1988 Formula 1 Racing Season

Senna Used Aggressive Tactics on Prost in Portuguese Grand Prix

Dec 19, 2008

Ayrton Senna made it clear to Alain Prost that he was intent on winning his maiden F1 World Championship.

With only four races remaining in the 1988 Formula 1 World Championship Ayrton Senna held a slender lead over his McLaren team-mate Alain Prost in the points table. At Monza, for the first time, a McLaren had failed to win the Grand Prix. Gerhard Berger scored an emotionally charged victory for a Ferrari team in mourning following the death of its founder.

At this point in their relationship Prost and Senna were still on speaking terms, but in Portugal it became clear to the Frenchman that his team-mate was prepared to use ruthless tactics to win the title.

Following his forced hiatus due to chicken pox, Nigel Mansell returned for the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, but his Judd powered Williams was no match for the McLaren. In qualifying it was Prost who ended the day fastest, ahead of Senna. The Leyton House March team had an excellent session, with Ivan Capelli third on the grid and Mauricio Gugelmin fifth. Sandwiched between them was Berger’s Ferrari.

It took three attempts to start the Grand Prix. The countdown to the start was interrupted and then, at the second try, a multiple accident occurred involving Andrea De Cesaris, Luis Perez-Sala and Satoru Nakajima. When the race finally got underway Senna jumped into the lead. As they crossed the line to start lap two Prost made his move, jinking to Senna’s right. The Brazilian moved right too, squeezing Prost’s car perilously close to the pit wall. Prost made it through, but it had been a close call and the incident annoyed the Frenchman greatly. In his autobiography, “Life in the Fast Lane”, published by Stanley Paul in 1989 Prost gave his version of events;

“God only knows what possessed him at that moment. Whatever it was, he swung over towards the wall on the right, squeezing me between his car and the wall so tightly that our wheels dovetailed… (The pit crews) had to hurl themselves backwards to avoid my helmet smashing through their signal boards.”

With the danger over Prost then pulled away from Senna, who found himself having to defend against the Leyton House March of Capelli. The Italian found a way around the McLaren, as did Berger in the Ferrari. The Austrian’s race came to an unusual end when his cockpit fire extinguisher went off. It was then Mansell’s turn to pressure Senna but the Englishman misjudged a manoeuvre, hitting Senna and crashing out. Senna was able to continue, eventually finishing a disappointing fifth. The race was won by his title rival Prost, with Capelli ten seconds behind and Thierry Boutsen third for Benetton. Three races remained and both McLaren drivers still had everything to fight for.

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