Sparring Partners

A great Formula One rivalry by Richard Seymour

It would be too easy to say that Ayrton Senna was a bitter rival to just about anyone who got between him and his Holy Grail: the World Championship. But, the most evocative memories of the Brazilian are so often inexorably linked with his McLaren team mate of two seasons, the Frenchman Alain Prost.

It seems in this world, shaped by Hollywood, our sporting greats fall into two categories: The good guys and the bad guys. Ayrton Senna, with his dark, moody eyes and uncompromising driving style fell easily into the latter - whereas the more softly spoken Prost, with his disarming smile was cast as the hero from the opening curtain.

The 1988 & 1989 championship years marked a watershed in Formula One: never since have two such outstanding drivers been allowed to measure themselves against each other in the same, dominant car. To witness Alain Prost pit his cunning against the frightening speed of Ayrton Senna was to marvel at Grand Prix racing showing its very best side.

Perhaps predictably, it could not last. The confines of a single pit garage are far to small for the two egos to operate effectively for long. The press were quick to pounce on a gaping rift, which appeared, dividing no just Senna and Prost but the whole team. On one side of the battle line stood Honda, the Japanese giants who played no small part in Senna's move from Lotus; as the motive power for McLaren, it was only inevitable allegations of fixing would soon be aimed at their top engineers.

On the other side of the line: the McLaren mechanics who glowed with admiration for the man they had known for so many years and had brought them so much success. Standing between, sometimes as team manager, often as mediator but always diplomatic, Ron Dennis did all he could to keep it clean.

Round one, so to speak, went to the boy from Brazil. The beginning of the 1988 season saw him blitz his team mate for speed; but by Monaco, which saw him bury his car into the Armco while the best part of a minute in the lead, it was the Frenchman who sat on top of the drivers table.

Prost had clearly learnt a thing or two from his McLaren teammate of 1984, Niki Lauda. Lauda had never flattered himself that he could beat Prost for speed. Instead, while his teammate hurried to pole positions, fastest laps and race wins, he drove comfortably within himself to his third world title by half a point.

To lose the title by such a narrow margin, especially after displaying such dominance, crushed Prost's spirits. But now, four years later, it was his turn to play the tactical game.

However, as the season progressed, Senna's talent and sheer strength of will took him to his first world championship. His drive from 14th place at the start of that year's decisive Japanese Grand Prix, after stalling on the grid, to wrestle the lead from Prost is testament to his belief and sense of destiny. Although, it is important to remember that but for the (now depricated) rule allowing a driver to count only his best eleven scores, Prost would have five championships to his name now and not four.

McLaren's grip on the championship was maintained the following year, despite a dramatic change in the rules which outlawed turbo charged engines.

As with the previous year, the sight of Senna's yellow helmet on the Pole Position was a familiar one. As was his McLaren No. 1 as it circled the worlds race tracks in the lead. Always in his mirror though: the composed figure of his teammate, as he followed, never far behind.

Once more, the race that decided the season was Japan. Before the start, clearly tired of the Brazilian's forcefulness Prost warned ominously that if Senna tried to bully him for position he would not make way.

The result was inevitable. After losing sight of a rejuvenated Prost during the early laps, Senna buried his head and clawed away at the lead. The gap between them tumbled till the nose of Senna's car snarled underneath Prost's gearbox.

In fending off an attempt to overtake from Senna, Prost turned in, some thought early, and drove them both off the track.

Prost unbuckled and walked back to the garage; Senna, spinning his wheels, wove between the giant blocks of polystyrene, put there to halt deviant cars and rejoined the race.

He needn't have bothered. Making the unusual step of arguing against a decision that favoured one of their drivers, McLaren launched a protest at the decision, which was doomed to fail.

This perceived injustice continued to sting Senna till, the following year, again at Japan, he took both Prost, now in a Ferrari and himself out of the race at the first corner. It was a self confessed act of revenge, in which the Brazilian felt fully justified; it also consolidated his second World Championship. The relationship between the two men had degenerated to pure malevolence where one, or both of them, might have been killed.

Formula One learnt a lesson. It's now unlikely we will ever see two drivers of such talent, both at the peak of their careers, being invited to drive freely for the same team again. Ron Dennis's control over team orders at McLaren may well make sound common sense but for those of who remember the 1988 & 1989 seasons, things will never be the same again.

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