French court on Monday and will not be at the start of the season in Melbourne on March 3.

"It's a failure for France," the Frenchman said on leaving the court. But most reactions pointed the finger at him.

Kinder Words

"It's a personal failure for Prost. You can become a boss when you were a great champion but maybe not be in charge of 300 people," said veteran Henri Pescarolo, a Formula One driver between 1968 and 1976. "You need qualities that, obviously, Prost did not have.

"I don't want people to get it wrong. It is not a handicap to be French. Prost's failure is above all his own."

The last man to have scored points for Prost Grand Prix was Jean Alesi, who put an end to his career at the end of last season after his partnership with his old friend ended in acrimony.

"Alain has only himself to blame," the Frenchman told daily Le Figaro. "Everybody was behind him, including me as I left Sauber to join him. But he ruined everything."

Prost started out with major cigarette brand Gauloises as sponsors and Peugeot engines. He finished up without a title sponsor and paying heavily for Ferrari power. Other drivers, like former Ligier race winner Jacques Laffite had kinder words for the four-time champion.

"For Alain, it's a big personal failure due to the economic situation because I don't think he is fully responsible for what happened," said Laffite, who had close ties to Prost. Former Ferrari driver Patrick Tambay said he hoped some takeover bid for Prost GP factory and facilities might still emerge in the near future.

"A rebuilding of the team remains possible," he said.