May 1st marks the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s tragic accident at the Imola circuit. As a tribute, we’re revisiting some of the most memorable moments of the legendary Brazilian driver’s career, focusing today on the rivalry between Prost and Senna.
The Young Senna Defeats Teammate Prost
In 1988, two-time world champion Alain Prost found himself with a new teammate at McLaren: Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian had already demonstrated his potential at Lotus, but now he had a real opportunity with a top team. The McLaren MP4/4 was highly dominant, and the drivers won 15 out of the 16 Grand Prix. Senna ultimately defeated Prost in the championship, securing his first world title that year.
The Infamous Crash of 1989
The following year, the title race between the two became more contentious, leading to the first cracks in their relationship. The tension exploded during the Grand Prix of Japan when the two rivals collided in the chicane. This ended Prost’s race, but Senna was able to continue and win. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Brazilian was disqualified after the race for cutting the chicane. McLaren appealed the decision, but it backfired. Senna was fined $100,000 for dangerous driving and received a six-month suspended ban. Senna was furious with FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre, believing that the Frenchman had robbed him and helped his compatriot Prost secure his third world title.
Senna’s Fierce Retaliation
In 1990, the rivalry between Senna and Prost was far from over, even though Prost had switched to Ferrari. The two were neck and neck in the race for the world title, leading to another climax at Suzuka. Senna qualified for pole position, but was forced to start from the dirty inside track. The second-place driver, in this case Prost, was allowed to start from the clean racing line, an unusual situation. Senna appealed to the race officials, but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Furious and fearing that Prost would have a better start, Senna’s fears were confirmed on race day. The McLaren driver quickly found himself trailing behind the Ferrari. Fed up, the Brazilian rammed Prost off the track in the first corner. Both cars were heavily damaged and unable to continue the race. In this controversial manner, Senna secured his second world title.
Senna Labels Prost a Coward
In 1992, Prost did not participate in Formula 1, but he had signed a contract for the following year with the dominant Williams team. However, this was under one strict condition: Senna could not be his teammate. This greatly upset the McLaren driver, and he did not hold back his opinion. During the press conference after the Portuguese Grand Prix, he exclaimed on television, “Prost is behaving like a coward!”
Senna and Prost Reconcile
Prost won the world title in 1993 without much opposition with Williams, but bid farewell to the sport after this season. His place was taken by… Senna. During the last race of the season in Australia, Senna won in the significantly inferior McLaren and Prost stood next to him on the podium. It was the last time either of them would ever stand on a Formula 1 podium. The drivers buried the hatchet and Senna even frequently asked Prost after the season if he wanted to return. Somehow, the Brazilian needed him to bring out the best in himself. And the long-awaited fairy tale between Williams and Senna? Unfortunately, it turned into a nightmare.
