Interview with Nicolas Prost, after driving at the wheel of the Renault RE40 F1!

20 years ago, Renault won his 1st title of F1 world champion (manufacturer and pilot). The GPFH was therefore an opportunity for the French manufacturer to celebrate this double crown, to trace “the Renault F1 epic” through an incredible F1 exhibition (Renault, Benetton and Williams) and to put on the track of the sons of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Alain Prost two emblematic models of this period: the RS10 1st F1 to win a GP (GP 1979 in Dijon… A 100% French victory: Renault builder and engine, JP pilot.

GP de France F1 Historic: from prost to prost!

Meeting with Nicolas Prost before he took the Paul Ricard track at the wheel of the last F1 Renault piloted by his father Alain, as part of the Grand-Prix de France historic.

Le Mag Sport Auto (LMSA) -Hello Nicolas, thank you for giving us some time in this busy weekend since you arrive from Mugello

And that you will be driving an F1 in a few hours for this last day of the GPFH 2025. How is the demonstration of today? Nicolas Prost (NP)

– It arises well, with a lot of emotions because it is the first time in fact, that I will ride in a daddy’s car. So a lot of emotions and a lot of apprehension because still there is, on the right in the cockpit, an element called a gearbox lever in H to which I am not too used. Even if I start to have gray hair I have never known that in a racing car! But, it is above all a lot of emotions to take the wheel of such a car. LMSA

– Have you never controlled your father’s F1? NP– No, never! … This is a bit like what the discussion came with Renault at the start of the year. During the Retromobile Salon I said to Gilles (NDLR : Meriadec Gills, Director of The Originals the Renault Collection

) “I have never driven a daddy’s car” … He replied “I think it can be done”. LMSA

– You are going to take the wheel of the RE40, the last F1 Renault piloted by your father … but also the latest version of the “Renault F1 Turbo” era victorious in GP. NP

– Yes, it is that of 1983. For me, it is necessarily an important moment in my story with Renault in the race. It is also symbolic because it is the first car that I can remember because I was 2 years old when my father the management. So it’s quite incredible! LMSA

– Your father gave you some advice? NP

-Not really, he has always been in the style “Drive up!” ». He just said to me “be careful with the box and concentrate well” but hey it’s so difficult because I switch to something I don’t know. It is a car that was already 20 years old when I started rolling … What is quite funny, often, when you look at these cars is that there are things that seem completely obsolete and others or we say to each other, it is incredible that they thought of that at that time … There are, all the same, a lot of techniques in these cars! LMSA

-How do you understand the fact of having to pilot a car with a turbo engine of this generation, with less progressiveness, more “brutality”, in the delivery of power? Is it totally different from modern versions? NP

– We have progressed a lot on current cars, especially on how to bring the power and the management of its progressiveness. I think that the arrival of power will be something quite surprising … I don’t really know what awaits me! LMSA

– Thank you Nicolas, good preparation and good rolling, we will follow you on the track.

After the opening of the 2025 season on the Paul Ricard circuit, the Ultimate Cup European Series was stopping this weekend on the Italian circuit of Mugello. Nicolas Prost is playing this series behind the wheel of the Nova Proto 02 of the Cogemo Racing team.