• About
  • Contact
  • Contact Us

Follow my adventures at @cheryltaysg!

  • Home
  • Cars
  • Motorsports
  • Sports
  • Fitness
  • Lifestyle
  • Photography
  • About
  • Contact

Meeting the legendary Alain Prost

0 Comment
 02 Oct 2013   Posted by Cheryl Tay


When I received the email with the offer to interview Alain Prost, I immediately replied with a huge YES!! Why would anyone turn down the opportunity to meet a legend?! Alain Prost, in case you didn’t know, is a four-time World Champion in Formula One, winning the title in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993.

Formula One World Championship, Rd18, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Race, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday 4 November 2012.

Now 58 years of age, the Frenchman won his first three drivers’ titles with McLaren before he left for Ferrari. He then got fired for publicly criticising Ferrari and hence took a sabbatical in 1992. Prost came back to Formula One in 1993 with the Williams team and won his fourth and last title before leaving the sport.

89sennaprost

Prost was given the nickname “The Professor” because of how he drives with brains and thinks of how best to conserve his brakes and tyres. There was one big thing about his racing career though – the rivalry between him and the late Ayrton Senna. It started when Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988 and then both of them started clashing on track. I can go on forever about their rivalry!

Prost was appointed as Renault’s international brand ambassador last February and in his role, he advises on Renault’s F1 activities too. I found myself staring at his wrinkled pair of hands, wondering about all the times he drove in F1.

Q: What was the toughest part of your Formula One career?
A: The toughest for me wasn’t about racing or winning, but rather, it was seeing friends getting hurt or even dying in big accidents. I’ve seen quite a lot of huge accidents back then. At the end of the day winning one race or one championship is important, but when you see a huge accident and people dying in front of you – that was really the most difficult.

Q: What do you miss about Formula One?
A: I had a fantastic career and I really do not regret anything. I don’t care that I could have gone on to win the drivers’ championship six or seven times. I’ve been on the podium many times (106 to be exact) and I’ve won a lot of races (the number is 51). I’m still involved today and I still have the passion, but when I look at the cars, I don’t feel like doing it again. I can understand if some drivers got to Formula One but never had the experience of winning races and being at the top of the podium. That way, I can understand why they can miss something, but for me, I’m not missing working in that environment again.

Q: Anything that you don’t miss about Formula One?
A: The travelling. In Formula One today, there are 20 to 21 races a season and that is quite difficult for me. I like to travel a little for leisure and see how the world is changing, but that’s it.

Q: What made you decide to retire from racing?
A: Sometimes, you get a little bit tired not from the driving but outside of it, like the environment and ambience, especially when it wasn’t what I wanted to have. When you’re winning it’s normal but when you’re losing you look stupid. In the end you say to yourself why should I continue like this, maybe it’s the right time to stop while you’re at the top. I could have continued for sure for another two to three years but I thought it was better to stop at the top.

Q: How was life after retirement?
A:
After I stopped and retired, I felt lost. You feel completely depressed and you don’t know that before. That’s one thing you realise very quickly. You’re so tired, especially mentally, at the end of the season and you need to rest a little bit. For about one month after retiring, I was waking up at 10 in the morning and it was good at the start. But very very quickly after, shit I got bored!

I had no project, no target and I didn’t want my son to see me waking up so late every day. It started to be a big problem and so, after three months I figured I had to do something. I then took up a communications role in Renault and then went back to McLaren as technical advisor. Now with Renault we are very busy, as there is a big technical challenge next year to develop the power unit.

Q: What do you think about next year’s major engine change?
A: I look forward to the bringing back of the turbocharged era. The driver has to think more and be more careful with things like the way they use the energy.

Q: If you could pick a team-mate from the current Formula One grid, who would it be and why?
A: In terms of personality I like Jenson Button and Mark Webber, but in terms of skill, there are many good drivers like Sebastian, Lewis (Hamilton), Fernando (Alonso) and Kimi (Raikkonen) who will be interesting.

421602

Q: What advice do you have for young drivers?
A: This is the most difficult question you can ask someone like me. There is almost no advice to be honest. Obviously you need to start as soon as possible and it’s easier in Europe to start go-karting from a very young age. But after that only a few can go into F1. The thing is, it doesn’t just have to be F1, as there are different disciplines of motorsports. The most important is to have the passion and the motivation.

Apart from that, it’s hard for me to give advice because everyone is different and depending on the country you are living in, you all cannot do exactly the same thing. What is important is to just keep winning, regardless of country or type of motorsport. You just have to win as soon as possible.

It’s very difficult to tell you what to do. There is no trick – racing is like work; it’s a job and remember to have the passion.

Q: What do you think of women in motorsport?
A: There are a lot of good women in motorsport, but there aren’t that many in the first place, though the number is growing. We never had a top woman in F1 and I think a main reason is the physical problem. About women reaching the top level of F1, we still don’t know exactly as we never had anyone close.

Related Posts

  • Mark Webber: “I won’t come back to F1.”Mark Webber: “I won’t come back to F1.”
  • Women drivers need more fitness than the menWomen drivers need more fitness than the men
  • Why Nico Rosberg is a class actWhy Nico Rosberg is a class act
  • Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2015: Postcard from Marina BayFormula One Singapore Grand Prix 2015: Postcard from Marina Bay
  • Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2013Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2013

Share and Enjoy !

0Shares
0 0
Written by Cheryl Tay

  • Search Cheryl Tay’s posts

  • About Cheryl Tay

    563588_392090887491821_131620790205500_1178808_177312844_n_resized


    First establishing herself in the world of cars and motorsports, Cheryl Tay is a sports and fitness blogger who advocates living an active and healthy lifestyle. Founder of body image movement Rock The Naked Truth, Cheryl overcame over a decade of eating disorders and is now passionate about helping people with similar struggles. She also has a running club ROCKrunners and a tri-enthusiast club ROCKtri.

    Rock The Naked Truth encourages others to be comfortable in their own skin and to learn that there is more to life than just being a slave to the numbers on your scale. Truly, life has more meaning than just forcing yourself to look good - it's most important to be happy and feel good about yourself!

    Previously...
    > Fitness columnist for Yahoo! Sports
    > Founder of ELITE (fitness competition)
    > Motoring writer for TODAY
    > Columnist for Rev / Run magazines
    > Official photographer for ONE Championship
    > Media manager for Formula Drift Asia
    > PR manager for PETRONAS Syntium Team
    > Business development for Kartright Speedway
    > F1 youth speaker for Singapore GP
  • Recent Posts

    • Road to the BMW Berlin Marathon 2022 starts here
    • Our Spain itinerary
    • Pandemic travel tips
    • REVIEW: Skechers GO RUN 8
    • Love is love.
  • Archives

    • 2022 (5)
      • April (1)
      • March (2)
      • January (2)
    • 2021 (12)
      • December (2)
      • November (2)
      • October (2)
      • July (1)
      • June (2)
      • April (1)
      • March (1)
      • January (1)
    • 2020 (14)
      • November (1)
      • September (2)
      • August (1)
      • July (1)
      • April (4)
      • March (1)
      • February (2)
      • January (2)
    • 2019 (23)
      • December (4)
      • November (3)
      • October (5)
      • September (1)
      • August (1)
      • June (3)
      • May (2)
      • April (1)
      • March (1)
      • February (1)
      • January (1)
    • 2018 (21)
      • November (2)
      • October (1)
      • September (1)
      • August (1)
      • July (3)
      • June (2)
      • May (3)
      • April (1)
      • March (3)
      • February (3)
      • January (1)
    • 2017 (35)
      • December (1)
      • November (4)
      • October (4)
      • September (5)
      • August (5)
      • July (3)
      • May (7)
      • March (2)
      • February (1)
      • January (3)
    • 2016 (55)
      • December (7)
      • November (3)
      • October (3)
      • September (5)
      • August (2)
      • July (3)
      • June (2)
      • May (5)
      • April (1)
      • March (7)
      • February (8)
      • January (9)
    • 2015 (149)
      • December (4)
      • November (8)
      • October (12)
      • September (15)
      • August (19)
      • July (16)
      • June (16)
      • May (16)
      • April (8)
      • March (13)
      • February (14)
      • January (8)
    • 2014 (469)
      • December (16)
      • November (26)
      • October (20)
      • September (16)
      • August (38)
      • July (52)
      • June (64)
      • May (71)
      • April (49)
      • March (55)
      • February (29)
      • January (33)
    • 2013 (135)
      • December (23)
      • November (30)
      • October (31)
      • September (38)
      • August (13)
  • cheryltaysg

    Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisu Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisure too! It has taken me 35 years to find a decent work-life balance, between work, play, fitness and personal.

I used to be a full-on workaholic, working every day till late, eating rubbish and not exercising. And then I was trying not to eat so I could be skinny. And then I would fall very ill when my body snaps because I wasn't resting enough.

I've since learnt that we need to take care of ourselves properly, because work is important yes, but the effects of overworking and too much stress are very detrimental, especially in the long term.

Quality of life, always remember to enjoy quality of life!

P.S. Little Oli's face is everything!

#beachday #bikiniempire
    Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to sh Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to shoot and report on sports! I love watching sports and this has been such an amazing experience.

I can't help tearing up when I see dreams being made and broken. These SEA Games athletes are fighting so hard and leaving nothing behind. You can see the highs, the lows and the unexpected.

The emotions in sports are so raw and pure, and that's why I love sports. You can't cheat the feelings.

Go Team Singapore!!!

#sportplussg #seagames2021 #seagames #sportphotography #teamsingapore
    TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER! Tip #1: Cut your shower TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER!

Tip #1: Cut your shower time by 1 minute and save 9 litres of water.

Tip #2: Save 11 litres of water when you rinse your teeth with a mug instead of using a running tap.

Tip #3: Use reduced flush for liquid waste and save 1.5 litres per flush. 

Tip #4: Save 14 litres when you wash vegetables and dishes in a filled sink instead of under a running tap.

Tip #5: Do not use the washing machine for just a few pieces of clothing.

Did you know that the BMW Group powers production of two of their electric vehicles, the BMW iX and BMW i4, entirely with regional green hydroelectricity?

We recently went down to the NEWater Visitor Centre and learnt a lot about water conservation. There are also a lot of mind-blowing facts - pre-COVID, we use 145 litres of water per person per day (as seen in this photo), but during the pandemic when everyone was home, that number went up to 158 litres 😱😱😱.

Watch the video to learn more mind-blowing facts!
    Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is really fun, friendly and I wish we had more time to go out and play. Next time! Perhaps I need to go to Thailand hmmm...
    WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING! This is s WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING!

This is super exciting, after all the hurdles we have had to overcome. From being turned away by venues, to not being able to do a wedding because it has to be ROM registered due to COVID-19 restrictions, to finally, finally being able to hold our wedding because private events are now allowed.

YAYYYYYY!!!

Our union may not be legally recognised in Singapore, but we still want to get our nearest and dearest together in the name of love. Can't wait to celebrate our love and share this special occasion with y'all!

P.S. for those asking, we will get our paperwork done somewhere overseas at some point.

#TaykeMeHuangMoreTime

Gown: @thegownwarehouse
Suit: @stitchedsg
Makeup: @clarasongmakeup
    What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yest What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yesterday and then ran in the light rain today.

But I didn't mind today's run at all because it was a bagel run! That is, we ran from home to CBD to get breakfast. Today we got bagels!

And then cabbed home, not run home, in case you're wondering lol.

#RoadToBerlinMarathon #wetweather #runintherain #runtobreakfast #iloverunning
    Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank good Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank goodness we had such good weather yesterday and also happy that we don't have group size limits anymore!

I love that we can bring our dogs to @olabeachclubsg so that they can hang with us, nawwwwww.

Swipe to see all the nonsense we were up to!
    If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And some If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And sometimes the guilt does get to me. So I'm glad that I have found plant-based snacks, without the guilt, with the same pleasure. This really helps as I'm trying to cut down on the bad stuff as my training picks up. These Nuggets, Bites and Strips are from FIRST PRIDE and are entirely made of plants. Best part, they taste like the real thing. Whuuuttttttt!

These have a three-step coating so it has maximum crispiness, meat-like texture made from plants so they feel like your usual nuggets and they have 0% trans fat. You won't even realise they are made from plants honestly. In addition, they make for a good source of protein and fibre.

Available at FairPrice, CS Fresh, Giant and RedMart, these are going at a promo price of $6.95 per packet (from 12 – 25 May). More details at @firstpridesg!

#FIRSTPRIDESG #SOOOGOOD
    New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time in over two years for the Shufflers invitational half-marathon event and omg I was feeling a bit nervous, so silly.

It was more of a time trial than a race for me (because I wasn't gonna win) so I just focused on pacing and running my best.

Man, it really hurt! I haven't been running this distance much, so by the 18km mark my legs started to fade and I could see my pace dropping.

But I've already come so far, so I just sucked it up and somehow managed to make it to the end.

Really happy with my time - my fastest HM ever I think. Woohoo! Thank you to the organisers for the effort and to the volunteers who made this event run so smoothly.

Woke up this morning with sore legs but with a silly grin on my face, because I've missed this feeling!

144 days to Berlin Marathon.

#roadtoberlinmarathon #bmwxcheryltay #halfmarathon
    It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already have. Stop looking for greener grass - the grass is only green where you water it!

#showgratitude #beachday
    You probably have seen this photoshoot that I rece You probably have seen this photoshoot that I recently did for @shiseidopro_official, where I was very fortunate to have had a team of professionals glam me up for this.

1 hair stylist, 2 make up artists, 2 stylists, 1 photographer + assistant, and of course the client team and the agency team. Totally made me feel like a superstar for a day!

You know what? The younger me would have killed for this opportunity.  I suffered from various eating disorders so I could become skinny and I really, really wanted to become a model.

Swipe to see my journal entry where I talked about how badly I wanted to be one and get in print ads and do TVCs, how I still felt I wasn't skinny enough, and how insecure I felt about myself. It's crazy!

Oh if I could talk to my 21-year-old self I would tell her how amazing she is and how she doesn't have to be skinny and become a model to prove her self-worth. Somehow I kept thinking that if I became thin, I would be better accepted and being a model would validate my existence. No gurlllll you already are enough!

BONUS - swipe to see some of my photos from my modelling days back then. WHO IS DIZ?! I did get some jobs here and there, but they weren't big jobs. @thehuangergames had a good laugh at these pics, but hey we were all young once ok!

#rockthenakedtruth #loveyourself #bodypositivity #selfworth #theyoungerme #throwback
    I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick a I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick and huge and ugly. I hated how my shorts would keep riding up between my legs because I have no thigh gap. I hated how I looked terrible in short shorts because my legs just looked fat.

But now I'm proud of these legs. They can do so many things and right now they are training for a marathon, on top of achieving many other things that I like to do like cycling and swimming and wakesurfing and taking long walks.

So don't hate your legs or any part of your body. It's yours!! It doesn't have to look a certain way because who gets to decide how it should look?!

#thiccplease #rockthenakedtruth #nothighgap
    This is probably the best and only proper photo we This is probably the best and only proper photo we got that day, because with @jyanyoga and @constancelaujm always goofing around, it's hard to get a decent pic.

Swipe to see what I'm talking about.

Still, always happy for time spent with these siao zhabors!

#beachday #bikinigirls #sunsandsea #blueskies #fitgirls #bikinitime
    I'm always up for anything interesting so when @sh I'm always up for anything interesting so when @shiseidopro_singapore gave me this opportunity to get creative with my hair, I was like, BRING IT! Totally loving this split-coloured hair with the magenta shade that is new to their ULTIST by PRIMIENCE range.

This hair colour formula is developed for Asian hair and has COLOR-in-CORE Technology that locks the colour into the core, so it really brings out the shade you want. I also like how my hair does not feel dry at all, which is a big thing for me when I colour my hair.

I get that some people cannot be too wild with their hair because of work, but a shade like that is not too loud and probably more palatable for the office? So, go on and get creative with the new trend shades from ULTIST - and ask for a split colour like mine!

#ShiseidoProfessionalSG #PRIMIENCE #ULTIST #BeautyStreamSS2022 #SpectralAllure 
#TogetherWithBeautyCreators #BeautyCreators
    The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th gener The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th generation now, is something I was curious to try as this is the successor to the Civic that I currently own.

For starters, the new Civic has a cleaner look but the interior is where the difference is greater. The cabin ambience feels more upmarket now, with premium features like wireless charging, a bigger 9” screen that sits atop the dashboard and a honeycomb mesh that runs through the dashboard and conceals the aircon vents.

One thing that stood out is its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that is now the only engine variant that the Civic is available in, in Singapore. Mine is the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, so I’ve really missed driving a turbo with its quick pick-up.

But I feel the biggest thing to note about this 11th-gen Civic is the range of safety tech features. It has adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist to prevent you from veering out of your lane, collision mitigation braking that alerts when you get too close to the vehicle ahead, and something called the LaneWatch system which essentially is a camera under the mirror of the passenger door that shows you what is in your blind spot when you are turning left. With all of these, you have less excuse for bad driving behaviour.

I definitely enjoyed this zippy drive and I had a lot of fun!

Engine: 1,498cc turbocharged inline 4
Power: 129PS at 5500-6000rpm
Torque: 180Nm at 1700-4500rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable
0-100km/h: 10.5 seconds
Price: S$143,999 with COE*

*A low downpayment option is available, starting from only S$14,400. You may leave your details at https://bit.ly/11-CivicSG to find out more.

#HondaCivic #Civic #Builtaroundyou #KahMotor @honda_sg
    Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before I start my Class 2 lessons next month. Oh how I've missed the feeling of the wind on my face! And of course it has to be a sports bike. Can't afford a sports car so sports bike it is!

Taking my motorbike licence at such a late age in life feels like some kind of mid-life crisis for a need for speed you know hahaha. I first took 2B lessons in 2010 but gave up then, which I regretted, but it's ok NEVER TOO LATE!!

#motorbike #bikergirl #yahamaR3 #sportsbike #class2a
    We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in t We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in this photo the cloud cover came but I swear there were blue skies, just swipe to see the rest of the photos haha.

I am really grateful for my life, that I get to do this; for my friends, whom I can do this with; and for my body, that allows me to do what I want.

🙌🙌🙌

#wakesurfing #blueskies #watersports #dreamwakeacademy #fitgirls
    Saturday night boxing! Was wondering if I would r Saturday night boxing!

Was wondering if I would run into any friends there and I'm glad I did yayyyyyyy.

#boxing #superdrysg #fjbenjaminsg #fitnessclass #workoutime #fitpeeps
    After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally made it out to ride with @teamfugu!

It's been a full Saturday for me from 4am to 10pm and I'm ready for a good sleep. Tell you more tomorrow!

📷: @tubberchubbs
    Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Be Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Berlin Marathon this year!

2022 is the year I'm on a mission to do better - for myself, the environment and those in need.

I'll be representing BMW Group Asia in the BMW Berlin Marathon, which is a World Marathon Major and the exclusive slots are usually via ballot. It will be my first WMM and I'll also be raising funds for the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

I recognise that environmental and social sustainability are essential for our future, so to do better for the environment, I'll be embarking on beach clean-ups and other conservation activities with BMW Group Asia and you can join us too. Stay tuned for more updates on how you can do your part.

It's gonna be an exciting year, I can feel it!!

Come on, do it with me and make this year YOUR year as well. Time to set some goals!

Shot by @jerrytangcl
Edited by @thehuangergames

#berlinmarathon #bmwgroupasia
    Load More... Follow on Instagram



Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Tay. All Rights Reserved.