In 1984 I tested for Formula One teams Williams,  McLaren, Brabham and Toleman. Despite having been given offers to join various teams I met certain hurdles along the way which affected the outcome of mine and others decision. Consequently, I joined Toleman, which at the time was a relatively new team.
That season I  made my debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro. During my second race at the South African Grand Prix I was hit with severe muscle spasims , they'd always get me when I was least expecting it but I was determent to win and so I did. That was the race where I won my first World Championship point. Two weeks later at the the Belgian Grand Prix the same thing happened. But then at the  San Marino Grand Prix with  a mix of tyre issues and a fuel pressure problems I failed to qualify , that was the first and last time in my career  I let it happen. Monaco Grand Prix was the first wet weather race that season, the rain was always my bestfriend it gave me something else , something more, something special. It gave me that little bit extra I  needed to win. Ultimatley I would say that was the race my real rivalry with Alain Prost began. I was catching Prost at 4 seconds per lap in that race. It was tough but I was determant and I finally passed Prost during the 32nd lap at the end of which the red flag was shown. However according to the rules, the positions counted were those from the last lap completed by every driver, lap 31, at which point Prost was still leading. That was also the race where I truley begain to realise politics and racing were one. Second place in that race was my first podium in Formula One. Later on that year I took two more podium finishes. Third at the British and Portuguese Grands Prix and placed 9th in the Drivers Championship with 13 points overall. It was around this time between formula one and other races when I started beating the big guys , the ones I had always looked up to that I caught myself saying "Now I know I can do it". Whenever I doubted myself after that I thought back to the faith I had in myself then and  fIind that I have in myself now

check out my race!.