Duel of the Titans: Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost, the show begins...

We continue with a new duel that forever marked the history of Formula One. After telling you about the impressive fight they had Niki Lauda and James Hunt for getting the 1976 Title, this time we go back to the late 80s and early 90s, with one of the most remembered and loved duels in this sport. It is about the duel that two of the greatest pilots in history lived; Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost.

We move to that time, considered by many as the golden age of f1. Both for the size of the drivers of the moment (Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, ​​Prost, Senna and in recent years a certain Michael Schumacher…) and for the spectacularity of those "asphalt beasts". These drivers lived part of the turbo era in f1, with cars that far exceeded 1.000 hp in qualifying... indomitable cars that required good hands to get their full potential and in which a mistake on the circuits of the time meant having a accident. In addition, these drivers experienced a true technological revolution in cars that culminated in 1993. Specifically, that year the car that has been called the most advanced in the history of F1 competed, the Williams-Renault FW15-C, which had active suspension, traction control, anti-lock brakes... with which Prost won his fourth World Title without problems. For 1994 the FIA ​​eliminated all technological aids in pursuit of greater equality between the teams.

Alain Prost. (Saint Chamond, France, 1955)

Also called "The Professor". He was a cold, calculating driver and stood out for his tremendously technical riding. He wasn't as spectacular as Senna, he risked just enough and avoided risky situations. He showed great regularity, taking care of the car like nobody else and being a sensational strategist. He got 4 World Titles (1985,1986,1989 and 1993) and the lousy record of getting the highest runner-up in the world (4).

Ayrton senna. (Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1960-1994 San Marino, Italy)

Also known as "Magic Senna". He was the complete opposite of Prost. He was a much more "passionate" driver, he gave his maximum in each GP and was extremely spectacular in his driving. He always risked to the limit and did not stop until he got first place. He stood out for always taking his cars beyond his possibilities and for being a true teacher in the rain. He was one of the best classifiers of all time and won three World Titles (1988, 1990 and 1991), until he had a fatal accident at the San Marino GP (1994).

SESSAO

That was the first year that the two coincided at McLaren. Prost was the driver to beat by then. He already had two World Titles and his position at McLaren was the undisputed leader. Senna came to the team thanks to his spectacular driving performances (Monaco GP 1984, he came second with a superb drive in the rain with a tremendously inferior car (Toleman), and to his good results with the Lotus team).

McLaren at that time was also the most "shining" team. It had one of the best team managers (Ron Dennis) and the best driver. Prost himself advised Dennis to sign Ayrton for that season, since he saw him as the driver with the most qualities. However, as he later stated, he would not make that decision again... Therefore, Senna and Prost would share a team in 1988. The top two drivers on the grid would drive the best car of the season, the MP4/4. It was the last of the Turbo era, and is considered by many to be one of the best cars in Formula One, thanks to the excellent design by Steve Nichols and the best engines of the time, Honda's v6 turbo.

The data: the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 managed to win 15 of the 16 GPs held, 15 pole-positions, the Constructors' Championship (with a difference of 134 points over the second-place finisher), and the World Drivers' Title, which, of course, also fell to her hands. That year it was Senna who won his first World Title, followed by Prost, by only 3 points difference.

That year was one of "apparent calm." The pilots worked together for the good of the team but a fact occurred, and that is that Senna showed that he was not going to settle for being Prost's "squire", and fought with him face to face until the end. A sample of the extreme competitiveness of Senna, occurred in the Portuguese GP. Senna was leading the race but Prost was very close behind and, on the main straight, Prost caught the slipstream and began to overtake the Brazilian. Senna, seeing the play, begins to corner Prost against the pit wall. Prost does not give up, and passes a foot from the wall at about 300 km / h. That action bothered the Frenchman a lot and Senna, repentant, later apologized. Finally, the duel that year was decided in favor of Senna, who won his first World Title.

SESSAO

That year there are changes in the regulations and it returns to atmospheric engines. The McLaren-Honda team does not present the overwhelming supremacy of the previous year. However, it is still a great car and they have the best drivers of the moment, so the fight for the Drivers' Title will once again be between the teammates. This year the rivalry reached another level; Senna and Prost staged epic battles, both on and off the track.

The season begins, and the second Grand Prix, held in San Marino is the trigger, the straw that broke the camel's back and which marked the start of the "war" between the two pilots. Senna and Prost made a non-aggression pact: the first to reach the first corner, retains the position and will not be overtaken. All this to avoid a collision between the cars of the team at the beginning of the race. At the start it is Senna who takes the first position, but a rather strong accident by Berger (he lost his front wing and crashed at more than 200 km/h against the wall, setting his Ferrari on fire. Luckily, there were no consequences. ) in the Tamburello curve, causes the start of the Grand Prix to be repeated again.

On this occasion, it is Prost who takes the lead, however Senna overtakes him at the Tosa corner, breaking the deal they had agreed to. Finally, Senna won and Prost was very upset because he said that Senna was disloyal to him. The Brazilian defended himself, saying that being a career relaunch, he did not enter into the agreement. This topic transcended the media, and it was the beginning of the fight without quarter between the pilots. The relationship between them broke down to the point where they stopped talking to each other, and this also hurt the team. A veritable "psychological warfare" began to build at McLaren; bad atmosphere that Ron Dennis (as we already saw with Alonso and Hamilton) did not know how to manage and that would remain until the end of the season.

Prost felt left out, and thought that Dennis, Honda and most of the team preferred Senna. At Honda they said that Senna fit more with his philosophy; he was the "samurai", while Prost was the "computer". Faced with such unbreathable weather in the team, Prost decided in the middle of the season to leave the team, and signed for Ferrari for the following season. The Championship was a titanic fight between the two pilots. This fight reached the limit in the penultimate GP of the season, Suzuka. Prost was the leader of the World Championship (76) and was 16 points ahead of Senna (60), so the Brazilian was forced to win that GP to continue with options to retain the title. What happened in that race has been one of the most controversial and commented events in the history of F1...

Tomorrow we continue with this wonderful duel.

More information - Duel of the Titans: Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost, bitter end ; Duel of the Titans: James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda, ​​the start of a spectacular battle for the 1976 World Cup