An F1 legend who impressed in a short-lived McLaren partnership

Stefan Johansson drove for 10 different teams in Formula 1 before enjoying a successful IndyCar and sportscar career, winning at Le Mans in 1997 with Tom Kristensen and Michele Alboreto. Now 67, the Swede points to a driver he partnered with for just 16 races, but who he believes is F1’s greatest game changer of all time, as his favorite team-mate.

In his third full season in an F1 career that began with two unremarkable appearances at Shadow in 1980, Johansson joined McLaren for 1987 to replace retired 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg. He collaborated with Alain Prost.

“I’ve had so many teammates, and so many great people too, that it’s hard to pick one,” says Johansson. “But I would have to choose Prost.”

Prost had won his second consecutive world championship with McLaren in 1986. But Johansson’s arrival at the team from Ferrari, where he also partnered Alboreto, coincided with the rise of Williams-Honda as a major F1 team with Ayrton Senna starring for Lotus . As Nelson Piquet came out on top in the Williams innings for his third championship, Prost’s triple victory (one more than Senna) left him only fourth in the points, two places and 16 points ahead of his team-mate.

Johansson took five podiums, finishing runners-up at Spa and Hockenheim, and was left stunned by the Frenchman who would go on to add two more world titles in 1989 and 1993.

“It was amazing how good he was,” Johansson adds. “I learned a huge amount from him, more than I’ve learned in my entire career really, just in that one year together. He was also a great guy, we had a lot of fun together, we became good friends and still are today – I had dinner with him just last month.

“We developed a great relationship. Back then, he was a gentleman. His work ethic was above and beyond anyone else’s in the paddock. The way we got on with his work with the car and the team, and the way he put the whole weekend together. He was on a whole different level than anyone else. anyone else.”

Johansson replaced Senna at McLaren in 1988 – sparking one of the team’s fiercest rivalries of all time – but got on well with Prost.

“He’s still one of the best players in history, underrated compared to some of the other guys who were much better and more impressive.”
Stefan Johansson

“He told me that the driver is the CEO of the car, all these people around you have to manage the car as best they can, and get the most out of everyone who leads on the podium on Sunday,” recalls Johansson, whose incomplete year at Ligier in 1988 was preceded by a pass to the Onyx, AGS and Footwork then five years of Indycar racing in Tony Bettenhausen Jr.’s team. “It was a completely different process that I experienced with anyone else.

“He’s still one of the best players in history, so underrated compared to some of the other guys who were much better and more impressive on the track. He was getting the job done, he was exceptional.”

Johansson, pictured with Prost after taking his Onyx to the podium at the 1989 Portuguese GP, still regards Prost as one of F1’s greatest drivers.

Photo by: Sports Pictures