Alain Prost is one of Formula One’s greatest racers.
Only two drivers in the history of the sport — German Michael Schumacher (7) and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio (5) — have accumulated more world championship titles than the Frenchman’s four.
But before becoming a household name in the glamorous world of F1, Prost was driving an altogether more humble car.
“My first road car when I got a license was a Renault R4,” the 62-year-old former McLaren and Ferrari driver tells CNN.
“But that was not my car, it was my parents’ car that I used sometimes.
“The first car that I bought myself was an Opel Kadett — but a Kadett GT! You know, it was almost a rally car — yellow and black — and that was perfect.”
Despite being called ‘le professeur’ and famed for skillfully maneuvering turns at breakneck speeds, Prost recalls a time when his cornering wasn’t quite so good.
“I was 21,” he remembers with a grin. “That was the car I had been dreaming about — and that was the only car I crashed!
“I slipped on the gravel going very slowly with a friend. I went down in a deep ditch. That was my first and only accident with a car.”
Watch the interview at the top of this page to find out more about Prost’s first car.
