Complex sentence: His team mate Alain Prost took the lead in the championship by finishing 2nd, only 0.232 seconds behind Lauda, the two dicing for the lead over the final 12 laps of the race.
Split into simpler sentences: His team mate Alain Prost took the lead in the championship by finishing second, only 0.232 seconds behind Lauda. The two had diced for the lead over the final twelve laps of the race.