Custom Racing Suit
Get Started for FREE
Governing Body Confirms McLaren’s Fate in Intense F1 Controversy
LISTEN
0:00
0:00
Highlights
- 1989 Japanese GP saw controversial collision between Prost and Senna.
- Senna disqualified for cutting chicane after collision with Prost.
- Senna’s disqualification gave Nannini his only F1 victory.
- FISA upheld penalty, fined Senna £100,000, suspended six-month ban.
- Senna accused FISA President Balestre of bias favoring Prost.
- Balestre later admitted acting to help Prost in 1989 championship.
The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka delivers a decisive controversy, as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna collide and FISA’s ruling ultimately determines the championship outcome.
Prost starts with a 16‑point advantage and needs only to finish behind Senna. Senna must win, sharpening intra‑team tensions at McLaren and placing governance under intense scrutiny.
Senna takes pole by 1.7 seconds. Prost trims drag by removing a rear‑wing gurney flap. From the cleaner grid line, Prost launches better, while Senna struggles off the dirtier side.
Prost controls the early pace and defends the chicane robustly. Senna, with more downforce, carries superior corner speed but lacks the straight‑line margin to complete a clean pass.
On lap 47, Senna dives for the inside at the Casio Triangle. Prost holds the line. Contact sends both into the escape road, their McLarens stalled side by side.
Prost abandons immediately. Senna signals marshals, receives a push, loops the escape route, rejoins after the missed chicane, replaces his front wing, and resumes at racing speed.
No driver was disqualified for missing a corner between 1979 and 1989.
Senna overhauls Alessandro Nannini to win on the road. Stewards then disqualify Senna for cutting the chicane and gaining advantage, citing assistance and route deviation in the decision.
McLaren appeals in Paris. FISA upholds the exclusion, fines Senna £100,000, and issues a six‑month suspended ban. The council brands him a dangerous driver, inflaming an already volatile dispute.
Senna alleges political interference by FISA president Jean‑Marie Balestre. The World Motor Sport Council threatens his 1990 super licence unless he retracts. McLaren entries face delays pending apology.
Balestre later admitted acting to help Prost in 1989.
Nannini inherits victory, the only win of his Formula 1 career. Prost secures the title. The episode cements perceptions of inconsistency in officiating and exposes fault lines in governance.
In 1996, Balestre acknowledges acting to help Prost. That admission validates Senna’s protests and shapes how the 1989 finale is remembered, influencing attitudes to regulatory transparency and independence.
Senna was fined £100,000 with a six‑month suspended ban.
Visual Summary
Collision at the Chicane
Senna vs Prost – Suzuka 1989
Senna vs Prost – Suzuka 1989
1
Prost leads championship, just needs to finish behind Senna.
Prost leads championship, just needs to finish behind Senna.
2
Senna attacks at chicane — both collide, chaos ensues.
Senna attacks at chicane — both collide, chaos ensues.
3
Senna wins on track but disqualified by FISA; Nannini inherits victory.
Senna wins on track but disqualified by FISA; Nannini inherits victory.
4
Senna accuses FISA of bias. Years later, Balestre admits interference.
Senna accuses FISA of bias. Years later, Balestre admits interference.
16
Points Lead
for Prost
for Prost
1.7s
Senna’s Pole Margin
£100k
Senna’s Fine
🚩 Decision Off Track >> Champions Made In Boardrooms
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
