Seasons with Lauda were 'the best in my career' - Prost

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Four-time world champion Alain Prost added his homage to the tributes paid to Niki Lauda, insisting his best years in F1 were spent alongside his former McLaren team mate.

Lauda and Prost spearheaded Team McLaren's charge in 1984 and 1985, with both drivers winning the world championship with the British outfit during those years.

For Prost, Lauda was a valuable team mate from which he learned and also a role model.

"The world of F1 loses a character but above all a gentleman," said Prost on Tuesday.

"There are champions, people with awards, but here we lose a gentleman who has never complained about anything in his life, his condition, his accident, and who has always won.

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"I am totally upset, moved and very sad, it is an incredible shock for me. These are much stronger feelings than I could have imagined. It’s about 40 years of my life, someone who means a lot to me."

"When I started to take an interest in Formula 1, I had two models: Jackie Stewart and Niki. And I had the chance to spend two years by his side.

"These were the two most beautiful and best seasons of my career."

In 1984, Lauda beat his McLaren team mate to the title by half a point before Prost secured his first world crown a year later.

The Frenchman looked back with a sense of fondness and gratitude on the two years spent alongside his fellow F1 legend.

"The period when we were teammates was the most splendid and brilliant period I’ve ever known because there was this mixture of success with McLaren – he won the championship in 1984, me in 1985 – but above all this very strong friendship that was created at that time," said Prost.

"He taught me how to put things into perspective. When I did not feel well, after a loss, he taught me how to get detached. He made me drink my first whisky in 1984 to take things off my mind.”

"He taught me how to compartmentalize. That was his philosophy."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.