Photo: Ayrton Senna at the 1991 United States Grand Prix, by Stuart Seeger, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ayrton Senna at the 1991 United States Grand Prix, by Stuart Seeger, licensed under CC BY 2.0 – Source: FLICKR
Remembering the rivalry and the race at Suzuka in 1989 – Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost.
It remains one of the most controversial race still, when team-mates turned rivals.
By the time F1 arrived at Suzuka in October 1989, the sport was not dealing with a championship fight, it was dealing with a cold war between two men who had once begun as respectful teammates and had somehow turned into bitter rivals.
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had joined McLaren to push the limits of speed, but instead they ended up pushing the limits how far teammates could really coexist.
Prost came into the Japanese GP with a 16 points lead, with two races to go, mathematically, Ayrton Senna was still in the fight for the championship.
The Brazilian driver needed nothing less than victory in Suzuka, and again in Australia, to keep his title hopes alive.
Everyone in the paddock knew that if Senna saw even the smallest chance to attack, he would take it.
On the other hand, Prost was different, calculating every situation, even Prost knew that too, and he had zero intention of giving an inch.
Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost – Suzuka 1989 Race
Race started; Ayrton Senna was on pole, Prost was in front row, and had one of the greatest start of his life.
He took the lead, but never quite able to escape Senna’s shadow in his mirrors.
And then came lap 47, the moment etched into the history books, as the two approached the final chicane, Senna with late on brakings, lunged down the inside, a move he believed he had every right to make.
Prost, sensing the attack, turned in, but if you look Senna onboard, he was not that close to go for that gap.
However, Senna was kind of driver, a small chance of overtake, he would go for it, and the collision was instant and brutal, the two McLarens locked wheels and slid into the run-off.
Prost climbed out immediately, certain the championship was his right there.
But Senna was not finished, furious, waving desperately at marshals, he demanded to be pushed back into the race.
The helped restart the car, and Senna blasted off through the escape road, pitted for a new nose, and somehow hunted down Alessandro Nannini to retake the lead.
When he crossed the line, Senna believed he had just pulled off the greatest comeback of his life.
CONTENT CONTINUES BELOW
THE STORM BEGAN
After the race, the FIA disqualified Senna for two reasons;
Accepting outside assistance
Cutting the chicane to rejoin the track
The FIA had little choice, if it had been only one infraction, the decision might have been easier to accept, but with both, it became a very difficult call.
Many fans were disappointed, and Senna was understandably frustrated, questioning the governing body’s decision.
At the same time, the FIA faced a tough situation, having to make a difficult call based on the rules in place, trying to balance fairness with the circumstances on track.
However, that weekend did not just award a championship, it broke a team in two.
At the end of the season, Prost chose to leave McLaren, feeling that team dynamics and support were shifting more toward Senna, and saw an opportunity for a fresh start elsewhere.
Prost simply couldn’t stay any longer, Ferrari offered him, and he took it.
👉 Alain Prost and Ferrari: A Partnership That Couldn’t Last
Suzuka 1989 became the defining fracture point in a rivalry that shaped modern F1, a clash between two world-class drivers who wanted the same thing but could no longer share the same space.
Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost – Head-to-Head stats
| Ayrton Senna | Stat | Alain Prost |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Wins | 42 |
| 61 | Poles | 23 |
| 73 | Podiums | 89 |
Years later at the end of 1991, Ferrari wanted Ayrton Senna in their team to partner Alain Prost, but this was the reason they decided not to go for it.
More than three decades later, fans still debate it. Was it a racing incident? A block? A deliberate squeeze? Politics? Destiny? Maybe it was all of them. But one thing is certain: Suzuka 1989 wasn’t just a race, it was the day Formula 1 learned how far two men would go for glory.
