René Arnoux: “How many men have had the chance to experience what I experienced? »

Thank you for welcoming AUTOhebdo for this walk on the banks of Lake Garda, in an unexpected vehicle for a Grand Prix winner!

I don't ride Ferrari, because no one can guarantee my license if I get behind the wheel. I still love cars, but not what we've done with them. We tax, we control, it has become hell for those who drive the cars and those who manufacture them. I'm lucky to be able to continue to have fun on the track, so on the road, I drive in cushy mode and this Mazda CX-50 is fantastic with its all-wheel drive, its comfort, because I've given enough with the tires -asses, and especially the cruise control.

However, we almost met in Switzerland…

I divide my time between Italy and Switzerland where I am a shareholder in the watch components company KIF Parechoc. Eighteen years ago, a friend suggested I invest in this company. We closed the deal and I moved to Switzerland, because I knew nothing about watchmaking and I wanted to learn about it straight away. I did not manage the company, but I worked hard to restore the factory, modernize the equipment and optimize precision to limit scrap, which gradually fell from 30 to 5%. Today we are three hundred and thirty people, and at 73 years old, I continue to go to the factory regularly. I feel like I've never worked. From the Formula Renault in watchmaking, I just spent my time striving for perfection.

What brought you to competition?

Honestly, at school I was a wanker, but my parents were great and smart enough to let my sister, brother and I go wherever we wanted. They quickly saw that I spent my time dismantling and reassembling engines and enrolled me in a technical school. There, I took off. Everything I did