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 kumakundano ake mumwaka, achiwana mapoinzi kuInterlagos, Brands Hatch neZandvoort. Prost akapedza gore ari wechi15 muDrivers' Championship, achienzana nemapoinzi neyaimbova shasha yenyika Emerson Fittipaldi. Pasinei nemwaka wekutanga unokurudzira, Prost akaita tsaona dzinoverengeka, achityora chiuno chake panguva yekudzidzira paKyalami
uye kutambura nokudengenyeka kwendangariro 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.