During the 2023 Ferrari World Finals at Mugello, the presence of a beloved driver resonated with fans—the one and only René Arnoux. The Frenchman, born in 1948, participated in 149 F1 races, driving for various teams, including Ferrari and Renault, securing 7 victories and 22 podium finishes. He is fondly remembered for the iconic duel with Gilles Villeneuve during the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon and, despite an abrupt and unexplained departure, maintains a strong connection with Ferrari.
This connection led him to get back behind the wheel of one of Maranello’s cars, part of the ‘XX’ program, reliving the emotions of the past. After a session on the track with the FXX-K, the Italian website Formula1.it had the exclusive opportunity to chat with René Arnoux:
**Q: Hello René, you’re a regular presence at the Ferrari World Finals, always part of the red family in a different role. What does Ferrari mean to you?**
“**René Arnoux:** Ferrari means something not just to me, but it’s exciting for many people. If you conduct a survey and ask about the most well-known racing car, everyone says Ferrari, nothing else. It’s not a coincidence; it has a legendary history, a present, and a future. It’s the only name with this charm, both in racing and on the road. Collectors compete to acquire them. All of this is significant.”
**Q: You raced for Ferrari during your Formula 1 career, and perhaps that’s how everyone remembers you. How do you evaluate your time in red?**
“**René Arnoux:** I drove for three years at Ferrari, something everyone dreams of. They sought me out, and I would have gone to Maranello even swimming. It’s an extraordinary company; they make every component themselves, from design to realization. They are unique in the world.”
**Q: Your adventure in Maranello was made possible by the approval and will of Enzo Ferrari. What do you remember about Il Drake? What impressed you?**
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“**René Arnoux:** You arrive in Maranello after always dreaming of racing with them, and you find yourself in front of Il Commendatore; it’s like being a child at Christmas. I was selfish; I went without managers or lawyers. I regret nothing, and I didn’t want to share that moment. A wonderful moment, and I’ll remember it forever.”
**Q: With Ferrari, you had the opportunity to wear red, and your career changed.**
“**René Arnoux:** At the beginning, we talked about my career, my life. At lunch, he reminds me, ‘Rene, we are also here to talk about the future.’ From there, we talked about the technical aspects, my experience at Renault, Ferrari’s development for 1983, and he asked me what I wanted. We agreed on everything, shook hands, and he said, ‘Let’s sign.’ We signed two and a half months later. For me, Enzo Ferrari’s handshake had great value; I was happy. I would have regretted signing immediately; it made no sense. A handshake has much more value for me because, even with a contract, if they want to get rid of you, they find a way. The commendatore’s hand, on the other hand, was a secure currency.”
**Q: But you missed the championship with Ferrari. Is that a regret?**
“**René Arnoux:** Look, in 1983, I was close to the title; I lost it in Detroit while comfortably leading the race. Eight laps from the end, the engine broke due to a poorly done soldering of the tin. Nothing you can do about it.”
**Q: Nevertheless, it was a beautiful story, wasn’t it?**
“**René Arnoux:** I believe that when you’re at a certain level, going to Ferrari is almost obligatory…”
**Q: In your career, you competed against formidable drivers: Senna, Mansell, Prost, Piquet. Who do you think was your toughest rival?**
“**René Arnoux:** The greatest rival I had in my career? Myself.”
**Q: In 1985, you left Ferrari for reasons never clarified, and much has been written about it. Without asking for the truth, did it involve personal reasons, technical aspects, or disagreements with a leadership that was changing over time?**
“**René Arnoux:** I’ll be honest: I never talked about the issue for years, and I can say that you’ll never get an answer to that.”
**Q: Apart from racing for Ferrari, you also raced against Ferrari. Everyone, those who experienced it and others, remembers the duel between you and Gilles Villeneuve at Dijon in 1979. Can you take us back to those moments?**
“**René Arnoux:** Such a duel could only happen between me and Gilles. We had trust in each other; we knew each other. We found ourselves dueling, each with our technical problems. It was beautiful, and even though it happened more than forty years ago, anyone I meet tells me it was the most beautiful F1 race. Everyone remembers it.”
**Q: What was your relationship with Gilles Villeneuve like?**
“**René Arnoux:** We knew each other for a long time, invited each other to lunch. He told me to go eat pasta at Ferrari, and I invited him to eat at Renault the next day—always lunch together on race weekends. There was a beautiful friendship; we knew each other well.”
**Q: An almost unthinkable duel for today’s F1, don’t you think?**
“**René Arnoux:** Now there would be an immediate investigation. Damn, with today’s rules, Gilles and I would have gone straight to jail!”
**Q: A customary question: do you still follow Formula 1?**
“**René Arnoux:** I follow MotoGP more than F1. I find myself in the atmosphere of the races as I conceive them. Motorcycle riders have great courage: we have talent, but they have much more. If we have four balls, they have eight. I find the atmosphere I like. In F1, if you go to watch a race, you end up watching it on TV; they don’t let you go to the pit wall. I prefer to stay at home and have a beer.”
**Q: Speaking of Ferrari: do you think Vasseur can bring the red team back to winning ways?**
“**René Arnoux:** I think so; I believe Ferrari doesn’t lack people who ‘make’ the car: they are excellent in composites, mechanics, assembly. What’s missing are figures at the top of the pyramid, four or five strong individuals. If you don’t have great aerodynamicists, engine specialists, electronic experts, you’re done, you don’t go anywhere…”
**Q: So, a technical director and top-level department heads?**
“**René Arnoux:** Exactly. Especially in the aerodynamics department. In my time, just adding more horsepower to the car was enough, but today, if you gain 20 horsepower out of 1000
, it makes little difference. Aerodynamics make the difference. I remember that, even in Renault, Bernard Dudot told me that to gain 1 second per lap, you need 80 horsepower, while with aerodynamics, you spend less and get there more easily. With ‘standard’ engines like today, all 1600 cc, six cylinders, you gain crumbs. If you get aerodynamics right, you gain a lot.”
**Q: To conclude, what can you tell us about today’s drivers, from the perspective of someone who was a driver?**
“**René Arnoux:** Actually, I prefer not to talk about today’s drivers and not make comparisons. Once, I drove Schumacher’s F2004, and as soon as I got out, everyone asked me the difference between the current cars and those of my time. Like day and night, so I don’t make comparisons. They are more comfortable, with wonderful electronics, assisted. All of this has taken away the pleasure of driving: electronics intervene at the exit of a corner, the most beautiful moment. You have power steering, assisted gear changes, gentle brakes, everything is smooth. In my time, everything was tough; by mid-race, we were already worn out. Today’s drivers, on the other hand, dance on the podium…”
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