“Absolutely predictable”

Alain Prost (left) and Ayrton Senna (yellow helmet) jump over the safety barrier, following their collision at the first corner of the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, at the Suzuka circuit.

The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the championship and saw a first-corner collision between the two title contenders. It was the second consecutive year that the drivers’ title had been decided by a collision, but this time it was Senna who rammed his French rival’s Ferrari, securing his second F1 title.

Murray Walker, the famous journalist-commentator, had said that this collision was “absolutely predictable” as the animosity between Senna on the one hand, who had not gotten over the collision and his disqualification of 1989, and Alain Prost and the FIA ​​on the other hand, was at its peak.

Ayrton Senna initially denied causing the collision, but a year later admitted to intentionally taking out his opponent as revenge for the 1989 edition, and what he considered a blatant injustice.