His engine stalled at the start. He fell to 14th and still won his first title.
Ayrton Senna’s engine died as the cars launched. His McLaren sat stranded on the track, surrounded by rivals speeding past. Senna waved his arms to warn them. Then the car began rolling down Suzuka’s sloping main straight, and the engine sprang back to life. The race could still be saved. So could the championship.
A start that nearly ended everything
Senna had taken pole for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Alain Prost alongside him on the front row. They were McLaren teammates, battling for the world title. A win at Suzuka could secure the championship for Senna.
Instead, the start turned into a disaster. The engine stalled, the field swept by, and the Brazilian fell to fourteenth. Senna later blamed a combination of his own mistake and an overly sensitive clutch. The slope of the main straight gave him a chance: the car rolled, the engine caught, and Senna rejoined the fight.
A charge through the field
Senna did not wait for the race to settle. He gained six places on the first lap and crossed the line in eighth. By the fourth, he was up to fourth after passing Riccardo Patrese, Thierry Boutsen, Alessandro Nannini and Michele Alboreto. His move on Alboreto nearly ended with their wheels touching under braking at the chicane.
Rain began falling on parts of the circuit on lap fourteen. The track alternated between wet and dry sections, conditions that helped Senna’s pursuit. On lap twenty, Ivan Capelli retired, moving the Brazilian into second, behind Prost.
The Frenchman was struggling with his gearbox. Senna closed in as traffic added to the pressure. When the leaders caught Andrea de Cesaris, Prost lost time behind the backmarker. Along the pit straight, Senna swept past his teammate and took the lead.
Leading in the rain
Senna pushed on. He strung together a series of fast laps, broke the previous lap record and built a lead of more than three seconds, despite losing time while lapping Nakajima. But the rain left the track wet, and Senna was still on slick tyres designed for dry conditions. The situation grew increasingly precarious.
Senna gestured for the race to be stopped. It continued, however, for the full scheduled distance. He stayed in front and crossed the finish line about thirteen seconds ahead of Prost.
His first world title
The victory secured Senna’s first world championship. He reached the top in his fifth Formula 1 season, after turning a near-disastrous start into a decisive recovery. At Suzuka, the driver who had seemed moments from elimination finished ahead of his rival and became world champion.
