It's a Wonderful AF1 Life
The AF1 (After Formula One) life of a World Champion could be fraught with longing for a crash helmet and a cockpit, but not many find a way to enjoy their trade or be successful in other forms of racing. One weekend in Germany saw five former World Champions rekindle their racing instinct, in a race event that also featured more F1 drivers than could be seen in the US Grand Prix. Indeed, the DTM series is becoming a favourite among former F1 stars, with Mika Hakkinen has never looking happier than he is now, and even Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell are mulling the possibilities of driving in the series next year. Jonathan Noble was at the Norisring last weekend and talked exclusively to these great drivers, about the AF1 life of a former World Champion
All too often former World Champions' lives are over-shadowed by what they have achieved in their former career. The greatest days and happiest moments of their time at the top of Formula One are very rarely matched by what they go on to do after Grand Prix racing.
Think Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg...the list goes on. At very few points in their life AF1 (After Formula One) have they even come remotely close to getting the same satisfaction on track that they did in F1.
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