F1 Recall - Senna and Prost
- Thread starter darth_timon
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- Sep 18, 2013
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How could you forget this?
Here's your hero in full agreement with Senna.
Here's your hero in full agreement with Senna.
Again. lg with that clip. Personally, I think you should separate the two.
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If I could I would. Unfortunately that's not how they are in my head.
Prost's career before Senna joined McLaren was enough to make him an all time great.
Theseventhhamster
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Not sure it was even worth you writing about Prost. 
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senna was my favourite and i really disliked prost. as a ferrari fan i hated it when he went to ferrari (along with my other not well liked driver of the time mansell). but i have to say prosts record is unbelievable, not just in f1, but as he went through the different formulas leading up to f1, he dominated.
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In the sense that I didn't do a good job or that you disagree with my memories of him?Not sure it was even worth you writing about Prost.
Theseventhhamster
Brownlow Medallist
You've barely mentioned him outside of his tiff with your favourite driver.
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- #10
'Shrug' those are my personal recollections. I do acknowledge his racing record, but what I directly remember is his manipulative stance. I'm not recapping his entire career (there are plenty of sites which do that), only what I can personally remember.
When accounting all aspects of driving/racing. Prost is the best of all time. People pick on other drivers because they look at the weaknesses of their teammate. Have a look at Prost record against his teamamtes, who collectively have won 9 titles and about 136 races! No one's ever going to have it that hard.
I think it was more Honda favouring Senna than McLaren. I think the politics at Ferrari was influenced by not wanting to suffer the way he did at Renault. Apparently Rene Arnoux was playing cheeky buggers.
Personally, he is the only F1 champ that I reckon could've won a WRC. Now, you have to be seriously ******* good to win one of them!
I think it was more Honda favouring Senna than McLaren. I think the politics at Ferrari was influenced by not wanting to suffer the way he did at Renault. Apparently Rene Arnoux was playing cheeky buggers.
Personally, he is the only F1 champ that I reckon could've won a WRC. Now, you have to be seriously ******* good to win one of them!
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really tough to judge that as its different styles of racing / driving.
It is an opinion, and I'm happy with it. Also, I said "could've won", not 'definitely would've won".
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but if you look at the press conference i posted, he did not have the respect of his peers or alot of the press. They thought he was a coward afraid of an equal playing field.
This is his peers, not us bickering fans or journos with agendas. His peers.
ManWithNoName
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Pretty sure few respected Prost as much as Senna.
billywhizz
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I used to hold Senna in much higher regard than Prost.. then I read a book called 'Senna versus Prost'
http://www.amazon.com/Senna-Versus-Prost-Rivalry-Formula/dp/0099528096
Really opened my eyes, even though I'm aware that because Prost was the only one alive to be interivewed, it naturally has some bias towards him. He explains the reason for his apprehension driving in the rain which stemmed from this accident:
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/08/sports/pironi-injured-in-crash.html
Prost was a little bit older and also saw first hand the great friendship turned rivalry between Gilles Villeneuve and Pironi which ended in Gilles' death. Gilles was angry at Pironi and spent all his energy trying to out drive him.. basically drove himself into the ground.
Prost would also have had quite a few more WDC's if not for mechanical failures. He lost a couple by a small amount of points in the final races of a few seasons.
1983 - Prost lost the title by 2 points to Piquet (3 retirements in the final 4 rounds)
1984 - Prost lost the title by HALF A POINT to Lauda. (2 retirements in the final 5 rounds)
Could easily have had two more.
Basically, motorsport was something which Prost enjoyed. And for Senna, motorsport defined him. The fact that Prost was so good without ever viewing it as anything more than a hobby should tell you something about his skill. Senna has more respect because it seems like he put his life on the line every lap. Prost seemed just as fast, but made it seem effortless.
Also interesting that Senna was basically lost once Prost retired and he had no rival to measure himself against.
http://www.amazon.com/Senna-Versus-Prost-Rivalry-Formula/dp/0099528096
Really opened my eyes, even though I'm aware that because Prost was the only one alive to be interivewed, it naturally has some bias towards him. He explains the reason for his apprehension driving in the rain which stemmed from this accident:
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/08/sports/pironi-injured-in-crash.html
Prost was a little bit older and also saw first hand the great friendship turned rivalry between Gilles Villeneuve and Pironi which ended in Gilles' death. Gilles was angry at Pironi and spent all his energy trying to out drive him.. basically drove himself into the ground.
Prost would also have had quite a few more WDC's if not for mechanical failures. He lost a couple by a small amount of points in the final races of a few seasons.
1983 - Prost lost the title by 2 points to Piquet (3 retirements in the final 4 rounds)
1984 - Prost lost the title by HALF A POINT to Lauda. (2 retirements in the final 5 rounds)
Could easily have had two more.
Basically, motorsport was something which Prost enjoyed. And for Senna, motorsport defined him. The fact that Prost was so good without ever viewing it as anything more than a hobby should tell you something about his skill. Senna has more respect because it seems like he put his life on the line every lap. Prost seemed just as fast, but made it seem effortless.
Also interesting that Senna was basically lost once Prost retired and he had no rival to measure himself against.
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ManWithNoName
TheBrownDog
Great book that.
billywhizz
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Yeah! Has some great sections talking about Mansell too.
Also, Senna was trying just as hard as Prost to get into that Williams in 1993 (the situation I assume that video clip above is referencing?). He even offered to drive for free.
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Mechanical failure cuts both ways. Senna had FOUR consecutive retirements for technical reasons in 89, and his crash with Mansell at Portugal would never have happened if Mansell had obeyed the black flag. Then there's 86 and Mansell's exploding tyre... so Prost benefited from mechanical troubles as much as they hindered him.
I've had this discussion on other sites. When I've looked deeper into it. Nobody can dispute Prost's ability or status in any context. Even begrudge him 86.
with 9 points for a win.
1981 - 7pts behind champ Piquet. 9 dnf to 3
1982 - 10 pts behind Rosberg. 8 dnf to 3 + 1 dns + 1 dsq for Rosberg
1983 - 2pts from Piquet.
1984 - 0.5pt from Lauda.
1988 - 2nd to Senna. But scored more points. Had more mechanical failures. Committed less driver errors.
1990 - 5pts less than Senna. But one more non-driving error dnf.
People compare qualifying stats to Senna to diminish Prost. But Prost knew that it wasn't as important to go all out for qualifying. But was a significantly faster driver in the races. Superior Fastest lap stats.
with 9 points for a win.
1981 - 7pts behind champ Piquet. 9 dnf to 3
1982 - 10 pts behind Rosberg. 8 dnf to 3 + 1 dns + 1 dsq for Rosberg
1983 - 2pts from Piquet.
1984 - 0.5pt from Lauda.
1988 - 2nd to Senna. But scored more points. Had more mechanical failures. Committed less driver errors.
1990 - 5pts less than Senna. But one more non-driving error dnf.
People compare qualifying stats to Senna to diminish Prost. But Prost knew that it wasn't as important to go all out for qualifying. But was a significantly faster driver in the races. Superior Fastest lap stats.
