Motor Racing: Prost confirms his retirement

ALAIN PROST, the four-times world champion, ended months of speculation yesterday by ruling out a comeback to Formula One with McLaren-Peugeot.

Prost - who retired from the sport last season after winning the title for Williams-Renault - had been pursued by the McLaren boss, Ron Dennis. But Prost, who test-drove the new McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril last week, announced he was vacating the cockpit for good after 51 grand prix victories.

McLaren will now look to Britain's Martin Brundle, Philippe Alliot of France, or Johnny Herbert, also of Britain, as their second driver behind Mika Hakkinen of Finland.