Previously on What might have been we witnessed how impressive 1 tiny little thing in 1 race can be in the closest championship race in NASCAR Cup history which ended in a tie. Now we shall learn about the closest Formula 1 championship battle ever. One of the drivers that was a part of this epic battle is Alain Prost🇫🇷. In 1980 he would race for McLaren in his rookie year, but things did not go well for him. So, in 1981 he would drive for Renault and twice came excruciatingly close to winning the championship but came up short, now in 1984 Prost would make his return to McLaren which was under new management. Now let's get down to business. The 1984 Formula 1 season began at Brazil🇧🇷 and it was HOT, so hot that McLaren covered their cars in tin foil to keep the fuel cool cause otherwise it would have evaporated. Prost would get a bad start from the and fall down to P10, before the race he even asked his teammate Niki Lauda 🇦🇹 for how many revs he should use when Lauda suggested no lower than 10,000 Prost thought it was too high, so he used 8,000 which caused the bad start. Then the Frenchman would go on a charge in the first 8 laps getting 4 places passing Eddie Cheever Jr🇺🇸, 1982 F1 world champion Keke Rosberg🇫🇮 Elio De Angelis🇮🇹 and Rene Arnoux 🇫🇷. He'd crack the top 5 after Michele Alboreto 🇮🇹 spun from the lead on lap 11 and would later retire from brake failure. In 5 more laps he would make his way to the podium places by passing Patrick Tambay🇫🇷 and Nigel Mansell🇬🇧. The McLaren MP4-2 was clearly a fast racecar out of the box, Prost recovered brilliantly from a bad start to get up to 2nd after besting Derek Warwick🇬🇧. Not even halfway through the race, and all that was left was his teammate Niki Lauda🇦🇹. Alain was scheduled to pit on lap 38 and came in as the leader. But Lauda was ahead of him the lap before, what happened? A battery/electrical issue slowed Niki down so much to the point where Prost could check his mirror while he was getting his tires changed to see Lauda get out of his stricken car. Still the task was at hand for the Frenchman to get the lead on track which he would do so on the 51st lap of the race and at the end of the 61st lap he saw the checkered flag as a race winner. A fine way to start off the season winning the race and leading the championship. In an era where only the top 6 drivers scored points this boosted momentum from the beginning, now being 3 points ahead of Keke Rosberg. The second race on this journey to be world champion takes place in South Africa🇿🇦. It might've been a better drive from the Frenchman who'd qualified 5th in his regular car but after the engine sounded off for a fuel pump issue Prost had to start from the pit lane in the backup car/T-Car. He finished over a minute behind the race winner Niki Lauda however he got 2nd place. From worst to almost first, definitely a drive to be proud of. So, his first 2 races were 1st and 2nd so logically a last step on the podium in 3rd place is what would happen at Zolder for the Belgian🇧🇪 grand prix right? Nope, his race got cut short after 5 laps due to a distributor problem on the car. Onwards to race 4 of the season in Italy🇮🇹 but not for the Italian grand prix but for the San Marino🇸🇲 grand prix at Imola. The Frenchman got the jump against from 2nd to 1st against Brabham driver reigning world champion Nelson Piquet🇧🇷. Usually in F1 things at times could be straight forward, but that was not the case. Yes, Alain nailed the start to get the lead, but he spun around completing a 360 at lap 20 with over a 20 second lead in Rivazza from overheating his brakes but kept going to win. That's what you call a spin and win lol, to add the cherry on top Prost did this feat in the spare car after his primary had electrical issues in practice. A quarter of the season is already done and dusted, still a long way to go for Prost to bring this championship home. However, Alain will get to be at home for his next race as this will be the last French 🇫🇷 grand prix to be held at Dijion. France would continue to host races but just not at Dijion, it didn't start out as he hoped from a grid slot of 5th losing a couple of spots from the line. Yet it's a long 79 lap race, by lap 23 he would be right behind compatriot Patrick Tambay for the lead. This was until an unscheduled pitstop for a loose left front wheel. To make things even worse a stripped thread on the wheel extended the stop so the McLaren would rejoin the race in 10th place. With fresher tires and the superior pace of the car Prost looked like he was going to salvage something out of this race driving up to P4 over the next 30 laps but alas, the left front wheel worked it's way loose once again dropping the Frenchman down to P7 and in an era where only the top 6 finishers scored points it was a disappointing race in front of his home fans. He has a 6 point lead going into race 6 of the 1984 world championship, and it's a crown jewel race as a matter of fact. If there is any race a F1 drivers wants to win besides their home grand prix it would have to be the Monaco🇲🇨 grand prix. This is the biggest race Formula 1 has to offer, this is the race everyone wants to stand on top of the podium. Another way people love standing on the podium is through a rain race. Well, the 1984 Monaco grand prix was just rain, rain, and more rain. Prost led away from the line from pole position, then Mansell passed Prost for the lead on lap 12 of the 78-lap race. Then the conditions caught out Nigel as he wrecked going up Beau Rivage. Some of the best drivers have mastered the rain but it can also catch out the best drivers as well like Lauda who is a 2-time world champion. Keeping your car on the track is pivotal for a strong result, and Prost knew that and was just making smooth laps in the hard rain. There is such a thing as too much rain though, as laps continued clicking off the clearer it got that the conditions were getting worse and worse. The stewards agreed that at lap 31 the race was too dangerous to continue on, so the drivers would get half points for their efforts. Plus, for Alain Prost, he might not have won the race if it went on much longer. Ayrton Senna🇧🇷 in a Toleman was literally catching Prost 3 seconds a lap, in his 5th start Senna about got his 1st win at the drenched Monaco grand prix. In a post-race interview Prost admitted that he was prepared to let him pass if he caught him. The Frenchman was struggling with a brake imbalance from there not being enough heat and conditions were so treacherous he knew Ayrton wasn't his concern in the championship. Speaking of the championship, Alain Prost now leads Niki Lauda by 10.5 points. Car number 7 now headed into race 7 of the season at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that hosts the Canadian🇨🇦 grand prix. Prost lined up on the front row with Nelson Piquet and took the lead off the line, but the Brabham got it back in turn 11 fell to 2nd. Ultimately try as hard as he must Prost didn't have the pace to keep up with Piquet. Halfway through lap car went wide in turn 6 which helped Lauda close on him but a few laps later Niki got Prost for 2nd, so the Frenchman came home 3rd which is awesome considering for the last half of the race he had to nurse home a misfiring McLaren. Luckily for Alain his problem wasn't enough to force a retirement and still has an 8.5 point lead over Niki. Onwards to the other country located on the North American continent, United States of America🇺🇸 for the United States grand prix. It really could be considered a Detroit disaster for pace. Alain Prost just simply didn't have any strength to even fight for a step on the podium. Plus, he had a spin in the middle of the race. On the positive side of things, he survived the attrition rate to cross the line 5th but Martin Brundle🇬🇧 who was originally 2nd but got disqualified for the season cause Tyrell had fuel irregularities 4th so Prost got 4th. Halfway there with Formula 1 and halfway done with the racing action in the USA, now it's time for the Dallas grand prix. The heat is about to turn up for good and bad reasons, F1 is very popular in this part of the world. But we were in the middle of a massive heatwave, extremely hot weather along with the extremely hot exhausts bits of the track were literally disintegrating.  This is actually the 2nd hottest F1 race in history, 40°C or in other words 104°F. After track prep, the race would go on as scheduled. Starting from 7th but Rene Arnoux started from rear from a Ferrari misfire so that's an extra position for Alain Prost. The Frenchman would start off ok but steadily drive through the field. 30 laps in, Prost had made it into the podium places. Things would slowly progress for the better as he would battle for the lead with Rosberg and Mansell. Nigel ended up hitting the wall which cost him the lead and ultimately had to pit promoting Alain to P2. 19 laps to go and Prost made his move to get the lead. In such difficult and hot conditions when survival is key, it looked like Prost was going to extend his advantage in the world championship. he would have done that, until he hit the wall with 11 to go damaging his wheel rim, causing a puncture, and enough damage to where he couldn't get back to pit road. The British🇬🇧 grand prix at Brands Hatch would appear next on the F1 calendar. This is McLaren's home grand prix, we know how much it means to F1 drivers to perform in front of their home fans, the team want to perform at home to for their families that come to the track and all of their fans that support them year in and year out. Once again Prost missed out on pole to Piquet, but the McLaren driver refused to let the leader out of his sight. Prost made a bold move into turn 1 and got the lead. But that was all for not, due to Johnathan Palmer🇬🇧 having a big crash the race was red flagged. However, the rule stated that the lineup would take form from the previous lap before the red flag. prost was not a happy camper and accused the FIA of not knowing their own rules. He channeled his frustration by nailing restart and getting the lead. He had a small lead over his teammate but was in control until gearbox troubles slowed him down forcing him to pull into the pits and out of the race. Prost's point lead has been shrunken down to 2.5 now with 6 races to go in the world championship. One of those races will take place at the Hockenheimring in Germany🇩🇪. Prost would start on pole in the T-Car, his original car had reliability issues so it's always good to have a backup plan. You don't want to back up at the start of the race though, both McLarens fell back at the start. Prost fell to 2nd while Lauda lost 1 spot but recovered it quickly. Engines would be under a lot of strain so it's common to see mechanical failures. Prost would get the lead after Angelis's engine blew up but technically didn't even lead a lap yet as Piquet went by him.  As the race went on, it looked like it was going to be the same 3 drivers who stood on the podium from the Canadian grand prix on the podium for the German grand prix, the only difference might be is that Prost would be 2nd and Lauda 3rd. The BMW engine in Piquet's Brabham had other plans, with the race just halfway over it blew up forcing another mechanical DNF for the reigning champion. This closes the door for Nelson to win the 1984 championship, but it opens the door for Prost to have the McLaren bragging rights. Lauda led the 1-2 in South Africa, this time in Germany it was Prost's turn. Alain Prost wins his 13th career Formula 1 race! He can stand on the top step of the podium for the 4th time this season knowing the end of the season is near and dreams of being world champion are getting closer to becoming a reality. 5 races to go and 5.5 points separate the top 2. Next on the schedule is the Austrian🇦🇹 grand prix. Alain knows just like any driver that on the top of their list on places they want to win is at home. Prost finished 7th at his home race while Lauda won. This time Prost hopes to beat Niki on his home turf. Prost got the front row in 2nd and Lauda would start 4th. Prost would get the lead off the line, but the start would be aborted from the starting lights malfunctioning and a couple of cars stalling on the grid, those cars belonged to Elio de Angelis and Huub Rothengatter🇳🇱. Basically, let's just control alt delete like it never happened. This time on the actual start Prost would hold his 2nd position and Lauda fell to 6th. Guess who Alain Prost was trying to take the lead from? Nelson Piquet. Nelson may have the better qualifying car most times with Brabham, the McLaren was often the superior racecar in 1984. Still though Prost could not pass the reigning world champion. While Lauda recovered to 3rd Prost knew that he needed to get the lead to win the race and extend his points advantage this late in the year. But you know what is even worse? Spinning out from 2nd from what looked like an unforced driver error. But wait, it wasn't Prost's fault, he spun due to oil from Angelis's engine blowing up. What has to feel like a bigger blowup was Prost's championship hopes. Not only did Niki Lauda win the race, but he did it with an ailing car with only 3rd and 5th gears in his car, AND lead Prost now by 3.5 points. For the first time all season Prost is the hunter. And that hunt to regain the points lead would start at the Dutch🇳🇱 grand prix. Prost started on pole for the third time but fell to 2nd behind Piquet while Lauda fell to 10th. While Lauda recovered to 6th where he originally started Prost was battling for the lead. This time Prost would be able to get the lead after Piquet DNFed but Niki was in 2nd place. That is how things would stay by the checkered flag. McLaren get another 1-2 which clinched them the constructors championship for the first time since 1974 and they break the record of most wins in a Formula 1 season set by Lotus in 1978. The McLaren drivers are in a league of their own. 3 races left in the season to decide if Alain Prost would become the first French world champion or if Niki Lauda would win his 3rd title and claim Austria's 4th overall. A trio of races remain now, one of them is the Italian🇮🇹 grand prix. Horsepower will be key; McLaren definitely have that with their TAG Porsche P01 engine. Sadly, for Prost that engine blew up in his car on lap 3. To add insult to injury in with his 4th DNF in the last 6 races, Lauda went on to win the race. So, for Prost his championship hopes are all but over with two races to go. 9.5 points separate Prost from his teammate, Prost plain and simply MUST finish ahead of Lauda in the points at the European🇪🇺 grand prix or Lauda can win the championship a race early. The European grand prix will be in Germany🇩🇪 at the brand-new edition of the Nürburgring. With Lauda starting 15th Prost needed to maximize his front row start. Lights out and Alain gets the lead and is able to control his destiny to keep his championship hopes alive. While Prost pulled away from the pack, Lauda pulls off overtaking moves through the field. As the race hit the middle stages Lauda was stagnant in 6th place which is worth 1 point. While he was trying to make up more spots on Derek Warwick and Michele Alboreto he spins out in the last corner. Who knows if Prost has any idea of what is going on behind him? Nonetheless, that would be big for him. Prost just simply wanted to go into the season finale with a chance at the championship, and after leading every lap Prost wins the European grand prix putting maximum points in his bucket. Lauda finished 4th with the help of reliability issues of Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick. Points that Lauda gained still make Prost's hill to climb steep. It's difficult for sure, but not impossible. With 3.5 points to make up, Prost has to win the race and Lauda finish 3rd or lower. It will all be decided in Portugal🇵🇹 for the Portuguese grand prix. This is the first Portuguese grand prix held since the 1960s and it could be the place Alain Prost wins his 1st world championship. Prost is on the front row and Lauda is 11th, so if things go like they did in the previous race, then the feat can be pulled off. Niki Lauda's best start of the season was 3rd on one occasion at Britian. Prost has just been able to qualify better than him, so Lauda decided to set his car up for the race. Sometimes, it had worked sometimes it hasn't. Lauda will begin the season finale in the 11th spot. Prost is starting 2nd with nothing but clear track ahead if he nails the start the way he did at the Nürburgring. 70 laps remain in the 1984 season to determine who the world champion will be. For the first Portuguese grand prix to be held at Estoril, it's lights out and away we go, Prost does not get the lead on lap 1 but falls back to 3rd while Lauda fell to 13th position. Prost was already on the move getting back up to 2nd on the next lap. While if the race ended like it was right now, Prost would be champion. The Frenchman knew that his teammate was going to be charging through the field. So, at lap 8 Prost gets the lead seeking to gain the most points he possibly could in order to beat Lauda for the title. Both the McLarens were giving it their all on track, while Prost was building a big gap, Lauda got up to 9th. Just like at the Nürburgring at times, Niki would be stuck in traffic at times. By lap 20, Niki Lauda would get to 7th place. However, he still has a long way to go to get in 2nd. From laps 27-33 he made critical passes on Stefan Johansson🇸🇪, Michele Alboreto, Keke Rosberg, and Ayrton Senna to get into the podium places. Now the championship hangs in the balance of who will finish 2nd in the race. Prost is cruising with a big lead over Lauda that is over 40 seconds, but the gap between 2nd place Mansell and 3rd place Lauda is give or take 30 seconds. With 20 laps to go, the gap is just too big to make up unless something happens to Mansell. At lap 53 a bad break comes for Prost. No, it's not that anything happened to Prost, but a left front brake failure for Nigel Mansell spins out the Brit and forces him to retire from the race. At this point there is nothing Prost could do to win the title. As the checkered flag fell on the 1984 season, so did Prost's ambitions on a first title. Prost won the race setting a career high for victories in a season but for the second consecutive year finished 2nd in points. The gap was half a point, Yep.................a whole season worth of racing and Prost had seen the championship slip through his fingers by the narrowest of margins in Formula 1 history ever. Niki Lauda now with a 3rd championship would say that Prost was the toughest guy to beat and that this is the most important championship triumph in his career. That is definitely something Alain can take pride in. Fear not about Alain Prost however, he'd get his time in the sun. The Frenchman would go on to win the next 2 consecutive world championships and would end his career with 4 total. Nonetheless with how razor thin the margin was from victory and defeat some will always wonder, What if Prost never spun in De Angelis's oil in Austria? What if the Monaco grand prix had gone to 75% distance for full points? What if his engine didn't let him down in Monza? Heck, what if one or more cars that were ahead of Lauda in Europe or Portugal finished the race not giving Lauda extra points?  What might have been for Alain Prost?