29 replies to this topic

[BlackGhost]

Why do French companies and the French public refuse to support Alain's team?


Gitane and a bunch of other companies have all removed their support from him?

[Nikolas Garth]

I think it's because they heard he was gonna sign up DC.

[Jackman]

It's the nose.

Although clearly that didn't hinder Gerard Depardieu's career.

[Bee]

Because he made a Pig's eye of Prost-Ligier and passed the buck on to two French collaborators Peugeot and Panis?

[dEMoN]

Originally posted by Nikolas Garth
I think it's because they heard he was gonna sign up DC.

[LB]

I go with the nose thoery, makes them think they are still run by Italy.

Actually the French have always had a rocky relationship with Prost.

[No27]

Alain himself stated in F1-Racing Magazine that there is a lobby against him. French companies, involved in F1, other than with Prost, are making telephonecalls "Don't work with Prost!".
Didn't told us exactly why...

[kenny]

Originally posted by LB


Actually the French have always had a rocky relationship with Prost.

I remeber that Prost wasnt that popular in France during his career... ofcourse he had his fans.. obviously... but considering it was his home country, he didnt have that many...
...strange...

[Turbo]

I don't know why but it sure seems that Prost has a unique talent for burning bridges and pissing people off. Not good ingredients for a team manager. Maybe he misses the Senna mindgames and has to keep playing them with someone, anyone.

[tifoso]

Originally posted by No27
Alain himself stated in F1-Racing Magazine that there is a lobby against him. French companies, involved in F1, other than with Prost, are making telephonecalls "Don't work with Prost!".
Didn't told us exactly why...

Sounds like Alain and Frans are cut from the same cloth. They both go in for conspiracy theories.

[Robbie]

Maybe French business is smarter than it is elsewhere: let's face it, unless you're a WCC potential team why would anybody want to sponsor you?

Why does anybody sponsor small teams?: "Company X is proud to announce strategic sponsorship deal with Team X, whose drivers regularly fail the 107% rule and who get 2 points per season, when lucky."

Perhaps it's nice to be in the paddock, with champagne, canopes, glamour, all that. But sponsorship is problably the most expesive way of getting there.

[MattPete]

Originally posted by No27
Alain himself stated in F1-Racing Magazine that there is a lobby against him. French companies, involved in F1, other than with Prost, are making telephonecalls "Don't work with Prost!".
Didn't told us exactly why...

I remember that he was a big critic of the socialist government and the nationalized companies (e.g. Renault). IIRC, one of the reasons he moved to Switzerland was because he disagreed with government policies--and this disagreement was more than just taxes.

[Williams]

Alain also puts some of the blame on the French media, say "Am I going to get the lawyers on the case? I’m thinking about it. I’ve got some files. I will never forget and I will not forgive."

[BlackGhost]

Originally posted by Robbie
Maybe French business is smarter than it is elsewhere:

ahahahaahahahah! French business smarter than everywhere else! What a farce!

I noticed in the Gazetta dello Sport an Italian daily sport newspaper that Acer uses Alain and his car has a picture in their computer advertisements.

So why does Acer feel it can use Alain and his team to advertise computers in Italy but not in France?

If I remember correctly Minardi has always received money from various Italian companies.

English companies have supported Arrows or Jordan or even Tyrell even though they were at the back of the grid!

[arcwulf7]

There are just a list of issues with Prost, from his supposed friendship with Jaques Lafitte (and his wife), his always turbulent relations with employers -- leading to firing at Ferrari for public criticism, to his feud with Senna (admittedly a two way street), to his public criticism of Peugeot, to his nonpayment of suppliers, to his public criticism of Alesi and subsequent imposition of 1/2 million dollar fine on Jean for doing the same thing back -- that must make potential sponsor, supplier, partner or employee of Prost very wary of the moody, inconsistent sometimes vindictive Frenchman.

[Bayou Bengal]

I believe Prost problems go back to when was the young driver who overshadowed Rene Arnoux at Renualt. Then he left because of the pressure to become the first French driver to be world champion in a French car. And to make it worst he won the WC several times at McLaren, a British team, which is unforgivable to the French.

Read his biography at:
http://www.ddavid.co...1/prost_bio.htm
and read between the lines.

[LB]

Didn't Prost once tell a story that he pulled up to a petrol station somewhere in france and the garage owner recognised him as a driver. Though the owner actually thought he was Arnoux. The owner launched into a five minute rant how he was so glad that Arnoux had put one over to that little mouthy idiot Prost!!

Prost paid cash..

[RJL]

I think Alain does it to himself. He seems to end every relationship on bad terms.

As a driver:
*He left Renault on bad terms.
*He left McLaren on bad terms.
*He was fired by Ferrari.
*He quit Williams rather than deal with Senna.

As an Owner:
*He has managed to screw up the previously respectable Ligiers.
*He put all the blame on Peugot, screwing his engine deal.
*He has driven all his sponsors away, one by one.
*Number One driver Panis left on bad terms.
*Number One driver Trulli left on bad terms.
*Number one Alesi left on bad terms among rumours of not being paid.

As a person:
*He slept with his best friend's wife.
*Now he is bashing his former "friend" Alesi publicly.

I imagine Alain might be a little, shall we say, "difficult to deal with".

[brett_sequeira]

seems like typical eccentric french behavior i wonder what the french are compaining about.

[BlackGhost]

Originally posted by RJL

As a person:
*He slept with his best friend's wife.

Maybe it was the wife who slept with Alain?

[Todd]

Alain Prost is a 4 times WDC and he won a record setting number of Grands Prix. I think the answer to this question is simple. The French can't identify with a winner.

[Schummy]

I remember that many years ago, maybe in McLaren years, Prost said something like he considered himself not a french citizen but an european citizen... Not a great way to make a lot of fans because people use to identify with sportsmen (or teams) from his/her own country.

[Williams]

Originally posted by RJL
I think Alain does it to himself. He seems to end every relationship on bad terms.

As a driver:
*He left Renault on bad terms.
*He left McLaren on bad terms.
*He was fired by Ferrari.
*He quit Williams rather than deal with Senna.
.
.
.
*Number One driver Panis left on bad terms.
*Number One driver Trulli left on bad terms.
*Number one Alesi left on bad terms among rumours of not being paid.

I imagine Alain might be a little, shall we say, "difficult to deal with".

Most drivers tend to leave teams on slightly bad terms, since it's usually the case that the team is blaming the driver for poor performances, or the driver is blaming the team for making a uncompetitive car, or both.

[Todd]

Originally posted by Williams
Most drivers tend to leave teams on slightly bad terms, since it's usually the case that the team is blaming the driver for poor performances, or the driver is blaming the team for making a uncompetitive car, or both.

Good point. Just look at Schumacher leaving Benetton. You would think that by giving Benetton their only titles, and only leaving because Benetton couldn't afford to pay as much as Ferrari, it would have been a pretty amicable parting. After all, Steve Matchette said that Schumacher was upset when he learned that Willi Weber had signed him with another team. Mike wanted to stay at Benetton and continue his domination of the sport. Still, it wasn't enough to keep Briatore from claiming to the press that his new drivers were better.

[Darrenj]

Original post brett_sequeira
seems like typical eccentric french behavior i wonder what the french are compaining about.





Great driver, horrible manager Q.E.D.
he should leave F1

become a F1 commentator on a french speaking island somewhere not in France!!!!!!!


visit BrabhamBT50 model diorama

http://www.angelfire...arren/brab.html

[BRG]

I think it is because Prost has always resisted French expectations that there should be an all-French GP team, with drivers, car, engine, sponsors, tyres etc etc all 100% French. Prost has said that the burden of these expectations has been a major problem. I believe that he even wanted to move the team to Britain but was prevailed upon not to do so.

IIRC, Prost lived in London when he drove for McLaren, which was doubtless anathema to the French media.

[Locai]

Originally posted by BRG
I think it is because Prost has always resisted French expectations that there should be an all-French GP team, with drivers, car, engine, sponsors, tyres etc etc all 100% French. Prost has said that the burden of these expectations has been a major problem. I believe that he even wanted to move the team to Britain but was prevailed upon not to do so.

IIRC, Prost lived in London when he drove for McLaren, which was doubtless anathema to the French media.

He had the French driver, car, engine, and sponsors (no tires) last year. It was a total disaster!

It has to be more than JUST French nationalism. If that's all it was then he would have been fully sponsored this year.

[BRG]

Originally posted by Locai
He had the French driver, car, engine, and sponsors (no tires) last year. It was a total disaster!

And that was probably just what Prost expected it to be. He has never been very nationalistic and wanted a free hand with the GP team, but there was so much political and media pressure for the French Superteam that he succumbed.

[Viss1]

Originally posted by LB
I go with the nose thoery, makes them think they are still run by Italy.

Originally posted by RJL
He slept with his best friend's wife.

I thought that IMPROVED your standing in France.

[Sean L]

I think it's probably the same reason they boo their own teams when they're losing on the field. God knows why though