| Who? |
What |
Points |
Action |
Lap |
| 1994 – Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (Williams)
|
 |
4 pts
|
After Schumacher had overtaken Senna in the pit stops, Senna decided to put the hammer down with twenty laps left to run. On lap fifty six he spun his ill-handling FW16 in the uphill left-hander on that opened on to the start / finish straight. He stalled the engine and was out. As soon as he retired there was a mass exodus of his loyal fans. “It was a good race. Fast and very, very quick. Michael was a little bit quicker than us and only at the end was I able to push a little more and go with him. I was right on my limit when I got caught on the exit of the third-gear corner. It was my own mistake as I was pushing a bit too hard.”
|
|
| 1994 – San Marino Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (Williams)
|
 |
1 pts
|
After the start line accident that involved Lamy and Lehto the safety car was deployed and the race completed three tours at the significantly reduced speed. When the restart came Senna time it to perfection, he back up the field to virtual standstill before he accelerated away, leaving them in the distance. As Senna crossed the finish line at the end of lap six he was 0.6 ahead of Michael Schumacher who had noticed that the Williams had bottomed out on Tamburello corner the previous lap. As Senna entered Tamburello on lap seven his FW16 twitched violently and speared into the concrete wall on the outside of the corner. The car bounced back toward the circuit as debris flew across the tack for the second time in the race. The race was immediately red flagged but not before Berger had run over a section of the nose from Senna’s car. When Berger got out of the car the front suspension was almost destroyed “hanging by a small strand of metal.” The marshals did not approach Senna until FIA medical man Professor Sid Watkins arrived on the scene. The situation was clearly critical; Senna was lifted out of the car and then immediately taken to Bolgn’s Maggiore Hospital by helicopter where later he was pronounced dead. Senna had suffered massive head injuries when a piece of the cars broken suspension pierced his helmet. Senna’s loss of control has been linked to a puncture caused by debris from the start finish straight, a broken steering column and bottoming out due to loss of tyre pressure due to the extended period behind the safety car. The accident was survivable; Senna’s death was due to freakish bad luck.
|
|
| 1993 – South African Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
5 pts
|
Senna arrived at the first race of the season having not signed his contract to McLaren. For a little extra leverage in the contract negotiations perhaps. He was still negotiating over his retainer for 1993 a figure believed to be in the region of $16 million. McLaren were only offering around $10 million and their failure to obtain the latest series VII Cosworth Ford HB engine that were being exclusively used by Benetton did not make things more palatable for Senna.
|
|
| 1993 – San Marino Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
1 pts
|
Senna was down in forth position, behind the two Williams’ and Schumacher’s Benetton after Friday’s qualifying session. This was partly attributed to two accidents in the session caused by driver error. In free practice he slammed off the road at Tosa having only completed eleven laps. At the end of qualifying he spun coming out of the final chicane and into the pit wall. It was suggested that a problem with the car’s active suspension might have been to blame as Andretti duplicated Senna’s Friday qualifying crash.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
In Saturday qualifying Senna lost control of his MP4/8 under braking for Aqua Minerali. The car swapped ends and slammed backward into the barriers. Senna leapt out of the car and headed back to the pits to commandeer Andretti’s car. Investigation showed that in low down force trim the car’s active suspension was having difficult determining whether the car was going over bump or riding kerbs. It was believed this was why Senna kept spinning.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
5 pts
|
After being badly baulked by Hill, Ayrton gave the Englishman a furious shake of the hand as he overtook the Englishman.
|
|
| 1993 – Monaco Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
In Thursday Free practice Senna had a massive accident down the start finish straight. Coming into the braking area into Ste Devote the MP4/8 suddenly speared into the guardrail and was heavily damaged in the process. The session was instantly red flagged as the track was strewn with debris. The McLaren had a cockpit controllable ride height mechanism allowing the drivers to lower the rear of the car on the straights for less down force from the diffuser. Senna had kept his thumb on the button too long and the rear car was light on down force as he turned in. Thus the car suddenly violently over steered out of control. Amazing the car was repaired in time for the afternoons qualifying session.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna was forced to sit out the last twenty minutes of final qualifying after he had an accident in his MP4/8. He lost control of his car under braking; its right front wheel touched the barrier pitching the car into a spin.
|
|
| 1993 – Canadian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
In Saturday qualifying Senna hit Barbazza’s Minardi as it exited the pit lane. Senna cut across the Minardi coming into the first turn. Senna’s MP4/8 was pitched sideways as his left-rear wheel made smart contact with the Minardi’s right-front wheel.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
After the alternator in Senna’s MP4/8 failed he had to retire on lap sixty-three. In the process of pulling off the track, Senna very nearly took Michael Schumacher out of the race. “I am sorry that we came so close to touching, “remarked Senna, “but I was so concerned about the way in which my car was cutting out that I didn’t see him coming up the outside.”
|
|
| 1993 – French Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
1 pts
|
Senna incurred the wrath of the race organisers when he failed to take part in the pre-race driver parade. This is where the driver are driven round the track in open top saloon cars so that the crowds can see them without their helmets and at a speed where they can be recognised. This was an indication of Senna’s “I want it all my own way” attitude.
|
|
| 1993 – British Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
3 pts
|
Senna indulged in some decidedly dodgy driving to keep Prost and then Schumacher behind in the early stages of the race. Asked about Ayrton’s tactics Prost had the following to say, “I’m not going to be drawn into talking about that.”
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna an out of fuel and ground to a halt on the last lap dropping him for third to fifth. This was not the first time that it happened to the great Brazilian at his jinx circuit.
|
|
| 1993 – German Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna tried an aggressive move on Alain Prost on the first lap of the race. This time Prost shut the door in Senna’s face. Ayrton was trying a bit too hard and he spun his McLaren. He re-joined, albeit in last place.
|
|
| 1993 – Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna was all at sea with the set-up on his McLaren and liked it to driving on ice; such was the lack of grip. He damaged the under tray of his MP4/8 on the Friday when he spun over the kerbs at the fast ess bends on the back part of the circuit. To compound his woes further he span off the track into the gravel in the Saturday qualifying session too. He ended up fourth of the gird only 0.9 seconds faster than the seventh place car, Martini’s Minardi!
|
|
| 1993 – Belgian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Zanardi the most dangerous crash of the season on the opening day of the meeting in free practice. He totally wrecked his Lotus in a high-speed accident in the famous Eau rogue corner. Zanardi lost control of his Lotus on a bump in the uphill left-hand bend. He slammed into the barrier and was then catapulted across the track and came to rest in the sand trap on the opposite side of the track. Waved yellow flags warned of the danger and Andretti slowed to a crawl. Senna arrived behind Andretti at high speed; braked hard to avoid the American and spun into the barrier only a couple of meters from where marshal were extracting the injured Zanardi from his Lotus. For this Senna received a severe reprimand form the race stewards.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
For the second race of the season Senna missed the pre-race driver parade. The organisers were so angry that McLaren had to produce a printed apology to appease them. It explained that Senna had missed the parade as protest because the race organisers did not want to discuss the safety implications of Zanardi’s accident in Friday free Practice.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
Senna put a harsh move over on Schumacher as he pulled his McLaren out of the pits after his first tyre stop on lap twelve. The move forced Schumacher to take to the grass to avoid the McLaren but he was able to squeeze past as he had a greater momentum. “As soon as he saw me, he turned left, right across in front of me. It was completely unnecessary. I had to go across the grass, because otherwise I would have crashed into hi. It made me angry, but I didn’t lift off and I was able to overtake him,” bleated the disgruntled Schumacher.
|
|
| 1993 – Italian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
In the run down into the first corner Senna tried to muscle past Hills’ Williams. The Londoner was not going to give way and Senna’s MP4/8 was pitched into the air over the left rear wheel of Hill’s FW15C. Senna slid on to the grass and continued. Hill straight lined the next part of the chicane before he continued. (Although Hill went on to win the race the floor of the car was cracked in this incident and would be considered a write off.) “Damon insisted on trying to stay on the outside and we touched,” Senna explained. “It was quite a hard hit but I landed more or less in the right direction and could carry on.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
The first lap altercation with Hill had dropped Senna to eighth place. He was charging back through the field when he ran into the back of Mark Brundle’s Ligier under braking for the second chicane on lap nine. Both cars span off into the gravel. Surprisingly Senna had a relaxed attitude towards the whole affair, “ the rear of my car had been feeling father light under braking for some while and when I came up to close to Martin I could just not hold the car. I lost it and hit him.” Brundle was not as philosophical. Making known that the incident probably caused him to lose third place as at the time he was ahead of eventual third, Andretti by “light years.”
|
|
| 1993 – Japanese Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
 |
1 pts
|
After being messed around by Formula One rookie, Irvine Senna went to have a discussion with Irvine after the race. The discussion turned into a slanging match that ended with Senna punching Irvine. Senna was given a suspended race ban for this indiscretion (See related Rogue Article for the full story.)
|
|
| 1992 – Mexican Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna had a big accident on his third lap in Friday Qualifying. He lost control of his McLaren in the esses. Although he stood on the brakes the car seemed to gain momentum as it slid over the dusty surface and then the grass before it slammed into the retaining wall. The left front part of the chassis took the brunt of the impact, leaving the rest of the car relatively damage free. Senna went to get out of the car but found that he was unable. The upper suspension wishbone had breached the tub of the car and hit Senna’s left leg, just below the calf. Senna later commented that the pain was so intense he believed he had broken both his legs. It took over ten minutes to extract Senna from the car, after which he was taken to the circuit hospital where it was ascertained that he had only severely bruised his leg.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna returned to the track on the Saturday after his big accident on the Friday. In Saturday qualifying he span on his last lap. This was nothing sinister, the McLaren just ran out of fuel.
|
|
| 1992 – Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna brand new, untested MP4/7a snapped into a half spin during Friday qualifying. Senna finished the session in ninth place and would not be drawn to comment on the new car’s performance.
|
|
| 1992 – Spanish Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna lost control of his MP4/7B in the last third of the race. Skilfully he selected reverse gear while he was travelling backward and was able to continue as far as lap sixty-three. On this fateful lap the McLaren broke away from Senna and plunged into the retaining wall, it’s race run.
|
|
| 1992 – San Marino Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
As soon as Senna crossed the line he pulled up. He had been suffering with severe cramps in his upper body. He explained it was due to the vibration in the car and the seatbelts that compressed the nerves in his shoulders. He was unable to get out of the car for some twenty minutes after the race had finished; such was the pain he was in.
|
|
| 1992 – Monaco Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna had an accident in Saturday qualifying. As he wrestled his McLaren through Mirabeau it twitched into a spin. The rear of the car hit the barriers and the rear wing was knocked off.
|
|
| 1992 – Canadian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
In Saturday Qualifying Senna failed to improve on his Friday time. A spin on the slippery track surface landed his McLaren in a sand trap and it had to be abandoned.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
Fittipaldi had lost a lot of track time due to a blown engine and was in danger of not qualifying. For three laps at the end of Saturday qualifying Senna led hi s fellow countryman around the track. Fittipaldi improved his time by three tenths.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
After Senna had retired form the race due to electronic problems he went over to Brundle’s abandoned B192 to inspect it tyres (Schumacher was chasing down Berger.) He went back to his MP4/7 and plugged his radio jack back in to tell the pits of the condition of the Benetton’s tyres in a bid to let his team know hoe Schumacher’s tyres might have been.
|
|
| 1992 – German Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
In the morning warm-up Senna ran wide on the exit of the last corner. The MP4/7 span over the high kerb and was all but written off. Senna had to race in the spare car.
|
|
| 1992 – Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
At the 1992 Hungarian Grand prix Senna dropped a bombshell by announcing he was willing to drive for frank Williams in 1993 for free.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna had no fewer than three spins on the Friday on the way to third position in the overnight standings.
|
|
| 1992 – Belgian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
When the track was fully wet the handling of the McLaren was not to Senna’s liking. He indulged in a spin, from which he quickly recovered, having suffered no ill effects.
|
|
| 1992 – Portuguese Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
A rear wing failure on the start finish straight at over 180-mph could have spelt disaster for the Brazilian in Friday qualifying. Luckily when the McLaren snapped into a high-speed spin, the gravel trap at the first corner did its job.
|
|
| 1992 – Japanese Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna could only watch from the side of the track as an engine failure had put him out of Honda’s last home Grand prix on lap three.
|
|
| 1992 – Australian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna pulled out all the stops in both days of qualifying. Using a high revving version of the Honda V12 he ran out of fuel on his last lap in Friday qualifying, so fine were the tolerances he was working to. In the morning practice session he had mistimed a move up the inside of Suzuki’s Footwork and sideswiped the Japanese driver. Both cars were damaged and had to be abandoned on the circuit.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Mansell had been baulked by Larini’s Ferrari on the back straight on lap nineteen and Senna was all over the FW14/B as they swept through fast ess bend before the hair pin that led on to the start / finish straight. Senna believed that it might have been possible to get the jump on Mansell into the hairpin if he could be super late on the brakes. The manoeuvre turned distinctly pear shaped and Senna slammed into the back of the Williams, eliminating both drivers. The McLaren’s left front wheel was ripped off, the impact having lifted the Williams off the ground. Mansell of course blamed Senna and Senna accused Mansell of braking early. Mansell was going to make an official protest before it was decided that it was just a racing incident.
|
|
| 1991 – Mexican Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna was nursing a gash to his head that required some ten stitches following a Jet Ski accident the week before the 1991 Mercian Grand Prix. He was not having a good time of things and he had a spectacular accident in Friday’s qualifying session. Following the red flag after Gachot’s accident Senna lay in wait in his pit garage. With minutes left at the end of the session both Williams cars vaulted over Senna to seal up a Williams front row. When the red flags came out both McLaren’s had one set of qualifying tyres left with the five minutes of the session remaining. When the green flag went out Senna joined the track full in the knowledge that only a super human effort would re-claim pole position. He was driving totally at the limit, applying opposite lock as the car bounced over the corrugations on the track surface. Going through the back section on his flying lap Senna missed an apex and he knew he would have to make up for the mistake in the last corner of the lap, Peralta. He took the corner in sixth gear and mid-way through the corner he realised he was running too fast. He backed of abruptly and snatched fifth gear. The is caused the McLaren to tip over the line of adhesion, it spun around and slammed into the tyre barriers, the impact flipping the car upside down, on to it’s role hoop. “It was a big shunt” remarked the uninjured Senna. “Once the car hit the tyre barrier backwards it got flipped upside down and ended up in the sand. Up to that point it was going quite well. We will have to do some fine-tuning to the chassis set-up in preparation for tomorrow.”
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
At the start Alesi had got the jump on Senna in the drag down to the first corner. On the same straight on the next lap Senna overtook Alesi and swerved at him violently as if to warn him not to overtake him again!
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
Before the start of the season Senna had been very vocal about the lack of development work on the Honda RA 121E V12 engine. After the first test he said “it is not good enough, they just have not made sufficient progress.” At finishing behind the two Williams cars the post race press conference he reiterated the situation; “The Williams is now very quick indeed. It is very hard for me to keep up the same rhythm. Honda are working hard to improve the engine but the Williams chassis is much better than our. If we don’t get some new equipment we will have trouble on out hands in the second half of the season.”
|
|
| 1991 – French Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna’s near desperate attempts to gain pole position nearly culminated in an accident at the final corner of his final run in Saturday qualifying. Pushing hard he lost control of the car on oil that had been dropped by Grouillard’s Fomet and he spun elegantly across the start / finish line to trigger the timing beam and take third place behind the dominant Patrese and Prost in the new F643.
|
|
| 1991 – British Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
On the last lap the on board computer told Senna that there was plenty of fuel to get him to the end of the race. In reality there was no and the Honda V12 spluttered to a halt at club corner on the final lap, robbing Senna of his Championship points. Mansell spotted the strickened McLaren on the cool down lap and charitable gave the Brazilin a lift back to the pits.
|
|
| 1991 – German Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
After a poor start Senna found himself being harried by Prost in the early stages of the race. Senna’s Honda V12 had better torque coming out of the slow corners but was no match for the Ferrari V12 at high speed. Senna was not going to give way to his arch nemesis and to keep him back he indulged in some terrible weaving.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
By lap thirty-eight Prost had become frustrated with Senna very defensive driving tactics and he decided he was going to try a “do or die” effort to get past the Brazilian. Sure as eggs are eggs Senna gave Prost no room and Prost was forced to go up the escape road. Disastrously for Prost he was unable to get his F643 into reverse gear and he was unable to rejoin the race and so he retired.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
After running out of fuel at the previous race Honda technicians had made special provision to produce a better in cockpit fuel read-out of Hockenheim. This was all to no avail as Senna ground to a halt coming out of the first chicane on the second to last lap dropping him out of third place.
|
|
| 1991 – Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
McLaren spent a huge amount of time testing at Silverstone with all five of its drivers. They arrived in Hungary with four cars, one having the new semi-automatic gearbox installed. It’s use had been left open ended but when Senna span the car in Friday Free practice and damaged the under tray and the new gearbox would take no further part in the Grand Prix weekend after the car was converted back to a normal gear box for the balance of the meeting.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
Starting from the dusty side of the track Patrese made a superb start and was challenging Senna into the first corner. He pulled virtually level with Senna but Senna chopped him off severely. The William’s tyres smoking in protest. Patrese was furious with the unrepentant Senna and words were exchanged.
|
|
| 1991 – South African Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
In the pre-race press conference things were getting a little heated and Jean Marie Balestre stepped in and suggested that Mansell would be closely observed in the race. Mansell leapt to he feet shouting the odds, suggesting that the FISA president should be keeping an eye on Senna rather than him. Senna retorted with rapier venom. He pointed out that Mansell had been involved in more than his fair share of incidents out on the track. Senna rounded off his comments with a few choice words that would have made a nun blush. Then Piquet chipped in asking Monsieur Balestre whether a driver had to be killed before FISA stepped in, making good on their threats to penalise certain, leading drivers. This was all hot stuff hours before the Grand prix start, especially as it was beginning to rain.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
The tyres that Goodyear initially brought to the race meeting were too hard as its technicians had overestimated the amount of available grip. For Sunday’s race Goodyear brought some softer compound tires. All Goodyear runners used complete sets of the softer tyres except Senna who wanted to use the harder compound on the left-hand side of the car. Goodyear told Senna the harder tyres would not come fast enough to match the soft tyres. They were correct and the tactical error form Senna severely hampered his progress in the race. Coming to the end of lap thirteen the lack of grip that Senna was experiencing caused him to spin. He lost position to Schumacher and Mansell who were following closely. To cap it all Senna reversed dangerously to re-take the track.
|
|
| 1991 – Japanese Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
3 pts
|
Having trounced his team-mate, Berger in the race Senna slowed dramatically on the last lap to allow Berger to overtake him in the final corner, the Championship was won and Senna had decided to make the race victory his gift to his team-mate. However Senna did it in a very obvious manner. McLaren etiquette called for Senna to give the victory to Berger, after the problems Senna had with Prost he radioed the pits to ask which McLaren driver should win; Berger was the answer. (The driver who was ahead in teh first turn.)Senna did not want to give up his win so he did it in such a way as to make it beyond doubt who should have won the race. Berger did not seem to mind though and enjoyed the victory as if it had been a result of his driving rather than a hand me down from his team-leader.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
5 pts
|
In the post-race press conference Senna, having claimed the Championship for the third time launched a seething verbal attack on Balestre, the FISA president who had just been ousted by Max Mosley only ten days previously. “I won this race in 1989 and was prevented from going on to the podium by Jean-Marie Balestre. I was robbed badly by the system and that I will never forget. 1989 was unforgivable and I still struggle to cope with it. They decided against me and that was not justice, so what took place over the winter was shit.” Senna did not stop there, he explained that he did not apologies to Balestre, “I never sent apologised to that guy. They changed the press release. They changed the deal they wanted to make a deal with us. I was pushed by Ron and Honda and I agreed to some term. After I agreed I signed the paper and sent it by fax. They completely changed the terms.” On a role Senna went on to comment about the first corner incident he had with Prost at Suzuka the previous year; “In 1990, before we started qualifying Gerhard and I went to the officials and asked them to change the pole position because it was in the wrong place. The officials said yes, no problem. I got pole and then what happened? Balestre gave an order that we don’t change pole. We said it had been agreed. They said ‘No we don’t think so.’ This was really shit. I said to myself, Ok you try to work cleanly and do the job properly and then you get f##ked by stupid 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 is not going to make it. And it just happened. I wish it hadn’t. We were both off and it was a shit end to the World Championship. It was not good for me, and not good for F1. It was the result of wrong decisions and partially from the people making them. I won the championship. So what? It was a bad example for everyone. If you get f##ked every single time when you’re trying to do your job cleanly and properly, by other people taking advantage of it, what should you do? Stand behind and say ‘Thank you, yes thank you?’ No. You should fight for what you think is right and I really felt I was fighting for something that was correct because I was f##cked in the winter and I was f##ked when I got pole. I tell you if pole had been on the good side last year nothing would have happened. I would have got a better start. It was the result of a bad decision and we all know why and the result was in the first corner. I did contribute to it but it was not my responsibility.” Four days after the race the following statement was issued following talks involving Max Mosley, Senna and Ron Dennis.
“Following a frank discussion with the president of FISA, Mr Max Mosely, I would like to make it clear that my remarks concerning the accident with Alain Prost in 1990 have been misinterpreted. What I said was that I had decided in the event of both drivers going for the same piece of road, that I would not be the one to give way. All racing drivers do this occasionally. At no time did I deliberately collide with Alain, further more I now feel that my remarks concerning the former FISA president were inappropriate and that the language I used was not in good taste. I hope this matter is now closed and that we can enjoy an outstanding, sporting contest in Australia without further controversy. (Signed) Ayrton Senna. Issued by McLaren international.” Make of it all what you will.
|
|
| 1990 – Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna was seemingly on course for a memorable victory in his home race as he approached back marker, Nakajima on lap forty-one. Senna followed his ex-team mate for a couple of corners before the Japanese driver saw the waved blue flags and he dutifully pulled off the racing line. Senna dived up the inside but Nakajima was having problems on the marbles off the racing line. Nakajima had no option but to drift back on to the racing line just as Senna was coming past. The contact between the rear tyre of the Tyrrell and the McLaren was enough to rip the nose box of the MP4/5B. Senna had to pit to have the damaged nose box replaced dropping him to third. This effectively cost Senna the race.
|
|
| 1990 – Canadian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna made an un-characteristic error in the Friday’s qualifying session. He spoilt his best lap on qualifying rubber with a fluffed gear change. “I missed fifth gear coming out of the fastest chicane and by mistake I stuck it into third, which over revved the engine.” The engine was replace in time for Saturday qualifying.
|
|
| 1990 – Mexican Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
A tactical error from Senna saw him fail to pit when he had a slow puncture. The tyre finally exploded on lap sixty-four, pitching him out of the race. He had though that the loss of grip had been due to tyre wear.
|
|
| 1990 – French Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna was lucky not to seriously damage his race car in the Sunday morning warm-up when he spun over one of the tracks high kerbs..
|
|
| 1990 – British Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Running in second place on lap fifteen, Senna put his McLaren’s right front wheel on the apex kerb at Copse’ corner, putting his car out of shape. The MP4/5B speared over the exit kerb on the other side of the track. For a split second it seemed as if Senna had kept control of the McLaren but he could not catch the car and he span across the grass, dropping from second to fifth place. At least he was able to continue.
|
|
| 1990 – Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Senna overtook Nannini for second place on lap sixty-five with a forceful move that would end in the Italian’s retirement from the race. Nannini was getting ready to challenge Boutsen for the lead when Senna came charging up the inside in the fast ess bed on the first half of the track. Senna’s move relied on intimidation as much as did skill and he hoped Nannini would move aside, which the Italian did not. The Benetton and the McLaren made heavy contact. Senna continued but Nannini’s B190 was tipped on to two wheel, almost rolling over. The car came back to ground with a sizable thump, deranging the car’s suspension. All that Nannini could do was nurse his car back to the pits to retire. “I don’t think he saw me and closed the door too much,” rued Senna. Nannini did nor see it the same way and Benetton almost lodged an official complaint against Senna.
|
|
| 1990 – Belgian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
Senna has a harmless spin in Friday qualifying due to handling problems with his MP4/5B. As martin Donnelly approached the scene of Senna’s spin a broken wheel nut came off and his right rear wheel hurtled toward Senna just hitting one of the McLaren’s wings. Donnelly was able to wrestle his three-wheeled Lotus past the stationary McLaren. It was a lucky escape for both drivers.
|
|
| 1990 – Italian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
During free practice Senna slid wide at the second Lesmo bed. His MP4/5B’s under tray was badly damaged as it grounded on the high kerb on the exit of the bend. By the by, the chassis was chassis number one that had been in use from the start of the season.
|
|
| 1990 – Japanese Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
4 pts
|
As the track had not benefited from a clean up as pre-qualifying had been cancelled due to no shows from Life and Euro Brun it was very dusty and slippery. Senna was caught foul and spun of in the weekends first session on the Friday morning. His MP4/5B was stranded in the gravel trap on the exit of Spoon curve. The result was a twenty-minute walk back to the pits for Senna.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
Before the race the race organisers made it clear tat if any driver crossed the yellow line the demarked the pit lane entrance would be disqualified. Coming into the only real overtaking opportunity on the track this would reduce the opportunities to overtake to virtually nil. The drivers including both Senna and Prost wanted pole position sifted to the left-hand side of the track, on the clean line. The race organisers did not do this at the grid positions had been marked out on the circuit. Senna after having qualified on pole knew that with out the opportunity to overtake in the Casio chicane he would have to stay ahead of Prost at the start. Invariably Prost got the better start and lead into the first corner. He left a tiny gap and Senna dived inside. The two cars collided and slithered into the gravel. Senna was Champion. It was not the climax to the championship that every one had hoped for.
|
|
| 1990 – Australian Grand Prix |
| Misc |
|
Senna, Ayrton (McLaren)
|
|
1 pts
|
On lap sixty-two Senna drove straight on into the tyre barriers when he was struggling to find second gear. He was out of the race. “I had been careful with the brakes from the start. From early on I had most of the brake balance to the rear wheels in an effort to save the front brakes, which was something of a problem. I was on the limit. I just couldn’t get the car into second and went off into the tyres, the car stuck in neutral…”
|
|
| 2011 – Japanese Grand Prix |
| Practice |
|
Senna, Ayrton (Renault)
|
|
1 pts
|
Span his Renault into the gravel in turn 2 after carrying too much speed through the first corner.
|
|
|
Senna, Ayrton (Renault)
|
 |
10 pts
|
Ran wide and the Spoon curve and stuffed it into the wall.
Senna, shaken, stepped out of the car without any issues. The session was red flagged.
|
|
Brazil
