As early as 1992, Alain Prost had ambitions to buy the Ligier team, and had tested their '92 car incognito, wearing Érik Comas's crash helmet, with a view to being a driver-owner, even setting competitive lap times. Ligier was being supplied with Elf lubricants and Renault engines at the time, and the French manufacturers had strong ties with Prost. They were pushing to keep him in F1 after his sacking by Ferrari at the end of 1991. Prost wanted to bring John Barnard, who had designed his title winning McLaren cars in 1985 and '86 on board as part of the package. The deal fell through just before the season opening race in South Africa however, and Prost sat the season out before joining the similarly Renault powered Williams team for 1993, and won his fourth world championship before his retirement from racing.