Alain Prost takes centre stage at the 2025 Festival of Speed

Prost’s career is the stuff of legend, his time in F1 coincided with the likes of Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher, and over the years he beat them all.

Those years, which saw Prost make 199 Grand Prix starts, and take 51 wins, 106 podiums, 33 pole positions and set 41 fastest laps, were put under the spotlight during a special moment at the Festival of Speed, as the great Frenchman recounted stories of his rivalries with several of the most revered drivers in F1 history.

After driving up to the steps of Goodwood House at the wheel of the McLaren MP4/4 chassis that he drove to victory at the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, and handing his gloves to a delighted young fan in the front row, he made his way to the balcony to a warm reception.

It’s difficult not to get emotional when you hear Prost talking about Senna. Their relationship has remained under relentless scrutiny, even three decades after the Brazilian’s tragic death, yet through it all there was a deep, unbreakable respect between the two.

He was joined on the balcony by John Barnard, the man who worked with Prost at McLaren, when he became World Champion in 1985 and ’86, and Ferrari before eventually joining the Frenchman’s F1 team in the 1990s. The pair had plenty of stories to tell after spending the best part of 20 years combining their brilliance in the name of victory.

We’ve absolutely loved having Alain here for the Festival of Speed this weekend. He’s a true legend of the sport in every sense of the word.

The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed is underway! You can watch every moment of the action by watching our livestream.

Photography by Jordan Butters.