{"id":570,"date":"2021-08-02T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/der-bussard.de\/en\/?p=570"},"modified":"2023-01-06T23:44:35","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T22:44:35","slug":"ayrton-senna-a-man-of-charisma-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/der-bussard.de\/en\/2021\/08\/02\/ayrton-senna-a-man-of-charisma-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayrton Senna: A man of charisma (4.)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Part four<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Parts one to three<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Senna’s dream of becoming world champion with the Lotus<\/em> team was over in 1987: Although he was now driving on Honda engines, which gave him an advantage, the environment at Lotus<\/em> no longer suited Ayrton Senna.
Senna already had plans, but his team had anticipated Senna\u2019s steps: Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet was signed by Lotus<\/em> for the 1988 season \u2013 Senna was not informed in advance. Since Senna did not have a deal with another team at that time, his future was uncertain… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transition to McLaren<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Senna had been considering a move to McLaren<\/em> for some time. Now that Lotus<\/em> had signed another driver, it was time to put his plan into action. It was certain by then: Senna would move to McLaren<\/em> for the 1988 Formula One season. McLaren<\/em> offered him an environment with a lot of competition: world champion Alain Prost, against whom Senna had raced in the past, became his teammate. Senna saw such great competition as beneficial.
In return, Senna brought the engines from Honda: Previously, McLaren<\/em> had raced with TAG Porsche<\/em> engines. Honda’s exclusive deal with the Williams<\/em> team thus expired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 1987, Senna said of his relationship with Lotus<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m in Formula One to be  a winner. My goal is to win while Lotus\u2019s is merely to survive. We just couldn\u2019t continue together. They knew I was on my way out. I just didn\u2019t tell them that my next stop would be the McLaren team, with which I had everything straightened out, as well as with Honda. It\u2019s a question of philosophy. (\u2026) The only reason I\u2019m still racing is because I want to become a world champion.\u201c <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of contestants…. <\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Should his wish come true? At McLaren, he had undoubtedly arrived in the right place. The team had previously produced two world champions: Niki Lauda and Alain Prost.
Alain Prost was aware of his new competitor at the beginning of the 1988 season, but reacted quite relaxed. He said of his new teammate: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cHe has never been with a teammate who drives fast. He has the advantage of his youth and motivation; I have a lot of experience, and I have a say in the matter. Our aim is to build a top-flight team and if we have the best car, we will compete against each other, and for the championship. There are two kinds of contestants: there are your opponents, and there are your team-mates, who are often the most redoubtable because that\u2019s the only way to size yourself up, since you\u2019re driving the same car.\u201c<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Golden year for McLaren<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Senna had made the right decision: 1988 was to be a golden year for McLaren<\/em>. The 1988 Formula One season was the last season in which turbochargers were allowed. It was a masterstroke brought to the track by Honda engineers: The McLaren MP 4\/4 had Senna and Prost raving. One of the secrets of the McLaren MP 4\/4 was high boost pressure. In 1988, the boost pressure was limited to 2.5 bar. However, Honda designed the engine in such a way that the available boost pressure was up to 2.9 bar \u2013 but a clever technique caused that the boost pressure at the head of the pop-off valve was only 2.5 bar. This meant that the vehicle was designed to comply with the rules and at the same time was more powerful than any other vehicle on the racetrack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving more slowly…<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, Senna took pole position \u2013 1.427 seconds ahead of his teammate Alain Prost. Motorsport journalist Denis Jenkinson wrote that the goal of the other drivers was not to be lapped too often by Ayrton Senna: Throughout the race weekend, the McLaren was two seconds faster than any other car.
During the race, Senna was in the lead for 66 laps. Senna later described being in a kind of trance during the race. The gap to Alain Prost was widening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when Senna set off on lap 67, his team boss Ron Dennis radioed him: He was ordered to slow down<\/em>. Senna obeyed and slowed down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But his biggest rival put a spoke in his wheel: Alain Prost stepped on the gas again and caught up. Senna panicked that he would no longer win the race \u2013 and hit the gas again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No mistakes allowed in Monaco<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The track in Monaco doesn\u2019t forgive mistakes: On the fateful 67th lap, he collided with a wall. The wheel suspension was broken: The race was over for him. Senna was so upset that he ran straight back to his apartment in Monaco and didn’t show his face for the rest of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alain Prost won the race. Senna believed after this race that he had lost the fight for the 1988 world championship. 
Senna said about this race: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThat day I suddenly realized that I was no longer driving it conscious and I was in a different dimension for me. The circuit for me was a tunnel which I was just going, going, going. And I realized I was well beyond my conscious understanding.\u201c<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n