TALKING TO… Alain Prost

The future of Formulas 1 and E, as seen by the team manager for Renaul t i n FE, adviser to Renault F 1 and four-time F1 champion

How do you divide your time between the needs of Formula 1 and Formula E?

Formula E is more work than you’d think, because the series is growing and we’re already planning for the changes this year. F1 too this year is going to be busy for me – I think I will eventually have to choose either one or the other.

Could Formula E become the more important sport?

We need to keep the concept and the magic of Formula E, such as the city circuits, while welcoming more constructors and keeping budgets stable – and always put the money into the development of the technology. If we do that, the sport will always grow. F1 is different. As Renault, it’s good to have a connection with the product for marketing. I don’t think we can predict what’s going to happen in the next ten years, but look at what we’re doing at the [Shanghai] show [with the RS 2027 Vision F1-car concept]. We’ll always keep atmospheric engines, but maybe we can make the hybrid technology simpler and less costly in the future.

Have 2017’s changes moved Formula 1 in the right direction?

I think so – we have a bigger audience, a good show with Liberty [Media]. Ferrari is more competitive, and with more competition you have good races. But maybe for 2021 we could move the regulations on a few more steps, and attract a younger audience. More information, more connectivity – try some new ideas.

Does Formula 1 consult you, given your history in the sport?

I do talk to Ross [Brawn]. You can’t say, ‘I want that, I want that…’ You have 10, 20, 50 elements, and not everybody will agree on everything. The problem in F1 is that if you change a technical rule, it often does not work because the sporting regulations haven’t changed. I have a good vision of what we had in the past, what works, what did not work. There are a few things we could do that may work very well.

You have much less feeling in modern F1 cars than you had in the past

I cannot go into details, but the vision is to have more power, lighter cars… and for me, less aero. More priority on mechanical grip, and more freedom with tyres. Let them have three compounds per weekend, but make the choice free. Even if they want to mix and match – let them do it. It opens up the strategy. And if you have much more power, less downforce, you put more emphasis on the driver.

Is it frustrating that F1 hasn’t yet reduced aero to improve the racing?

That’s why people sometimes have to listen to our generation. I will never say it was better in my day, but they need to understand why it was different. It was difficult to overtake, it was difficult to follow a car, but the car itself was more difficult to drive – you’d make mistakes, and miss gears. But in other ways it’s still difficult today – more screens to study, higher downforce.

Have you had the opportunity to drive a modern Formula 1 car?

I have driven a Lotus, and a Red Bull. They’re more sophisticated, but you have much less feeling in these cars than you had in the past. When you braked or steered in my time, the car would pitch, or roll. I never liked the Williams active car in 1993… It was a fantastic car, but I used to set up the car myself with the engineer, and the active car changed that. It changed the handling, too – sometimes in a fast corner it was easier to go flat, rather than lifting. I got used to it, but it did not suit my driving style.

When you retired from F1 did you think you’d still be involved in it in 2017?

I didn’t know. When I retired I didn’t know what I was going to do! But that’s my life. I always just follow my ambitions. Even if it’s sometimes a bit difficult, I still have the passion for what I do.

And finally, what do you drive?

A Porsche 911, but day-to-day I have a Renault Espace. It’s good to have a passion for cars, but when you’ve driven in F1, very little compares!