Alain Prost confirmed for historic McLaren reunion as Emerson Fittipaldi project revealed

Alain Prost will climb back behind the wheel of his McLaren MP4/4 at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Prost formed a legendary partnership with Ayrton Senna at McLaren in 1988, with the team setting a record that season which stood until 2023.

McLaren and Alain Prost to reunite at Goodwood

With 15 wins from 16 races, McLaren’s MP4/4 only lost a single race in 1988 as Senna and Prost divided the year’s spoils between them as the Brazilian claimed the Drivers’ Championship.

The MP4/4 thus became the sport’s most dominant car until the F1 2023 season, in which Red Bull’s RB19 won 22 from 23 races to set a higher race win percentage than the 1988 McLaren.

Prost will climb back behind the wheel of the MP4/4 at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed for runs on the 12th and 13th of July.

The exact car is Chassis No.4, which won the Monaco, French, and Mexican Grands Prix in Prost’s hands before the French driver moved onto Chassis No.6 in the closing stages of the season.

The chassis is owned by Nicholas & Shelley Schorsch of the Audrain Collection and will be rolled out for the Festival of Speed over the four-day event next month.

Aside from the MP4/4, McLaren will run the MP4/2B which Prost won the title with. However, Prost won’t be driving this car, with driving duties shared between Rob Garofall and Bruno Senna – the nephew of the late Ayrton, a former F1 driver himself.

Marking 30 years since taking victory in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours, J.J. Lehto will be behind the wheel of the McLaren F1 GTR which won the event.

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Unique Emerson Fittipaldi McLaren project revealed

An unusual project saw a group of McLaren apprentices and interns the chance to build a McLaren M23, as raced by Emerson Fittipaldi to the 1974 Drivers’ Championship and James Hunt to the 1976 title two years later.

Using contemporary period methods to build the car, it is the 14th chassis of the M23 created, taking the number 15 out of deference to the ‘unlucky’ number 13.

The car has been built to its 1974 specification, with the project led by McLaren’s chief operating officer Piers Thynne, who will share driving responsibilities for the car with Senna.

“It’s great for McLaren to be back at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s the perfect occasion to showcase our own heritage alongside our more recent achievements and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula 1,” Thynne said.

“30 years on from our victory at Le Mans, it’s great to be able to have J.J. Lehto driving the F1 GTR and it will be special to see Alain Prost drive his 1988 MP4/4. It’s also fantastic to be able to run the MP4/2B to commemorate 40 years since Alain’s first Drivers’ Championship victory.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to drive the M23-15 and showcase the team’s hard work and talent. To be able to bring such a challenging project to life, involving such a wide range of team members across departments is a special moment, and is a great way to recognise the team’s first Championship win.

“We really enjoy being part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, so we look forward to seeing it all come to life for another year.”

For visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, UK, next month between the 10th and 13th of July, McLaren will be setting up in the Formula 1 paddock throughout and will be sending its cars up the famous Goodwood hill each day.

Aside from the cars being sent out on the tarmac, McLaren will also celebrate its F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship win by displaying the MCL38 in its garage, as well as the 2008 MP4/23 which Lewis Hamilton claimed the title with.

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