Alain Prost's F40

By the end of the 1989 Formula 1 World Championship, Alain Prost had become one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. With three World Championships to his name, he had joined the likes of Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, and Nelson Piquet, had become counted among the greatest drivers of all time, and his career showed no signs of slowing down. Despite clinching the World Championship over teammate and arch-rival Ayrton Senna, Prost would leave McLaren for Ferrari, replacing Gerhard Berger as the first driver signed for the Scuderia following the death of Enzo Ferrari.

As the incoming lead driver for Ferrari, it was only fitting that Prost would be given a Ferrari for use away from the circuit. And what better car for a reigning World Champion than a brand-new F40, the fastest road-going car the world had ever seen. Prost’s F40, featured here, was completed in late 1989 and built without catalytic converters or adjustable suspension, features that would come to mark later-production F40s.

This iconic 1990 Ferrari F40 formerly owned by Alain Prost is available from RM Sotheby’s as a sealed bid auction held between the 10-12th May 2023. Photos: Remi Dargegen © RM Sotheby's