Tin-top tales with Alain Menu

Destined to become a vet, Swiss driver Alain Menu decided to follow his heart and headed for the track.

As Paul Fearnley discovers, it was no easy ride as financial constraints hindered his progress. And then he tested with a roof over his head...

Though the why and the how were hard to fathom, the where and the when were easily pinpointed: Geneva University’s auditorium in 1983.

For it was after only a fortnight’s studying that the ‘what’ became clear to him – if to few others: Alain Menu wanted to be a racing driver, not a vet.

No matter that Switzerland had forbidden circuit racing since 1955, or that his hard-working farming family had neither interest nor connections in motor sport.

Early days in a Van Diemen, when Alain Menu didn’t know where the next penny was coming from – but he showed promise

“I remember sitting there thinking, ‘What are you doing here?’”

says the two-time BTCC champion, who today swaps paint in the decorating business.

Author's summary: Alain Menu pursued racing despite financial constraints.

Motor Sport Magazine — 2025-10-27

Tin-top tales with Alain Menu

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