 Prost akatanga basa rake naMcLaren achitungamirirwa naTeddy Mayer muna 1980 pamwe chete naUlsterman John Watson. Pakutanga kwake muBuenos Aires, Argentina, akapedza ari panzvimbo yechitanhatu, achiwana poindi imwe, chimwe chinhu chakaitwa nevatyairi vashomanana chete. Prost akawedzera mamwe mapoinzi mana kuhurongwa hwake mumwaka, achiwana mapoinzi kuInterlagos, Brands Hatch neZandvoort. Prost akapedza gore ari wechi15 muDrivers Championship, achienzana nemapoinzi neyaimbova shasha yenyika Emerson Fittipaldi. Pasinei nokukurudzira mwaka wokutanga, Prost akanga ane tsaona dzinoverengeka, akatyora chigunwe chake panguva yokurovedza paKyalami uye akatambura kugumburwa panguva yokurovedza paWatkins Glen. Akaregawo kumhanya muCanada muMontreal vhiki yakanga yapfuura nemhaka yokushaya simba kwokusimudza kumashure. Pakupera kwemwaka, kunyangwe aine makore maviri asara pachibvumirano chake, akasiya McLaren ndokusaina naRenault. Prost akati akabva pamusana pokuti motokari yacho yakanga yakakuvadzwa zvikuru uye nokuti ainzwa sokuti chikwata chacho chaimupa mhosva yezvimwe tsaona dzacho. 