Stefan Johansson drove for 10 different teams in Formula 1 before enjoying a successful career in IndyCar and sports cars, capped by a victory at Le Mans in 1997 with Tom Kristensen and Michele Alboreto. Now 67, the Swede names a driver he was only partnered with for 16 races, but someone he says is an all-time great revolutionary in F1, as his favorite teammate .
For his third full season in an F1 career that began with two nondescript appearances for Shadow in 1980, Johansson joined McLaren in 1987 to replace outgoing 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg. He teamed up with Alain Prost.
“I’ve had so many teammates, and so many great guys too, that it’s hard to choose one,” Johansson says. “But I should 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 had also been a partner of Alboreto, coincided with the rise of Williams-Honda as the dominant force in F1, alongside Ayrton Senna at Lotus. While Nelson Piquet prevailed in the intra-Williams battle to secure his third championship, Prost’s three victories (one more than Senna) place him only fourth in points, two places and 16 points ahead of his teammate.
Johansson took five podiums, culminating with second place at Spa and Hockenheim, and was impressed by the Frenchman who would add two more world titles in 1989 and 1993.
“It was amazing how good he was,” adds Johansson. “I learned a tremendous amount from him, more than I have learned in my entire career, just in this 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 last month.
Johansson believes he learned more from Prost than any other driver he has raced with during his career.
Photo by: Ercole Colombo
“We have developed a great relationship. At the time, he was the master. His work ethic was above and beyond that of anyone else in the paddock. How we carried out his work with the car and the team, and how he organized the whole weekend. He was on a totally different level than anyone else.
Johansson made way for Senna at McLaren in 1988 – sparking one of the most bitter intra-team rivalries of all time – but he got on perfectly with Prost.
“He remains one of the best in history, very underrated compared to some other guys who were more flamboyant and spectacular”
Stefan Johansson
“He told me the driver is the CEO of the car, all these people around you have to manage the car the best they can, getting the best out of everyone who led to the top step of the podium on Sunday”, recalls Johansson, whose An unsatisfactory year at Ligier in 1988 which preceded stints at Onyx, AGS and Footwork then five years of Indycar within the team of Tony Bettenhausen Jr. “It was a process completely different than I experienced with anyone else.
“He’s still one of the best in history, very underrated compared to some of the other guys who were more flamboyant and spectacular on the track. He was keen to get the job done, he was exceptional.
Johansson, pictured with Prost after taking his Onyx to the podium at the 1989 Portuguese GP, still considers Prost one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Stefan Johansson drove for 10 different teams in Formula 1 before enjoying a successful career in IndyCar and sports cars, capped by a victory at Le Mans in 1997 with Tom Kristensen and Michele Alboreto. Now 67, the Swede names a driver he was only partnered with for 16 races, but someone he says is an all-time great revolutionary in F1, as his favorite teammate .
For his third full season in an F1 career that began with two nondescript appearances for Shadow in 1980, Johansson joined McLaren in 1987 to replace outgoing 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg. He teamed up with Alain Prost.
“I’ve had so many teammates, and so many great guys too, that it’s hard to choose one,” Johansson says. “But I should 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 had also been a partner of Alboreto, coincided with the rise of Williams-Honda as the dominant force in F1, alongside Ayrton Senna at Lotus. While Nelson Piquet prevailed in the intra-Williams battle to secure his third championship, Prost’s three victories (one more than Senna) place him only fourth in points, two places and 16 points ahead of his teammate.
Johansson took five podiums, culminating with second place at Spa and Hockenheim, and was impressed by the Frenchman who would add two more world titles in 1989 and 1993.
“It was amazing how good he was,” adds Johansson. “I learned a tremendous amount from him, more than I have learned in my entire career, just in this 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 last month.
Johansson believes he learned more from Prost than any other driver he has raced with during his career.
Photo by: Ercole Colombo
“We have developed a great relationship. At the time, he was the master. His work ethic was above and beyond that of anyone else in the paddock. How we carried out his work with the car and the team, and how he organized the whole weekend. He was on a totally different level than anyone else.
Johansson made way for Senna at McLaren in 1988 – sparking one of the most bitter intra-team rivalries of all time – but he got on perfectly with Prost.
“He remains one of the best in history, very underrated compared to some other guys who were more flamboyant and spectacular”
Stefan Johansson
“He told me the driver is the CEO of the car, all these people around you have to manage the car the best they can, getting the best out of everyone who led to the top step of the podium on Sunday”, recalls Johansson, whose An unsatisfactory year at Ligier in 1988 which preceded stints at Onyx, AGS and Footwork then five years of Indycar within the team of Tony Bettenhausen Jr. “It was a process completely different than I experienced with anyone else.
“He’s still one of the best in history, very underrated compared to some of the other guys who were more flamboyant and spectacular on the track. He was keen to get the job done, he was exceptional.
Johansson, pictured with Prost after taking his Onyx to the podium at the 1989 Portuguese GP, still considers Prost one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.
Photo by: Motorsport Images