Ayrton Senna’s 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix title challenge suffered a devastating setback when the Brazilian collided with black-flagged Ferrari driver Nigel Mansell at Estoril. Gerhard Berger ultimately claimed Ferrari’s 97th Formula 1 victory, while Alain Prost finished second and extended his championship lead to 24 points with only three races remaining.
The Portuguese Grand Prix took place at Estoril on 24 September 1989, with Ayrton Senna fully aware that he had to deliver his maximum. Alain Prost arrived with a 20-point advantage and only four rounds remained in the championship. Ayrton Senna could not afford to lose any more ground.
McLaren tensions rise between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost
Tensions inside McLaren had continued to worsen. Alain Prost repeatedly criticised Honda, suggesting that the Japanese manufacturer was favouring Ayrton Senna by providing him with a better engine. The underlying situation was clear: Honda’s engineers had developed a closer relationship with Ayrton Senna.
The Brazilian was heavily involved in the Japanese project and appeared more comfortable with its technology than Alain Prost. Members of the Honda operation consequently expressed their support for the reigning world champion very openly and, at times, excessively.
Following further provocation from “the Professor”, Ron Dennis became tired of Alain Prost’s behaviour and decided to dismiss him. However, that idea was immediately abandoned to avoid a potential media storm. A statement was released in an attempt to calm the situation, with Alain Prost declaring that he was deeply sorry.
The dispute appeared to have subsided publicly, but communication inside the garage remained virtually non-existent. The principal figures continued to speak to one another only through their engineers.
Ayrton Senna takes pole for the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix
Ferrari attracted attention from the opening practice sessions on Friday, setting remarkable lap times. The semi-automatic gearbox fitted to the Ferrari F640 was beginning to deliver results for the Maranello team.
There was no stopping Ayrton Senna in Saturday’s qualifying session, however. The McLaren driver secured pole position for the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, with the two Ferraris maintaining their impressive pace immediately behind him. Gerhard Berger qualified second, Nigel Mansell third and Alain Prost fourth.
Ferrari seizes control at Estoril
Conditions were hot and dry on race day. Gerhard Berger made the better start and beat Ayrton Senna away from the line. A few laps later, Nigel Mansell also passed the Brazilian champion and began his charge towards the front.
Nigel Mansell was in inspired form. On lap 24, the Englishman overtook Ferrari teammate Gerhard Berger and moved into the lead. Seeing Ferrari’s number 27 back at the front revived treasured memories for the team’s supporters, but the race began to unravel during the pit-stop phase on lap 40.
Nigel Mansell entered the pit lane carrying too much speed and overshot his designated pit box by more than two metres. He then selected reverse gear and backed into position, a manoeuvre prohibited by the regulations. Cesare Fiorio and the Ferrari mechanics looked on in horror, knowing that Nigel Mansell would be disqualified for the illegal pit-lane manoeuvre.
Nigel Mansell receives the black flag
Nigel Mansell rejoined the race and found himself running third behind Ayrton Senna. The black flag was displayed to the Ferrari driver for three consecutive laps, ordering him to return to the pits, but Nigel Mansell ignored it and continued racing. He also failed to respond over the radio.
On lap 48, Nigel Mansell was directly behind Ayrton Senna at the end of the pit straight and attempted to dive down the inside. The unthinkable then happened: the two cars made contact and both ended up in the gravel. The collision between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna ended the Brazilian’s 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix and dealt another major blow to his championship hopes.
A furious Ayrton Senna climbed out of his car and returned to the McLaren garage shouting at his mechanics: “He knocked me off the track! He knocked me off the track!” Ayrton Senna understood perfectly how damaging the retirement would be to his championship pursuit and could barely believe what had happened. Nigel Mansell, meanwhile, behaved as though nothing had occurred.
Gerhard Berger wins as Alain Prost extends championship lead
Gerhard Berger crossed the finish line to secure Ferrari’s 97th Formula 1 victory. Alain Prost finished second and increased his advantage over Ayrton Senna, while a stunned Stefan Johansson completed the podium in third place.
The FIA handed Nigel Mansell a one-race suspension and a $50,000 fine. With three Grands Prix remaining, Alain Prost held a 24-point advantage over his McLaren teammate. A third world championship for “the Professor” was no longer far away.
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