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One of the most fascinating aspects of the 1988 season is the debate over who actually performed better.
The car took 15 pole positions, often qualifying seconds ahead of the nearest non-McLaren rival. Senna vs. Prost : The Intra-Team War 1988 f1 season
He climbed out, furious, and tried to push the car back onto the track himself. Marshals had to physically restrain him. Prost won again. In the press conference, Prost said, "Sometimes you must know the limit." Senna, watching on a monitor back in the garage, threw a helmet against the wall. One of the most fascinating aspects of the
The year was 1988, and the air in Formula 1 smelled of nitro, burnt rubber, and impending war. It was a season of impossible dominance and silent, seething fury. On paper, it was the year of the MP4/4, a white-and-red McLaren that seemed to have been dropped from another planet. But beneath the champagne sprays and the record books, it was the year Ayrton Senna decided he would no longer be the heir. He would be the king. Prost : The Intra-Team War He climbed out,
The championship quickly became an intramural scrimmage. The rest of the field—Ferrari, Benetton, and Lotus—were fighting for the "best of the rest" title. The Sundays were often processional, but the Saturdays were electric. Senna redefined qualifying, taking 13 pole positions in 16 races. His lap at Monaco that year is the stuff of legend; he was so far ahead of the field (and even Prost) that he later described it as a frightening, almost out-of-body experience where he felt he was no longer driving the car consciously.
After the race, Senna didn't speak to the press. He sat in the garage, still in his firesuit, staring at the wrecked MP4/4. Prost walked by, sipping water. "Unlucky, Ayrton," he said softly. It was not a comfort. It was a reminder.
By mid-season, McLaren had won every race. The constructors' title was a foregone conclusion. But between the two drivers, a cold war had turned hot. In private, Ron Dennis, the team principal, tried to play peacemaker. "You are driving for McLaren," he said. "Not against each other." But Senna had stopped sharing setup data. Prost had stopped acknowledging him in the briefings.