Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost: The Fiercest F1 Rivalry That Evolved Into an Unexpected Friendship

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s rivalry continues to be one of the most talked-about rivalries in Formula 1. Thanks to multiple films and series about the late Senna, who tragically died in a fatal crash during the 1994 Grand Prix, the topic refuses to be forgotten even after 30 years, despite Prost confirming how the two became friends after his retirement.
Prost was already a successful driver at McLaren when Senna joined the team as a new teammate and soon went on to win his first world title. The two were equally skilled on the track and together went on to win 15 out of 16 Grand Prix races with their McLaren MP4/4.
In no time, their intra-team competition seemed to overshadow the actual competition with the team’s rivals. Things turned ugly when they collided during the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. While Prost was out of the race, Senna won but was later disqualified and fined $100,000, along with a six-month ban. One can imagine the rest as the furious Senna blamed Prost for his suffering.

The rivalry continued when Prost moved to Ferrari in 1990, and the two got involved in a similar incident again at Suzuka. After being told to start from the dirty side of the track despite qualifying for pole position, Senna, trailing behind Prost’s Ferrari, became enraged and drove into Prost off the track, damaging both cars.
Interestingly, Prost joined Williams in 1993 with a clause that Senna would not be allowed to join the team as long as he was there. However, Senna eventually joined the team after Prost’s retirement, and the two did stand together on the podium for the last time.
Recently, Prost has faced online abuse for being portrayed as a villain in the 2024 Netflix series Senna. When Motorsport-Total.com asked him about the series, he called it “complete nonsense,” adding, “Almost everything is completely fictionalized. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
The portal noted that Prost had conveyed the same message to the French portal, Canal+ as well. He confirmed becoming friends with Senna after retiring from the sport in 1993. “When I retired, a different person emerged immediately, in a fraction of a second. He was just completely different. In the six months before his death, we spoke regularly on the phone, sometimes two or three times a week. He was not the same anymore, he even begged me to come back,” said Prost.
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Ayorton Senna died on May 1, 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy. His tragic car crash led to several important safety reforms in Formula 1 and other motorsports.