Dining with Alain Prost in Hong Kong

HONG KONG--To certified Formula One

fans, a pit stop is the ultimate display of

teamwork. It is in the pits where, for

once, the fate of a driver does not rest solely on himself but on

the whole team.

Here, the pit crew needs to refuel the

car and replenish all four tires in the

soonest possible time. Nowadays, a

fast pit stop is somewhere in the

region of seven seconds. Needless to

say, a pit stop may make or break a

driver's run, as Eddie Irvine found out

in the last race in Nurburgring.

In the Kowloon side of Hong Kong,

however, a pit stop--even to certified

Formula One fans--also means to

gratify one's appetite for good food

and intoxicating drinks. Ask any

resident here who has passionate

knowledge of the premiere motorsport

event in the world, and chances are that the Pit Stop bar and

restaurant is a favorite hangout.

Located at 20 Tak Fung in Hunghom in the same establishment

as Harbour Plaza Hotel, the Pit Stop looks like an exclusive

Ferrari museum from the outside. Patrons are immediately

greeted by Ferrari badges with the much-revered Prancing

Horse emblem.

There are two ways to enter the joint: Through a main entrance

and a side door. We suggest you take the latter, which features

genuine Ferrari steering wheels as door handles. We never

knew opening a glass door could be so exhilarating.

Inside, the Pit Stop is truly a haven for motorsport enthusiasts,

especially the Ferrari devotees. A quick survey of the place

reveals more items paying tribute to the great Italian marque.

The interior appointments are predominantly red with yellow

accents. The waiters are garbed in pit crew fashion, complete

with Marlboro and Shell logos and identification tags a la F1 pit

pass.

The walls are adorned by numerous framed pictures of Ferrari

production cars and vintage Monaco Grand Prix posters.

Dunlop, Goodyear and Pirelli tires are piled and strewn all over

the place. There are even two red Shell fuel drums in on one

corner. The ceiling serves as one broad exhibition hall as

various bits and pieces detached from real touring cars hang

neatly.

A huge videowall is tuned in to the Star Sports channel, the

official broadcaster in Asia of Formula One races. A bright

billboard announces the complete F1 racing schedule as well as

the current standings in both the drivers and constructors

championships.

The main bar displays well-maintained engines and other

mechanical parts you only normally see in a service bay area.

This bar is hedged by stripe-painted steel barriers--yes, the

same ones you see along highway or racetrack sidelines. But

the most interesting feature of the bar is a 1930s Bugatti race car

that has been restored to an almost brand-new condition.

The Pit Stop serves American and Italian food, although the

menu disappointed us with plain, traditional dish names. We

were actually hoping to take a bite of a Damon Hill cheeseburger

or quench our thirst with a 360 Modena concoction. The music?

Typical upbeat Top 40 tunes with occasional Canto-pop

numbers. But it is the roaring and whining of an engine that

virtually pervade the room.

The hallway leading to the restroom is a colorful photo gallery

of motorsports. A door, which is obviously for authorized

personnel only, bears the sign "Pit Crew Only." We don't know

about the ladies' room, but the men's toilet boasts checkered

tiles, car-shaped urinals and a washbasin molded into a BMW

hood, complete with the signature twin-kidney grille and

headlights. We guarantee a car-mechanic feeling when washing

your hands.

But forget the lavatory, forget the food and music--indeed,

forget even the Bugatti. Parked on one corner is the Ferrari race

car driven by four-time Formula One World Champion Alain

Prost during the 1991 season, his second and last with Ferrari.

This Prost car--it should be noted--is the real one, not a mere

replica, complete with worn-out Goodyear tires.

Prost finished only fifth in this Ferrari after wrapping up a

runner-up season in 1990, his maiden year with Ferrari. He only

drove two seasons for Ferrari, before taking a sabbatical in 1992

and returning mightily in 1993 with Williams Renault and

snagging his fourth world title. He retired on top after the 1993

season and now runs his own F1 team, Prost Grand Prix.

Prost, to the uninitiated, is a titanic Formula One legend. To his

countless fans, he is the answer to the question: "Who is the

best Formula One driver of all time?" Many argue he was better

than even the ill-fated and three-time World Champion Ayrton

Senna.

Trivia: Prost and Senna, the two best drivers of their time--and

possibly of all time--were teammates at McLaren Honda in 1988

and 1989. Imagine Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen

joining forces today. How good were Prost and Senna? Let's

just say Senna narrowly beat Prost in the first year, and Prost

narrowly defeated Senna the following season.

Aside from the 1993 and the 1989 seasons, Prost also won the

drivers championship in 1985 and 1986, both with McLaren

TAG. Called "Professor of the Track" by F1 analysts and "fast

son of a bitch" by another F1 legend Niki Lauda, Prost also

holds the records in most Grand Prix wins (51); most

championship points (798.5); most podium finishes (106); and

most number of fastest laps (41).

If you can grab the table next to Prost's Ferrari, by all means do

so. Ours was far across the room, but we did touch the Ferrari's

right front tire despite a sign that said "Please Do Not Touch."

Of course, you can always opt for the more popular Planet

Hollywood in nearby Tsim Sha Tsui, where you can have your

picture taken beside hand imprints of prominent Hollywood

stars. In the Pit Stop, however, you can have your photo taken

beside authentic motorsports memorabilia, or--if you're wily

enough--in the cockpit of Prost's Ferrari.