“At the slowest speed possible”

At the 2015 Austrian Formula One Grand Prix held at the Red Bull Ring, I had the privilege to meet one of the greatest drivers in history: Alain Prost (picture above). He was there as a consultant for the Renault F1 team and we had a nice conversation.

In his Formula One career, from 1980 to 1993, the French legend took 51 Grand Prix victories and 4 World Drivers’ titles, and this against the very best like Senna, Lauda, Mansell, Piquet… to name just a few and with his legendary effortless and smooth driving style “without going to what I think is my limit”, he once explained.

Prost added: “I always say that my ideal is to get pole with the minimum effort, and to win the race at the slowest speed possible.” Bernie Ecclestone, who knows a thing of two about racing thinks Alain Prost – and not Senna, Schumacher or Hamilton – is the greatest of all.

And fast he went, the little (1.65 m) Frenchman, witness his 51 Grand Prix victories, 33 career pole positions, his 41 fastest laps, and his 106 podiums. Picture below: Alain Prost celebrates his fourth world drivers’ title, obtained driving a Williams-Renault, at Adelaide in 1993.