mnmracer wrote:In 1989 it was clearly Prost's fault: the crash happened before the normal turn-in point. At the very least, he should have checked his mirrors before taking that line.
In 1990, it's harder to say, but taking everything into consideration, including what he told the world before the race and Senna's habit of putting his car somewhere and leaving the choice to crash or not to the other driver, it was at the very least avoidable. Prost was very clearly ahead into that corner.
The FACT is that Senna, because he was in Pole Position, was ahead of Prost on the grid, Prost clearly got a better start because he was on the clean side, none of this is in any dispute. Being that Prost was passing Senna on the start he had the responsibility to make sure he passed cleanly and left proper racing room, Senna was on the inside, Prost CAN NOT take the inside line until he is 100% percent ahead of Senna, when they collided Prost's right rear was behind Senna's left front... Clearly Prost's fault in my view, Had Prost given the car that was next to him(although not fully alongside) proper racing room they could have both made the corner(we have seen many people go side by side into that turn, even at full racing speed, let along at start grid speed).
If Prost was clearly ahead as you claim Senna would have rear ended him, He did not, Prost's Right rear struck Senna's Left front, Senna was on the extreme right of the track, it was Prost that put his car in a place that forced contact, he had plenty of room to move to the left which is actually the preferred line into Suzuka turn 2. Just because you are partially "ahead" does not mean you have the full right to the entirety of the track's width. As Alonso has said, "You must leave-a the Gap"
Senna never claimed that he would crash into Prost, he only claimed he would not concede the corner without a fight.
Senna has been called all types of terrible things when in actuality Prost was absolutely a horrible sportsman in every opportunity.
Even the Portugal incident where everyone claims that Senna tried to put Prost into the wall only came about after Prost tried to force Senna off the track onto the grass on one of the previous aborted starts.
Using your racecar as a weapon is reprehensible and worthy of severe punishment, but in my recollection Senna did nothing of the sort, his fists are another story. A "block pass", placing your car as to impede a competitors entry into a corner, is a time tested method that has been used since the inception of auto racing. Although if not executed properly it can be dangerous, it is in no way a "dirty" tactic.
Winning is the most important. Everything is consequence of that. Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose.-Ayrton Senna
