20 years since Senna took out Prost at Suzuka
1990 Japanese Grand Prix flashback
One of the most notorious moments in F1 history happened 20 years ago today.
Ayrton Senna clinched the 1990 world championship in a deeply controversial Japanese Grand Prix. He rammed into rival Alain Prost at the first corner at Suzuka, taking both of them out of the race.
For the third year in a row the world championship was between two men: Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. And for the third year in a row the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka decided the outcome of their personal battle.
Senna claimed the 51st pole position of his career, a feat that was central to the weekend’s controversy:
Pole position at Suzuka had been on the right-hand side of the track – off the racing line – for each of the three previous F1 races at the track.
Senna had started there in 1988, bogged down badly, fallen to 14th, yet recovered to win the race and the drivers’ title.
He started there again in 1989 and as he struggled for grip at the start Prost charged into the lead from second place. Senna caught and tried to pass his rival at the chicane later in the race, but Prost swerved into the side of Senna’s car, taking both out, denying Senna the championship.
Before qualifying for the 1990 race had even begun, Senna lobbied track officials for pole position to be moved to the left and onto the racing line. He believed he’d got their consent – but after claiming pole position he was told he would start from the right-hand side of the track once again.
Senna saw the hand of FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre in the decision. The same person he blamed for his disqualification from the 1989 race, after he had disentangled his car from Prost’s and driven through the run-off at the chicane to re-join the track.
In the drivers’ briefing before the 1990 race the drivers were told they would not be disqualified for using the run-off at the chicane, as Senna had 12 months previously. He stormed out of the room:
1990 Japanese Grand Prix grid
| Row 1 | 1. Ayrton Senna 1’36.996 McLaren-Honda |
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| 2. Alain Prost 1’37.228 Ferrari |
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| Row 2 | 3. Nigel Mansell 1’37.719 Ferrari |
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| 4. Gerhard Berger 1’38.118 McLaren-Honda |
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| Row 3 | 5. Thierry Boutsen 1’39.324 Williams-Renault |
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| 6. Nelson Piquet 1’40.049 Benetton-Ford |
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| Row 4 | 7. Riccardo Patrese 1’40.355 Williams-Renault |
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| 8. Roberto Moreno 1’40.579 Benetton-Ford |
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| Row 5 | 9. Aguri Suzuki 1’40.888 Lola-Lamborghini |
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| 10. Pierluigi Martini 1’40.899 Minardi-Ford |
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| Row 6 | 11. Derek Warwick 1’41.024 Lotus-Lamborghini |
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| 12. Ivan Capelli 1’41.033 Leyton House-Judd |
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| Row 7 | 13. Satoru Nakajima 1’41.078 Tyrrell-Ford |
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| 14. Johnny Herbert 1’41.588 Lotus-Lamborghini |
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| Row 8 | 15. Mauricio Gugelmin 1’41.698 Leyton House-Judd |
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| 16. Éric Bernard 1’41.709 Lola-Lamborghini |
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| Row 9 | 17. Nicola Larini 1’42.339 Ligier-Ford |
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| 18. Emanuele Pirro 1’42.361 Dallara-Ford |
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| Row 10 | 19. Gianni Morbidelli 1’42.364 Minardi-Ford |
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| 20. Philippe Alliot 1’42.593 Ligier-Ford |
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| Row 11 | 21. Stefano Modena 1’42.617 Brabham-Judd |
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| 22. David Brabham 1’43.156 Brabham-Judd |
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| Row 12 | 23. Alex Caffi 1’43.270 Arrows-Ford |
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| 24. Michele Alboreto 1’43.304 Arrows-Ford |
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| Row 13 | 25. Andrea de Cesaris 1’43.601 Dallara-Ford |
Jean Alesi, Tyrrell-Ford, qualified seventh but withdrew from the race weekend due to injuries sustained in an accident during practice.
Did not qualify
14. Olivier Grouillard, Osella-Ford – 1’43.782
17. Gabriele Tarquini, AGS-Ford – 1’44.281
18. Yannick Dalmas, AGS-Ford – 1’44.410
31. Bertrand Gachot, Coloni-Ford – 1’45.393
Over in nine seconds
As the race started Prost instantly pulled ahead of Senna and into the lead. Senna briefly tucked in behind his rival.
Turn one came up on them quickly. Prost moved towards the middle of the track, then feinted back to the left as Senna lined himself up for a look at the inside.
Prost lifted the throttle and turned into the corner. Senna slammed into his right-rear wheel at a speed of no less than 130mph, probably much higher.
The two wrecked cars hurtled into the gravel trap where they were briefly obscured by a cloud of grit. As the dust settled two figures climbed from their cars and made their way back to the pits separately.
Senna asked: “They’re not stopping the race, are they?” and was told they weren’t. With that, he was the 1990 world champion.
A race to forget
As lap two started the other McLaren of Gerhard Berger joined Senna’s in the gravel trap at turn one. Berger, who had inherited the lead, slid sideways off the track and out of the race.
That promoted Nigel Mansell into the lead. He ran around at the head of the field unchallenged for the first half of the race, gradually leaving Nelson Piquet’s Benetton behind.
The only prospect of a competition for the lead arose from the fact that Mansell would have to change tyres and Piquet, who had started on a harder compound, wouldn’t (there was no requirement to use two compounds of tyre during a race then).
But Mansell never made it out of the pits after coming in on lap 27. Once again, the Ferrari’s semi-automatic transmission let him down.
His ninth retirement from 15 starts ended Ferrari’s hopes of winning the constructors’ championship. For the third consecutive season the trophy went to McLaren.
Piquet now held an unchallenged lead. Alesi, who had been due to start behind the Benetton driver, was left to wonder what might have been.
Behind Piquet was his new team mate Roberto Moreno, who had been drafted into Benetton after Alessandro Nannini lost his arm in a helicopter accident.
Moreno had spent the year up to that point campaigning the hopeless EuroBrun, qualifying just twice in 14 attempts, and admitted it had been quite an adjustment to get used to the higher levels of downforce the B190 offered.
The Brazilian driver wept after taking the chequered flag behind his compatriot. Piquet’s victory ended his own three-year win drought and headed Benetton’s first one-two.
The early demise of the two Honda-powered cars did not end local interest in the race. Aguri Suzuki took the final podium place, the first Japanese driver ever to finish in the top three in a world championship event.
The Lola driver used his extensive local knowledge of Suzuka to qualify ninth on the grid. He picked off Derek Warwick early in the race and, running to the end without making a pit stop, inherited places from both the Williams drivers to claim third.
Satoru Nakajima made it two Japanese drivers in the points by bringing his Tyrrell home sixth.
1990 Japanese Grand Prix result
| Pos | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Difference |
| 1 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton-Ford | 53 | |
| 2 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton-Ford | 53 | 7.223 |
| 3 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola-Lamborghini | 53 | 22.469 |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams-Renault | 53 | 36.258 |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams-Renault | 53 | 46.884 |
| 6 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell-Ford | 53 | 1’12.350 |
| 7 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier-Ford | 52 | 1 Lap |
| 8 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi-Ford | 52 | 1 Lap |
| 9 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows-Ford | 52 | 1 Lap |
| 10 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier-Ford | 52 | 1 Lap |
| 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus-Lamborghini | 38 | ||
| 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus-Lamborghini | 31 | ||
| 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows-Ford | 28 | ||
| 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 26 | ||
| 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara-Ford | 24 | ||
| 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola-Lamborghini | 24 | ||
| 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi-Ford | 18 | ||
| 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House-Judd | 16 | ||
| 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara-Ford | 13 | ||
| 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House-Judd | 5 | ||
| 7 | David Brabham | Brabham-Judd | 2 | ||
| 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren-Honda | 1 | ||
| 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 0 | ||
| 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 0 |
The aftermath of the crash
What drove Senna to commit one of the most outrageous acts ever witnessed in Formula 1? His frustration with the sport’s governing body – Balestre the focus of his fury – combined with a growing sense of desperation that the championship was slipping away from him.
The Ferrari F1-90 had clearly been quicker than the McLaren MP4-5B in the previous two races.
Senna knew he had been fortunate to take points off Prost at Estoril. At Jerez Prost had out-manoeuvred Senna in the pits, driven away from him on the track, and to make matters worse a damaged radiator left Senna point-less.
Heading into the two remaining races Senna had a nine-point lead over Prost in the championship. There were nine points available for a win, then 6-4-3-2-1 for the remaining places, but drivers could only count their 11 best scores, making the situation more complicated.
It’s likely two things were weighing on Senna’s mind: if Prost won both the remaining races, there was nothing Senna could do to stop him from being champion.
But if Prost failed to finish one of the remaining races, Senna would definitely be champion.
It’s not hard to imagine how the row over the location of pole position affected Senna’s state of mind. As he walked back to the pits following the crash he told reporters that was the reason why the collision had happened:
When F1 returned to Suzuka in 1991 pole position had been moved to the left-hand side of the track. Senna won his third world championship that weekend, and in the press conference afterwards launched into a tirade against Balestre:
I said to myself, “OK, you try to work cleanly, and you get ****** by certain people. All right, if tomorrow Prost beats me off the line, at the first corner, I will go for it and he better not turn in because he’s not going to make it.” And it just happened.
Ayrton Senna
Following the Suzuka collision in 1990 a furious Balestre told the world:
It is a scandal that a world championship should be decided on such a collision and I leave everyone to be their own judge of who is to blame.
Jean-Marie Balestre
It’s true that what Senna did to Prost in 1990 only differed to what Prost did to Senna in 1989 by degrees. In principle, Prost’s actions were every bit as cynical as Senna’s.
And by allowing Prost to go unpunished after taking Senna out of the 1989 title-decider, what could FISA do about Senna in 1990? According to Balestre, nothing:
Last year the race stewards disqualified Senna because he cut short a chicane. This time, they told me on the telephone, that there were no elements to allow Senna’s disqualification.
Jean-Marie Balestre
The governing body’s failure to act against a championship-deciding crash in 1989 left them powerless in 1990.
More followed in later years, courtesy of Michael Schumacher, in 1994 and (unsuccessfully) again in 1997. Since then Balestre’s successor Max Mosley has suggested the FIA would step in were it to happen again but that has not yet been put to the test.
The extreme tactics Senna was prepared to used to win the world championship – risking his own life as well as Prost’s and potentially others’ – was not lost on his arch-rival, who said:
I’m not prepared to fight against irresponsible people who are not afraid to die.
Alain Prost
The horrendous consequences which Senna’s actions could have had were demonstrated in a tragic crash two years later.
Hitoshi Ogawa and Andrew Gilbert-Scott collided at the same corner during a Japanese Formula 3000 race in 1992, at comparable speeds to Senna and Prost, perhaps a shade higher.
Ogawa was killed when his car was launched over the barrier. Gilbert-Scott, a cameraman and two photographers were also injured.
On many other days Senna’s otherworldly driving ability – not to mention his intense personal charisma – won him legions of supporters. His greatest drives have inspired a further generation of fans since his death.
But there was a dark side to his character which the events of October 21st 1990 make impossible to ignore.
His life is the subject of a new film documentary, already released in Japan, which is due to open in many other countries next year. Surely the most difficult chapter of his life to relate is the actions that made him the 1990 world champion.
Did you see this race?
Were you at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix? Did you watch it live? If so, please tell us about it in the comments.
Grand Prix flashback
- Today in 1973: Last-lap heartbreak in first Swedish GP
- 25 years ago today: Senna’s first win for McLaren
- Today in 1993: Senna’s last great race at Donington
- Today in 1953: Peron’s Grand Prix ends in carnage
- 20 years ago today: Mansell finally wins the title
- Today in 1987: Mansell defeats Piquet at Silverstone
- Today in 1962: The Clark-Lotus era begins at Spa
- Today in 1982: Start line crash in Canada kills Paletti
- On this day in 1982: Gilles Villeneuve killed at Zolder
- 30 years ago today: Villeneuve and Pironi’s fatal feud at Ferrari
newdecade said on 21st October 2010, 0:20
51 pole positions in one year…? Long season!
Anyway fascinating article… The whole event just becomes more surreal the more I hear about it. Prost really hit the nail on the head with his quote.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 5:36
Changed it, thanks.
Fixy (@fixy) said on 14th February 2011, 17:40
Very interesting. Cleared my mind on something I had never actually and fully understood.
US_Peter said on 21st October 2010, 0:21
Wow! He certainly had Vettel beat!
Hare (@hare) said on 21st October 2010, 1:09
hahaha, nice typo.
Cesar said on 21st October 2010, 0:36
Great article Keith.
Unfortunately, I think Formula 1 has not learn the biggest lesson of the 1989, 1990 incident, let me explain.
1989 shown all the F1 fanatics that there was a lot of politics in the series (even more than any other sport) and that never helps because drivers and fans wants the drivers to decide the race and titles in the track, not in the offices with lawyers and phone calls.
Unfortunatelly after 1989 aftermath, Senna decided to give it all and win whatever in takes, even risking his own life. You can see that in MS 1st championship or 1997 collision with Villenueve. Also in 2003 Ferrari`s championship with the “last minute” ban of Michellin tyres, etc.
The sport can`t reach the glory of 1980s and that`s not a problem regarding the drivers or teams, is most related to the politics that are killing it.
spectator said on 21st October 2010, 0:49
Cesar the 03 “last minute” ban should have been made long time ago anyway i agree with you despite that there a lot of people that still watch f1 believing that f1 is a sport and its driven by drivers and than by teams but that isnt the truth f1 is a show like any other and if we were going to let it by it self it would have already been “canceled”
DamionShadows (@damionshadows) said on 21st October 2010, 0:36
This page is getting bookmarked. For someone who’s been watching F1 for only 3 years, it’s nice to read such a detailed and thorough article on one of the most controversial incidents in Formula 1!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 8:57
Cheers Damion! Check out the other ‘Flashbacks’ in the links at the bottom of the article for more.
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 21st October 2010, 0:43
Two Japanese drivers in the points? In the same race? Not just the same decade? :P
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 8:57
I was wondering how many other times that’s happened. Anyone know?
BasCB said on 21st October 2010, 12:56
It was close last year before Nakajima flew over Kobayashi’s rear wheel, but i suppose it might have happened again in he 90′s?
RobertG said on 21st October 2010, 15:32
i think never ever after and b4. anyway this http://statsf1.com/en/japan/pilote.aspx can help
slr said on 21st October 2010, 17:00
Both Nakajima and Suzuki finished 5th and 6th respectively at the 1991 US Grand Prix, thus both drivers scoring points.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 17:06
Top knowledge!
Hare (@hare) said on 21st October 2010, 1:10
Curious, because Senna kept his foot in and Prost shut the door… Kind of similar in principle if not actual events to Webber and Hamilton.
spectator said on 22nd October 2010, 1:36
you were watching the wrong car prost did the usual trajectory senna planned that and i dont blame him
Alexi (@alexi) said on 21st October 2010, 1:11
Ah, back in the days of ruthless motivation.I wonder how many drivers would dare such a move nowadays to win the title – Schumacher and Alonso for sure, Vettel probably and Hamilton could try it out of desperation but considering his present luck and how soft his McLaren is the move would likely backfire. All of this supposing there would be no ban after.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65) said on 21st October 2010, 1:16
Love the brakes going red @1:00, while braking for Spoon!
judo chop said on 21st October 2010, 2:51
I used to be a Senna fanboy and make every excuse for that crash but looking back I now consider it worse than anything Schumacher did. Senna was so reckless that he tore off his own front wing before he even made contact with Prost.
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st October 2010, 8:55
You obviously missed Adelaide 94, where after wrecking his car Schumacher gets back on track just to take Damon hill out. I agree that Senna was no saint, but this was a move just in retaliation to what happened the previous year. Schumacher’s moves in 1994 and 1997 were inexcusable.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 8:56
Schumacher’s were less dangerous than this one, surely?
David B said on 21st October 2010, 9:08
Schumi at Jerez ’97 did exactly what Prost did at Suzuka ’89. And Senna in the ’90 did something Schumi has never done…
I think what Senna and Prost did to each other was not fairer at all than Schumi moves. But Schumi has been generally blamed, with too much severity.
Daniel said on 21st October 2010, 11:31
Sorry, still can’t agree that ’94 was a take out. I’ve watched it many times. Schumacher, makes an error them moves back to cover the racing line, he can’t yet know if his car is broken or not. Hill went for a gap that wasn’t completely there, if he’d waited Schumacher’s car might have been broken, but he can’t be sure either, so he goes for the gap. It’s a racing accident.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 11:35
After Jerez ’97 I can’t believe anyone still takes Adelaide ’94 at face value.
Daniel said on 21st October 2010, 12:11
They are two separate incidents. I always try and judge each situation on its merits.
I could believe that Adelaide ’94 had an influence on Jerez ’97 but not the other way around.
Daniel said on 21st October 2010, 12:25
Also, I’m in good company. Murray Walker expresses the same opinion in two of his books: ‘My Autobiography: Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken’ (2002), and ‘Murray Walker’s Formula One Heroes’ (2001). Murray is a good friend of Hill’s so you’d think he’d be critical of Schumacher if the evidence pointed that way.
wasiF1 (@wasif1) said on 21st October 2010, 3:08
I didn’t saw, I wonder even anybody from my region watch F1 back then, but one thing I have to say that races in the mid 80′s & 90′s were awesome, Star Sports in Asia will show some of those races in December,hope people watches those.
RobertG said on 21st October 2010, 15:35
1989-1991 and 1979-1983 were the most interesting years i think… (of what ive seen nowadays, and read)
Regis said on 21st October 2010, 3:10
I think winning the title by crashing purposely into your oponent is a disgrace. And for that i think Senna is just as bad as Schumacher; Great drivers but horrible competitors.
Dan Newton said on 21st October 2010, 12:36
Great drivers but horrible competitors.
Nicely put.
DaveW said on 21st October 2010, 3:58
I vaguely remember watching, but remember well the many years of fall-out.
The story here also emphasizes how much F1 was about these top personalities back then, so the drama among them was more emphasized. Look at the qualifying times. A full 3 seconds to row four! Those who point to some golden age of competition and passing better than the current era need to examine the time sheets from earlier days.
Anyway, Senna was never seen as a swell guy. I guess he is romanticized in current days, like Blackbeard, or Bonnie and Clyde.
Pinball - roadography.com said on 21st October 2010, 4:09
I can’t help but think how good would it be if all the race briefings were televised. It would certainly let the fans can get insight into the personalities of their favourite drivers.
Tango said on 21st October 2010, 8:05
Or force PR work into the briefing room…
BasCB said on 21st October 2010, 12:57
I think you have really got the point of why they are not on TV there.
Pinball said on 21st October 2010, 13:04
I’m thinking more of fly on the wall style. Purely observing rather than interacting. It wouldn’t hurt for F1 to let the drivers been seen in their true colours, rather than muzzled PR mouth pieces that seems to be the trend these days.
Daniel said on 21st October 2010, 12:52
I found it interesting when we started getting to overhear the conversations between the drivers when they are getting weighed and making their way to the podium recently.
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 21st October 2010, 15:12
Only for Legard to talk over them :P
ed24f1 (@ed24f1) said on 21st October 2010, 4:59
Great article! If such a move happened today the reaction would be most definitely different
By the way, this was the last race not to feature a European driver on the podium. Quite an incredible fact!
Burnout said on 21st October 2010, 6:54
Just for that, I want a Massa-Barrichello-Kobayashi podium sometime next year!
OEL said on 21st October 2010, 7:59
I’d say Massa-Webber-Barrichello/Kobayashi would be more likely.
US_Peter said on 21st October 2010, 7:28
Wow! That’s a pretty staggering statistic. Doesn’t look like that’ll change anytime soon.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 21st October 2010, 8:58
Well I didn’t know that, good knowledge ed24f1!
Mike said on 21st October 2010, 9:29
Imagine the mayhem if Schumacher did it…
…@Burnout: Poor Webber!
RaulZ said on 25th October 2010, 11:48
Imagine if Alonso did it.
Terry Fabulous said on 21st October 2010, 5:16
“Go! And Senna sprint away, BUT ALAIN PROST TAKES THE LEAD, it’s happened, Alain Prost has taken the advantage, Senna is trying to go through on the inside AND ITS HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY This is amazing!”