Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost are among the greatest Formula 1 drivers ever. And the delightful thing for the fans about them is that they competed against each other in the same era, generating some of the most classic clashes for the fans to recall for decades.
The arch-rivals were even teammates once at McLaren, and over there only, things between the two got ugly. So much so that when Alain Prost sat with Williams owner Frank Williams for a contract negotiation for the 1993 season, he was willing to accept everything, even lower pay, but only on one condition.
He didn’t want his biggest nemesis Senna even near him. In the latest episode of Beyond the Grid, Prost reveals how he asked Williams never to hire the Brazilian race driver till the time he’s there with them.
“The only thing I asked Frank [Williams] when we met in Paris. You give me the money you want. I don’t want to be the number 1 in the team, but I only ask you is I can’t be a teammate again with Ayrton [Senna],” said Prost in the podcast episode.
Alain Prost’s wish forced Frank Williams to refuse the free services of Ayrton Senna
But this condition would have been manageable if Senna was not interested in Williams. Before Honda even left F1, which was scheduled for the end of the 1992 season, McLaren was already a shadow of its late 80s self. On the other hand, Williams was conspicuously the best team on the grid, having won that year’s championship with Nigel Mansell.
The team was so dominant while running on a Renault engine that Senna reportedly offered to drive for Williams for free in 1993. However, Williams already gave a gentleman’s agreement to Prost in their last meeting, so he had to give a hard pass to Senna’s offer.
The start of 1993 season was #OTD at Kyalami 🇿🇦
Ayrton Senna 🇧🇷 finished where he started 🥈🏆 with Alain Prost winning for Williams. #McLarenTeam pic.twitter.com/bFCfpvuJfk
— McLaren Team (@McLarenTeamFan) March 14, 2023
In the end, Prost had an incredible redemption story in 1993 by winning his fourth world title. Meanwhile, Senna had another troublesome year at McLaren.
Soon he got to drive for Williams, but it ended in a tragedy
Initially, Senna got an offer from Williams right before the start of the 1992 season. However, his loyalty to Honda and McLaren, which gave him so much success, prevented him from escaping the sinking boat.
Had the emotions not come his way, Senna could have been a four-time world champion instead of ending his legacy with three. Nevertheless, he managed to be with Williams in 1994, which yet again entered that season as one of the title favorites.
However, while competing in Imola, Senna met with a fatal accident that surprised the entire F1 fraternity. His death majorly affected everyone, including that year’s champion and his successor to F1’s most dominant force Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time world champion even dedicated his title win to the Brazilian race driver. He reasoned that if Senna had been alive, he would have taken the title seamlessly.
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