Small and Tall roar through Nice!

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Renault's Alain Prost and Nico Hulkenberg brought a bit of sunshine yellow to drenched French F1 fans in the city of Nice this weekend.

The duo was entrusted with the mission of promoting next summer's French Grand Prix at the Circuit Paul Ricard by warming up the crowd to F1, and running up and down the seaside resort's famous Promenade des Anglais.

Despite torrential rain and heavy cloud cover, thousands of fans lined the route to get a glimpse of the Hulk in a 2012 V8-powered E20 and four-time world champion Alain prost in a 1983 RE40.

"It was a fantastic event here today, enthused Hulkenberg.

"It’s an amazing thing to be able to drive down Promenade des Anglais with a Formula 1 car. The sound was incredible.

"It’s such a famous place in the South of France and you don’t get to do it every day!

"It was a shame the weather was so bad but I saw a lot of people with smiles on their faces – I think we put on a good show and hopefully gave people a taste of what’s to come with the French GP."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.