The McLaren veteran recalls the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix.

      The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix entered the history of Formula 1 as the race where Ayrton Senna first showcased his driving skills on a wet track, and which he could have won, but fate, or rather the race direction, decided otherwise.

      However, at McLaren, they remember that Grand Prix on the street circuit in the Mediterranean principality in their own way, as it was the team's first victory in Monaco, as well as the first such success in Alain Prost's career, who at that time already had 11 wins on other championship tracks.

      Due to heavy rain, the start had to be delayed by 45 minutes, but when the race finally began, everyone had to drive with extreme caution because rivers were literally flowing over the asphalt.

      Prost won the qualification the day before and had a very good start, despite the low level of grip. The white-red McLaren MP4/2 with a TAG Porsche engine and the number 7 gradually pulled away – most competitors fell behind because they simply couldn't cope with the challenging conditions. Most – but not all…

      "In 1984, I was mechanic No. 1 working with Alain Prost's car," recalls Indy Lall, now a consultant for McLaren's historical heritage. "The qualification took place on dry asphalt and went quite smoothly – Alain secured pole position for the first time that season.

      On race day, events unfolded according to a less ideal scenario. It was raining heavily, and the track was flooded. We managed to prepare and make adjustments to the settings, switching them to wet ones, and Alain, with his smooth driving style, not only knew how to take care of the car but always adjusted for the weather conditions."

      On the wet asphalt of the narrow winding track, Prost drove very carefully, however, the debutant of the World Championship, who was little known at the time – Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian driver for the Toleman team, starting from 13th position – gradually moved forward and by the 19th lap was already in second place. However, at that moment he was still 35 seconds behind Prost, and the rain was getting heavier.

      Alain Prost called for the race to be stopped, as the conditions on the track were becoming too dangerous. On the 32nd lap, the Monaco Grand Prix direction decided to display the red flags, and since the French McLaren driver continued to lead, with only 31 complete laps out of the planned 77 completed, he was awarded half points for the victory.

      "This was a fantastic result for our team," continued Lall. "McLaren won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time, and Alain drove masterfully. The Monaco Grand Prix always follows a special scenario, and the 1984 race was just like that."

      And yet, June 3, 1984, is remembered not as the day of McLaren's first victory in Monaco or Prost's 12th victory, but primarily as an important episode in Ayrton Senna's career, when the future three-time world champion was literally a step away from his first bright success. But he had to wait several more months for his first victory – he reached the top step of the podium in April 1985 in Portugal.