MAGNY-COURS, France -- Local hero Alain Prost tightened his grip on the 1993 Formula One world drivers' championship Sunday with a record-breaking sixth French Grand Prix victory.
Prost, the only Frenchman ever to win the world title, extended his lead in the current championship to 12 points with his fifth victory this season and the 49th of his career.
The 38-year-old Williams Renault pilot, who became the first driver ever to win his national grand prix on six occassions, took the lead on lap 26 of the 72 lap, 190.15 mile race and maintained his advantage until the end before slowing down to finish just .342 seconds ahead of his rapidly improving British teammate Damon Hill.
Michael Schumacher of Germany drove his Benetton Ford into third place for his fourth podium finish of the season.
Former triple world champion Ayrton Senna of Brazil finished fourth, ahead of Briton Martin Brundle in the Ligier Renault. Senna's McLaren Ford teammate, Michael Andretti of the United States, finished in the points for the second time in his rookie Formula One season when he took sixth after starting 16th on the grid.
Prost's victory, which eclipsed former British world champion Jim Clarke's five home wins, lifted his points total in the drivers' championship to 57, ahead of Senna, 45, Hill, 28, and Schumacher, 22, and keeps him in position to become just the second driver in the history of Formula One to win four world crowns.
Prost previously won the world title in 1985, 1986 and 1989. Juan- Manuel Fangio of Argentina won it five times between 1951 and 1957.
'It is important to win your home grand prix and this was a race I did not want to lose,' Prost said. 'The crowd showed their feelings and I am very happy with this win. Damon showed fantastic form and it was a very good weekend for the team with our first 1-2 of the year.'
Hill made the best of his first career pole position and led Prost through the first 26 laps until surrendering the lead when he stopped for fresh tires.
Prost remained on the Nevers-Magny-Cours circuit, which hosted the French Grand Prix for just the third time, for another three laps before changing tires and returned to the track less than a second in front of Hill. He then held on easily for victory.
'I felt a win was possible for me,' Hill said. 'The car was fantastic in the race. There were a couple of things about my pit stop that did not help me though.'
Prost's victory was his first at Magny-Cours. His previous French wins were at Dijon-Prenois (1981) and at Le Castellet (1983, 1988, 1989 and 1990).
Williams Renault, which leads the constructors' championship by 37 points,finished 1-2 at Magny-Cours for the second successive year. Nigel Mansell, the 1992 world champion, won both previous races at the circuit.
Schumacher, who had been involved in a thrilling battle with Senna, finally got the better of the Brazilian with just 10 laps remaining and surged ahead to take third.
Senna, racing in his 150th grand prix, had climbed from fifth on the grid to third after passing both Ligier Renaults which had surprisingly qualified third and fourth.
Mark Blundell of Britain was under pressure from the outset and exited from the race on lap 20 when he lost control of his Ligier Renault and slid off the circuit. His departure allowed Senna and Schumacher to catch Brundle and the pair inevitably overtook him to fight out third.
'Ayrton and I have had some great battles on the track and this time I think I was the winner of the fight, which obviously I'm quite happy about,' a delighted Schumacher said. 'All weekend I thought we were quicker than the McLarens, apart from qualifying yesterday when we made a mistake, but the good result is what counts.'
Andretti, whose first season in Formula One has been dogged by problems, was thrilled with his sixth placing on American Independence Day.
'It all came together for me on race day,' he said. 'I concentrated on racing and overtaking. My speed into some corners was excellent and that helped me a lot on my way to my sixth place.'
The ninth round of the 16-race world championship is the British Grand Prix which takes place at Silverstone July 11.
