Motor racing mourns dashing De Cadenet...

ALAIN DE CADENET, who died on Saturday aged 76 after a long illness, only got into motor racing because on his first trip to Brands Hatch his model girlfriend ran off with one of the racing drivers.

The experience made De Cadenet realise ‘it would be a great way to get with women’.

He went on to compete 14 times in the world’s oldest endurance race, Le Mans, once finishing third.

Despite losing the sight in one eye in an accident, he carried on competing. After hanging up his helmet, he became a television presenter.

A renowned ladies’ man, among his children is the Eighties ‘wild child’ Amanda De Cadenet.