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The Professor is ready to leave, having won four World Championships, raced in 199 races, and conquered 51 victories - perhaps even 52, if he manages to win the last race, the Australian Grand Prix, his own GP. There is also great bitterness: the regret of wanting to - or having to? - give up F1 at 38 years old, while still in top form and especially with the theoretical possibility of being able to win a fifth championship, like Juan Manuel Fangio. Alain Prost looks as if he has shed a huge weight. However, his eyes are sad, his face dark. He walks down the central street leading to the hotel, prematurely adorned for the end-of-year festivities, with many decorated pine trees and large Santas, despite the fact that it is summer in the Antipodes. Behind the champion is Bernadette, Jacques Laffite’s ex-wife, whom some call the Black Lady due to her raven hair and preference for dark clothes.
"There will be no second thoughts. This will be my final race after 13 seasons. Everyone is asking me what I will do: maybe I will stay in the F1 environment, but it is not certain. I have about 50 proposals. Every day someone approaches me to offer me a job. I listen and memorise. I want to avoid bad choices. There is no rush".
Alain Prost, one of the strongest drivers of all time, is perhaps also one of the least loved. Why?
"Maybe because I always said what I thought in the hope of improving certain things, for myself and for others. I was often misunderstood. So I became disliked, unpopular. And few believed me. Perhaps it would have been better to be a liar".
Some of your truths cost you dearly. For example, your termination from Ferrari in 1991.
"The environment was negative and hostile from the beginning of the year. And a sentence - which, by the way, had been mistranslated - I had told as an explanation, was exploited. I did not mean to denigrate anyone by saying that the Ferrari was like a truck, but simply to make the point that the car was heavy, difficult to drive. But the feeling with Maranello had broken at the end of the previous season, when Mansell, contravening his word, won in Portugal and caused me and Ferrari to lose the title. How different things would have been if we had won that world title, if Senna had not voluntarily thrown me off the track in Japan. Everyone here portrays themselves as saints, but the Brazilian ended up destroying McLaren, which he now abandons. And previously with his controversies he had also made Honda retire".
There’s always a conflict with Senna…
"As far as I am concerned, I would even be willing to make peace. If he does not wish to, too bad. I'm certainly not going to start crying. The thing that hurts me, however, is something else. Everyone says I don't put on a show, that my victories are cautious ones. But even Senna is no longer like Mansell or Alesi, he's getting closer and closer to my style, and I think that will be the case with the rising star Schumacher. To get ahead and continue to have the pleasure of driving, you must also use your brain. Poor Gilles Villeneuve thought that nothing would ever happen to him…".
After these last two days as a driver, we may now see Alain Prost in the role of entrepreneur, team manager, TV commentator, public relations officer...
"Who knows. Maybe I'll still drive a single-seater, just for the sheer pleasure of it…".
An enigmatic phrase. McLaren (with a Peugeot engine) is courting him, and Prost might accept a super-tester role, an advisor to the British team that cannot find experienced drivers.
But the golden retiree will only make his decisions known in a few weeks. Ayrton Senna is accompanied by Adriane Galisteu, the gorgeous model from São Paulo, his latest flirt, and declares at a press conference:
"Without Prost, everything will be more difficult for me".
Ayrton points out that the retirements of Mansell first, and then Prost, will make him the only world champion still around, so media attention will focus on his season, multiplying his commitments. In Australia, two weeks after the end of the Japanese Grand Prix, the incident between Eddie Irvine and Ayrton Senna is obviously still holding court throughout the paddock. In front of the reporters, the Brazilian shows that he has not let go one bit of his anger toward the Northern Irish driver and Damon Hill too:
"We are talking about drivers who have been racing for very little in Formula 1, they don't know what they are doing and think they are right. I lost 15 to 20 seconds because of them, and I risked going off track and retiring. Of course, nothing justifies my action, what I am saying is certainly not to justify myself. I'm just telling you that what happened is absurd, in more ways than one, and nobody did anything about it. Nobody even talked about it, during and after the race".
The Australian Grand Prix, in addition to witnessing Alain Prost's retirement from Formula 1 races, is important for another reason too: McLaren can overtake Ferrari in the number of overall victories achieved in Formula 1 history. Considering the great competitiveness shown in Japan, McLaren has high chances of succeeding in this feat, helped by the fact that the Maranello cars are far from being a candidate for victory despite clear improvements. The Formula 1 season is coming to a close in Adelaide, but next year’s news is already overlapping. On Wednesday, November 3, 1993, news from Germany confirms that Mercedes will return to the track in 1994. Norbert Haug, head of sports for the German company, says Mercedes will return to Formula 1 with an engine developed with Ilmor (English) and will also be debuting in Formula Indy in 1995. Mercedes abandoned racing in 1955 after a very serious accident at the Le Mans circuit. On Sunday, November 7, 1993, when Tina Turner will take to the stage, everything will be over. The American music star has been called to perform a mega-concert to close the Australian Grand Prix, the final race of the 1993 Formula 1 World Championship. A difficult race that has the word goodbye as its motif. Alain Prost would like to end his last race on a high note and it is Ayrton Senna's last run at McLaren after six seasons of hatred and love. And, hopefully, Ferrari should be able to turn the page and start the 1994 season in a very different way: finally ending (sooner or later) its long fast of victories, which, on this very occasion, will reach the negative record of 50 consecutive races, unless a miracle happens. While waiting to know the track's response, one can attempt a review with Jean Todt, who arrived as Head of Race Management of the Maranello team four months ago.
"In the second part of this period we began to recover. It is the result of a certain method of work. The team is reacting, expressing elasticity and resilience that weren’t there before. This is definitely a cure-all for next year. All of Formula 1 should benefit from the regulatory changes, with benefits for the show and reduced expenses".
Do you feel you have worked well so far?
"I don't think I need any alibis. I have had carte blanche, freedom of movement and action, full powers. I could have made even more important changes, but I self-restrained myself because a total revolution would have brought destabilisation. I believe we are on the right track".
But what does Ferrari's future hold?
"I'm sure the results will come. Maybe we won’t fight for the World Championship but to win races".
Some say there are already problems with John Barnard...
"Our English specialist is making the car for next year, studying the 1995 model and also the ones after that. Ferrari must be a collective and cannot feel tied to one person. But we hope Barnard will be the right choice".
Why didn’t you bring the latest version of your engine to Australia?
"Normally I like decisions to be made collegially. But in this case, I imposed this choice".
The reason is simple: Ferrari needs to achieve results, to end the championship if not on a high note, at least on a positive note and, in any case, earning points needed to finish fourth in the World Constructors' Championship. A position worth a lot of prize money and for a matter of prestige. So the team gives up higher performance to seek reliability. Although engineer Claudio Lombardi, in charge of powertrains, would certainly have preferred to take a chance on the new one in order to make valid experiments. But the internal debate can also be considered valid, should it not lead to fractures. Todt is asked what the biggest problem since he arrived at Ferrari has been. The answer is in some ways surprising, though not new, in a speech not without contradictions:
"Relations with the press, difficult. There is enormous pressure. But you have to live with it, we are in the same boat, help us".
Ferrari, however, can help itself in a unique way if and when it returns to winning. On Friday, November 5, 1993, at the end of the first day of the qualifying session, Alain Prost aims to equal Nigel Mansell’s record of fourteen pole positions. And given this season’s trend, it should be quite straightforward for the Frenchman to get his fourteenth start from the first position in the championship. But, in the very last race of the year, there pops up someone no longer expected to be ahead of everyone - not because he lacks the ability to set a fast lap (something no one would have doubts about), but last achieved a pole position on June 13, 1992, at the Canadian Grand Prix. A year and a half has passed since then and Williams’ clear supremacy, which is even more evident on Saturdays than on Sundays, has meant Ayrton Senna - the best of all in terms of dry lap distance - has dealt with a long abstinence. But on Saturday, Nov. 6, 1993, the Brazilian achieves the 62nd pole position of his career for his very last race in McLaren, thanks to a sensational time of 1'13"371, 0.4 seconds faster than Alain Prost and Damon Hill. Mika Häkkinen, who in his first races alongside Ayrton Senna had managed to stay close to his teammate and had proved even faster in Portugal, is in P5 and 0.7 seconds away this time, a figure that highlights how Senna made the difference over everyone else. Alain Prost sees the record for pole positions in a single season slip away, but can still close in style with the race, perhaps beating his eternal rival. In the meantime, however, due to nervousness about the bad outcome of the first practice session (after setting the track record he was overtaken by the Brazilian, with a new record) or who knows what, Alain Prost is sulking again. Speaking about his relationship with Ayrton Senna, he declares:
"In Japan I was the one to extend my hand, but I don't think it did much good. Now I think it's too late".
Senna is no different and, when asked to name a great champion destined to remain in his memories, he provocatively replies:
"I have to go back to 1978, 1979 and 1980, when I was karting. I loved racing with Fullerton, because he had a lot of experience. I thought he was a fast and consistent driver, really complete".
"Pure driving, pure racing. There was no politics or money involved. It was a real competition. And I retain a beautiful memory".
Then, only at the insistence of others, Ayrton clarifies that, yes, in Formula 1 he will have great memories of Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost, two great champions, but it sounds almost cliché, said with the usual indecipherable smile on his lips. In short, though pushed by many in the environment who would like the great peace with Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna gives the impression that he does not want it that much. Or perhaps the great peace depends on the outcome of the race. Senna would like to close with a victory, and then invite all the McLaren mechanics to a big farewell dinner; he would like to take the title of vice-World Champion away from Damon Hill, a result that was completely unhopeful for him at the beginning of the season. Prost, on the other hand, wants to close his career with one last success. As if that were not enough, Ayrton Senna becomes the executioner. For the last act of the World Championship, the great champion of the steering wheel invents a disruptive controversy, just to animate Formula 1 as the doors close. This time his screeches came down on the British press, guilty of accusing him of attacking the Northern Irish driver Eddie Irvine with fists and shoves in Japan. Irvine had dared to overtake the Brazilian as a lapped driver, putting his victory at risk of an accident. Senna is also happy for having brought the Ford engine ahead of everyone in qualifying after 10 years (Rosberg 1983) and especially for having spited Prost yet again, taking away the last chance to prove himself the fastest. Thus, though barely pricked by British journalists, the pious Brazilian explodes. When asked why he does not feel like talking about the Irvine case with them - while he had admitted he had gone too far when talking with the French - he replies harshly to the British journalists with a Mephistophelean smile:
"You don't understand anything, because you normally stay drunk in the paddocks. You don't know what happens on track, what a race car is, you don't see anything. These days you have attacked me, asking the Federation for a heavy disqualification against me. I talk to whom, how and when I want. I admitted I did wrong by punching the Northern Irishman, but that doesn't mean he didn't misbehave on track. I was the race leader, he had to be careful. He put me at risk of a serious collision, three or four times. He is in Formula 1 by accident, maybe for only a couple of races, and his behaviour is crazy. In May, in Monte-Carlo, Prost and I were fighting for the title. When I caught up with him, he let me pass, no unfair manoeuvres. We are professionals".
Senna is cunning, and also partly in bad faith: he no longer remembers when, as a rookie, he had no regard for anyone. Nor does he remember when he voluntarily threw Alain Prost himself off track at Suzuka, in 1990, to snatch the title from him and get revenge for an accident between himself and the Frenchman, just a year earlier on the Japanese track. His action would have merited a heavy disqualification. Now he uses Prost as an example, but so far he has looked down on the Frenchman and avoided making peace. In Japan he also called his future teammate, Hill, an idiot. And now he is leaving McLaren, although it must be said that, precisely because of his talent, this year he has given his team victories and satisfaction. He will be the candidate for victory in the next championship, but many will try to make life hard for him. In the meantime, Benetton officially gives up negotiations for the purchase of Renault engines, because it was all becoming too long and difficult. Instead, the Italian team signs a one-year agreement with Ford to obtain the exclusive supply of a completely new engine. Nine engines will thus be in contention: Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Mugen-Honda, Yamaha, Hart and Lamborghini (assuming the Modenese brand continues operations). This has never happened in Formula 1. A true record that shows, all things considered, that the reaction of car companies in a time of crisis is positive and that the sport is still considered an indispensable vehicle for progress and fighting. Among so many new developments, including the abolition of electronic driving control systems and revised sporting regulations, a few surprises may come out. Senna is favoured but is also in everyone's crosshairs.
On Sunday, November 7, 1993, is a special date for McLaren and in this regard Ron Dennis asks Ayrton to forget all recent discussions and focus solely on the race; to honourably end his history with the British team which has allowed him to win three World Championships. Senna heartens Dennis, telling him he thinks the same. Then, just before the start, Ayrton calls Jo Ramirez to his side and, unlike his usual manner, asks the Mexican mechanic to tighten his belts:
"It is a strange feeling for me to do it for the last time with a McLaren".
Ayrton Senna confides in Jo Ramirez. Afterwards, the Brazilian driver squeezes his arm tightly and allows himself to become slightly emotional. At this stage, Jo makes a kind of revelation that gives Ayrton extra motivation to end his time with McLaren in the best possible way:
"I can't tell you how important this race really is for Alain".
Thus, conquering the victory becomes a life mission for Ayrton Senna, a chance he must not miss. It is the last battle and he must win it. The starting procedure is repeated three times because of problems encountered first by Ukyo Katayama and then by Eddie Irvine, who both remained stationary on the grid. But the third time’s the charm. At the start of the Australian Grand Prix everything remains virtually unchanged, with Ayrton Senna maintaining the lead, followed by Alain Prost. Mika Häkkinen is the only driver who has trouble: the Finnish driver slides into P7, behind Martin Brundle and Gerhard Berger, who manages, however, to regain a position in a few laps. Like at Suzuka, Senna and Prost challenge each other by setting numerous fast laps, and in doing so the gap fluctuates constantly between 2 and 3 seconds. Behind them, Damon Hill has to defend against the attacks of an aggressive Michael Schumacher, who tries to become the destabilising element in the leading group by anticipating his first stop by quite a bit. It is all made futile by his Ford engine, which bursts into flames on lap 19. A bittersweet end to the season for the young German driver, who won at Estoril but retired at Suzuka and Adelaide. Having got rid of the problem, Damon Hill returns to the pits ahead of the leading duo in an attempt to get closer, and re-enters just ahead of Mika Häkkinen's other McLaren. The two offer the crowd a good duel, after which the Finn takes advantage of the Williams' tires not being up to temperature yet and takes the position, only to be passed again by the Briton at Turn 1 a couple of laps later. On lap 24, Ayrton Senna makes his pit stop while Alain Prost attempts an overcut on his opponent, trying to set a few fast laps and then come into the pits.
The Frenchman, however, gets stuck behind a few too many lapped cars, especially Riccardo Patrese, which costs him several seconds; in addition, a 7-second-long stop - 2 seconds slower compared to Ayrton Senna’s earlier one - relegates him to second place, 15 seconds behind, and with the added bonus of reaching Damon Hill. While Mika Häkkinen is forced to return to the pits and retire due to brake problems on lap 28, Ayrton Senna's race turns into a solo stroll through the narrow Australian streets, until the chequered flag waves. Behind him Alain Prost has to abandon all hopes of attacking in order to defend himself from Damon Hill’s comeback, who becomes even more threatening after the second series of pit stops. With very few laps to go, Damon Hill tries to attack Alain Prost under braking after the Brabham Straight but loses the rear and spins out without even touching the French driver's car. The huge distance to the two Ferraris of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, in P4 and P5, allows the British Williams racer to restart in peace, without jeopardising third place. At the end of the scheduled 79 laps, Ayrton Senna achieves victory number 41 in his career, 9 seconds ahead of Alain Prost. Thus, the French driver is unable to leave the Circus with the victory he would have loved to have. Winning his fourth World Championship, in any case, is certainly more than enough consolation for the Frenchman. He is followed, as mentioned, by Damon Hill, who precedes Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger at the finish line. Closing in sixth place is Martin Brundle, in the Lotus-Renault. Arriving at the pits, Ayrton Senna embraces Ron Dennis for the last time, perhaps forgetting for a moment all the disputes of the past months.
After that, walking down the road leading to the podium, Senna poses in a completely different way from how he did at Suzuka, and turns to Alain Prost, asking him in a joking tone:
"After retirement what will you do?"
Alain Prost replies:
"I haven't the faintest idea".
And Ayrton Senna concludes:
"Will you stuff yourself to get fat?"
An exchange of a few words, culminating in a joke and a shy smile from the Brazilian driver, which leave Alain Prost almost speechless as he would never have expected such behaviour from someone who, until two weeks earlier, barely looked him in the face. The thawing gesture Alain Prost had spoken of comes during the podium ceremony. The French driver stretches out his hand in the direction of Ayrton Senna, who shakes it vigorously, and then immediately pulls the Frenchman onto the top step of the podium with him, raising that same hand to the sky. This time it is not like Monza, in 1990, or like the numerous occasions when the media had tried to bring them closer together. No, this time it is all genuine, the perfect ending to a rivalry charged with hatred from its very beginnings. Later, during the press conference, Senna speaks on his farewell to McLaren after their six years together, declaring:
"The most important thing is to keep the good times we had together, some of them unforgettable: from the race victories to the World Championships, not forgetting all the records we broke. I have great respect for the people I have worked with all this time. Winning the last race of a complicated season for us is the best way to say goodbye to them".
And then, when least expected, Ayrton talks about him, his lifelong rival, Alain:
"Well, I think you all saw our attitude on the podium. It spoke for itself. That was how I felt at that moment. There's no need for more words. I think actions count more. I think it was a beautiful scene, an extraordinary podium, reflecting my thinking and his thinking".
And Alain, happy about the reconciliation, responds:
"We had some very good moments together, especially in 1988, when he won the World Championship and I came second. I am convinced that it is better to end by remembering what was positive and good. On the sporting level we have put on a show and as drivers we respect and esteem each other. That matters a lot".
Someone asks if there will also be friendship in the future, but Senna backs off a bit:
"Life will tell. But it is obvious that nothing can be predicted. We are not looking for anything else. Let's think about the present, I think that's the right thing".
A pat on the back and a handshake in the garages, then smiles and hugs on the podium. So, the soap opera between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost has had a happy ending. Also because the Brazilian won the Australian Grand Prix and the Frenchman is retiring. The two great rivals, barring sensational reconsiderations by Alain Prost (which are always possible in Formula 1), will no longer be on track together after animating the last five years of racing. And that is almost a shame. But if we look at reality and not at appearances, Ayrton Senna played his histrionic role until the end, granting Alain Prost and the audience, which was waiting for nothing else, the beauty of a magnanimous gesture. Achieving win number 41, his fifth of the season, the São Paulo champion achieved several goals. He defeated former foe Alain Prost once again, taking away the latter’s joy of closing on a high note; he gave McLaren win number 104 in Formula 1, allowing the British team to overtake Ferrari (who has been stuck at 103 victories for three years); and he announced the arrival of a phenomenal driver to his next team, Williams, to continue its dominance in 1994. The protagonists, as usual, were Senna and Prost, before and after the competition. Ayrton had cried, who knows whether due to emotion or tension, just minutes before lining up on track. He is certainly a man with strong feelings, in every sense of the word.
But Ayrton Senna's day - filled with emotions - is not over yet. During the Tina Turner concert celebrating the end of the World Championship, held inside the circuit, the embarrassed Brazilian driver is invited on stage by the American singer to greet the entire audience, after which she gives an encore of Simply the best, just to dedicate it to him. In the evening, however, Ayrton Senna goes to an Italian restaurant, La Trattoria, to celebrate McLaren's 104 Formula 1 wins, complete with overtaking Ferrari and, of course, saying goodbye to the team, which bids farewell to the only driver capable of winning three World Championships with their cars. The retired Alain Prost, therefore, is leaving. He had arrived in Formula 1 on January 13, 1980, debuting in Argentina with a sixth place, driving a McLaren. He had no money; he leaves at age 38 with 51 wins and four World Championships. He could also have won much more and caught up to - and perhaps surpassed - Fangio. But this is enough to be one of the greatest drivers of any era. It also leaves the way open for Senna to chase records. But Ferrari is also one to watch out for, who will start the 1994 World Championship from the P4 and P5 conquered in the Australian Grand Prix at the Adelaide city track. Nothing exciting, but it is still the best result achieved by the Maranello team in yet another unfortunate season. During the 1993 championship Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger never managed to finish in the points zone together. But both cars were lapped by Ayrton Senna's unreachable McLaren, although it is possible to console oneself with the fact that Ferrari dropped from a 3-second to a 1-second gap per lap in nine months. And, as Jean Alesi puts it:
"Now we can work calmly during the winter. I think the result achieved in Australia is important because we finished on an upward trend. I am confident. We will have the car designed by Barnard and we already have the most powerful engine. With everyone's commitment we can develop the powertrain further and aim to win at least a few races in the next championship. It has been a very hard, difficult year with many changes, I think positive ones. So we are getting ready to move up the ladder".
Some optimism and calm conversations. Jean Todt, the man called by Luca Montezemolo to reorganise the team, has clear ideas:
"From tomorrow we will be at home to continue on the same path, with rigour. We took fourth place among the constructors, ahead of Ligier, and it was impossible to do more at the moment. It can do for now, but it is obvious that I want much more. We will try to rationalise our structure again, to give each person their own role and responsibility, so that everyone can give their best. We had planned to send the new car to the track in the first few weeks of January, we will try to move up the schedule even further. The new regulations will force teams to build different single-seaters, but we will start on a level playing field".
In the meantime, however, McLaren has overtaken Ferrari in the record of Formula 1 victories...
"This is not a bad thing for us. It will be an extra challenge in which we will work hard. A reason to fight to the limit of our strength. We cannot mortgage the future, also because our rivals will do the same, however, and I assure you, we are calm and determined".
Certainly, the coming weeks and months will see Ferrari focused on many trials, on tests on different circuits. Since the Maranello team, by a strange fate, is often involved in controversies and discussions, maybe new problems will also come. However, right now the environment in Maranello is good and the example comes especially from the drivers, who know how to sacrifice themselves for the team. Towards the end, Berger could have passed Alesi and taken fourth place from him. But he didn't.
"The result was important for the team, and I didn't want to ruin it by taking unnecessary risks. Hopefully, Ferrari can soon put us in a position to fight for the win. That would be the best reward for our dedication".
With the 1993 World Championship over, Ayrton Senna returns to Brazil. The Brazilian driver got what he wanted: the Williams, and, unexpectedly, Alain Prost’s retirement. Truth be told, he is not particularly happy about it. Speaking with a friend, in fact, Ayrton does not hide the fact that the Frenchman's absence from the World Championship will take away the victories’ special taste, but he also knows that new protagonists will make life difficult for him. After spending the first week in Brazil coordinating business in anticipation of the upcoming World Championship, Ayrton Senna moves to Angra dos Reis. Something is bothering him, however: he keeps calling London and Ron Dennis asking for permission to test the Williams before the end of the year. Ron Dennis denies it, partly because he is completely committed to trying to convince Alain Prost to try, and if he ever wanted to, to race for his team again. News arrives fragmented and magnified in Brazil, and Senna begins to get nervous. Back in São Paulo for a few days, one evening, outside a movie theatre he had gone to with his girlfriend Adriane, he punches a Brazilian photographer-journalist who had been harassing him for days. In the days that follow, Ayrton continues to call McLaren, to whom he let it be known that on Monday, December 20, 1993, he might be able to try out his new car and thus get to know the team he will be working with in 1994. But, thus far, he gets no answers that might dispel his doubts. Meanwhile, an announcement is made with great fanfare and amidst a thousand controversies: the Formula 1 Argentine Grand Prix will almost certainly not be held in 1994. This is declared on Sunday, November 28, 1993, by Luis Ruzzi, promoter of the competition that was supposed to take place on the streets of the Argentine capital, after a long talk with Bernie Ecclestone.
Ruzzi reveals to Clarin - an Argentine newspaper - that there are too many organisational problems to be solved and therefore the March 20, 1994 date could not be met. The Argentine Federation, he adds, will immediately submit a new application to try to place the Grand Prix in the final phase of the World Championship, i.e., between Portugal (September 25) and Japan (November 6). The final calendar will be presented on Thursday, December 9, 1993, in Paris. The Motor Show, held in Italy, is not only a car and motorcycle exhibition. It is, above all, a time for racing protagonists and fans to meet. At racetracks, fans are relegated behind bars and grids and always see their idols from afar. It is different here: there’s a chance to meet the characters, to touch them, to talk to them. Between shiny cars and increasingly space-like motorcycles, racers are besieged. This is the case with Larini, winner of the Alfa Romeo Super Champion Trophy ahead of Giorgio Francia, or bike champions, old and new. And it is the case with Beppe Saronni, who had the satisfaction of winning the Fiat Cinquecento Trophy, beating Gimondi in the final, with Chioccioli third. But obviously, it is always Ferrari who arouses the greatest interest and the greatest enthusiasm. On Sunday, December 5, 1993, the majority of the 165,000 spectators invades the grandstands even just to see a quick tire change performed by the Maranello team's mechanics. The program included a pit-stop type challenge between Alesi and Berger. Jean, however, is true to form: he joins the track first, taken by enthusiasm and the desire to put on a show, and after a series of spins, the Frenchman breaks the gearbox of the only single-seater brought by the Maranello team. Shortly afterward, a laughing Gerhard Berger says:
"I knew Jean would leave me stranded. That's the way he is, it's all or nothing. He exudes sympathy, he is a true friend, but he has a hint of madness".
Therefore, the Austrian shows off with a few laps in the Ferrari 348 Challenge, then takes part in a debate with the fans. Will he leave should Ferrari not be a winner in 1994?
"That is a non-issue, because Ferrari will win a few races. This time we have everything to fight at the top. The favourites are always Williams, McLaren and Benetton, but you will see that we will rise to the top. I have seen the new car designed by Barnard: it is very beautiful. It has smaller dimensions than the previous one, although the cockpit is more comfortable for me, since I’m 1.85 metres tall. Also, the new regulations will put us all on an equal footing at the start".
However, it has been fourteen years since Ferrari won the World Championship, and it’s been 50 races since one of its cars finished first.
"We were too far ahead of everyone in the statistics, we had to give our opponents space to catch up. Jokes aside, now is the time to pull ourselves up. It's not fair to say that we are aiming for the title, because I think it will take two or three more years. But fighting with the best and winning a few races is possible. However, I must emphasise one thing: the fact that Ferrari continues to be so popular and remain in the hearts of the fans is extraordinary. People follow us even when things are not going well".
You have already left and joined Ferrari. Why did you leave?
"Ferrari had called me and I had a special relationship with him. When he got sick and then disappeared, the environment changed. I found the same stimuli again when Luca Montezemolo wanted me. I get along well with Todt, I think he is the right man for Ferrari. But the time for words is over. Next week we will resume work on track".
Ferrari will be in Barcelona starting December 13 for the first real test after the end of the championship, along with other teams. In this regard, technical director Valerio Bianchi says:
"We will have two passive cars. And two engines in an evolved version. But we will not spend the winter looking for fake records. Our goal is to break everything, including powertrains. In order not to break anything else during races".
There is no shortage of good intentions. And, to conclude, the ever-present indiscretions: rumour has it that Michele Alboreto is about to move to McLaren. But Alboreto is not the only one who would like Ayrton Senna’s vacated seat. We will see. Meanwhile, Christian Fittipaldi, 24, will race next year with Japanese team Footwork, which will have Ford engines. At the end of last season, for the last two races, the Brazilian driver had been sidelined by Minardi. On Thursday, December 9, 1993, at the end of the FIA World Council meeting, it is revealed that Ayrton Senna would be barred from two Grands Prix for assaulting Irishman Eddie Irvine after the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, October 24, 1993. The rather unusual measure will be lifted should the Brazilian behave himself for a six-month period. These are the decisions taken by the FIA Tribunal, which does not abuse the former World Champion for the outburst that drove him into a brawl with Irvine. The Irish driver, making his Formula 1 debut driving a Jordan, hindered Senna, who was headed for victory, when being lapped. The Brazilian showed up to Jordan's office and, after ranting against Irvine, came to concrete action with a fist and a shove.
In addition, the FIA changed the Formula One World Championship calendar: the opening race, the Argentine Grand Prix, was postponed to Sunday, October 16, 1994, because the Buenos Aires circuit was not ready; a further postponement cannot be ruled out. The debut, therefore, will be on Sunday, March 27, 1994, with the Brazilian Grand Prix. In the following days, Ferrari gives a further tweak to the organisational chart of the team that will participate in the 1994 Formula 1 World Championship. Austrian designer Gustav Brunner (from Minardi) becomes the head of research and development on the car designed by Barnard. In substance, while the Englishman will think about future programs, Brunner will manage the single-seaters from race to race, making the necessary adjustments. Engineer Martini (Lamborghini) or Frenchmen Mary and Simon (Peugeot), are also joining the team; they will work under engineer Lombardi in the engine department. Former rally navigator and former racing chief at Peugeot Italy Claudio Borro, instead, is hired for logistics. In addition, Gerhard Berger decides to give up priority use of the reserve car that he will be sharing with Jean Alesi starting next season, in order to bring harmony to the racing team. The two drivers are engaged in these last days of December in a series of tests in Barcelona.Tuesday, December 14, 1993 Jean Alesi laps in 1'18"77 - more than 2 seconds faster than what he achieved in qualifying in the Spanish Grand Prix. The fastest, however, is Damon Hill (Williams), who sets a 1'18"62. Good news also on the regulation side. After a tough letter from Ferrari, the FIA finally - and definitively - clarifies that there will be no use of active suspension, traction control, electronic throttle and continuously variable transmission. With all doubts gone, further surprises should be ruled out. And so, now everything is almost ready for next season. At Fiorano, under the direction of Jean Todt and technical manager Valerio Bianchi, mechanics complete the construction of the new car, which should debut on track on January 15, 1994. On Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, 1993, at the Palais de Bercy, an unprecedented battle will take place between some of the best drivers in Formula 1: they will be engaged in a charity karting tournament; 24.000 tickets have sold out to see Senna and Prost face off for the last time, even though Alain Prost is being courted by Ron Dennis, McLaren’s team principal.
In this regard, on Wednesday, December 15, 1993, Ayrton Senna sends a fax to officially request McLaren's permission to use his new team's colours starting on December 18, 1993, when he will participate in the kart race organised by former Formula One driver Philippe Streiff. From this moment, if authorised, Ayrton Senna could also test the Williams FW15. But pursuant to the contract and the specific request of the McLaren team owner, the Brazilian driver would have to race in the Bercy event in the colours of the McLaren sponsor. An associate of Ayrton’s first got in touch with Philip Morris, the owner of the Marlboro brand. Later, however, the Brazilian driver speaks with the managers of the Lausanne-based company, learning that the multinational tobacco company, by virtue of the many years of success together with the Brazilian driver, would have no problem in authorising him to advance the trials with his new team. It is only now, however, that Ayrton Senna discovers that it is Ron Dennis himself who denies him the concession to test the Williams before the end of the year. Angry and disappointed, Senna gets in touch with his former team manager. The phone call is a concentrate of fury. But it does not end there. In fact, since Ayrton does not have the possibility of testing the Williams before the end of his contract with McLaren, on Saturday, December 18, 1993, the Brazilian driver will serve his revenge against Ron Dennis. At the Bercy kart track, Philipp Streiff introduces his guests. After giving a standing ovation to their favourite, Alain Prost, the 25.000 spectators present are waiting to see Ayrton Senna. And Ayrton does show up. But instead of his red suit with McLaren sponsors, he shows up in a white suit with personal sponsors. The rest is a spectacle that keeps the many Parisians who flocked to watch the very last clash between Prost and Senna happy, despite it being outside a Formula 1 track. Both Ayrton and Alain trained for the race and are accompanied by mechanics they had early on in their careers. In the early stages of the race, they are, of course, the ones who entertain the crowd with a good no-holds-barred battle, which ends with Senna's retirement due to engine problems with his kart, following which Alain has no rivals to match him and wins the event. Following him in the final laps is the unflappable gaze of Ayrton Senna, who does not take his eyes off the telescreen for a second. What could the Brazilian have been thinking at that moment?
One can only infer from his look of admiration for the one who pushed him to the limit of his abilities - if not beyond - race after race. Admiration mixed with what should already be considered nostalgia, because now those times belong to the past. In the days that follow, Senna seems cheerful and enjoying himself; he spends evenings with friends and Adriane in the finest clubs in Paris. Yet something does not make him completely calm. During the winter, the Brazilian driver begins to fully understand the idea that he - Alain Prost - will not be there at the first race in Brazil. He begins to understand the significance of that huge absence. So, taking advantage of an appointment Ayrton Senna was to have in Paris, the future Williams driver manages to get Alain Prost's phone number from a French journalist, calls him and invites him to lunch; the Frenchman is stunned, but gladly accepts the invitation. Alain and Ayrton talk all evening long, as if nothing bad had ever happened between them; the past is simply removed, ignored, and they do not evoke it for a moment, especially the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, which they will never talk about, even later. From this moment on, the two begin to talk on the phone, two or three times a week, and it is almost always Ayrton who calls Alain. It is during these hours of chatting on the phone that the Brazilian driver expresses his state of mind and shows Alain a person that he’d never been able to know before: previously there was a wall of competition dividing them which did not allow any kind of friendship, where weaknesses could not be shown. The two lifelong rivals talk about life and motor racing and discover that they have many ideas in common. Only now does Alain Prost realise that, for Ayrton Senna, the fact that he had decided to quit racing meant the end of any personal animosity: no longer being his opponent, he is no longer his enemy. Until, in one of these conversations, Ayrton Senna says to Alain Prost:
"Please, Alain, come back to Formula 1".
Ayrton's request is due to a lack of stimuli, and not even the possibility of achieving a fourth World Champion title, which would give him the same number of World Drivers’ Championships as Prost, can provide. Much less the advancing youngsters, such as Michael Schumacher and Benetton, or Mika Häkkinen in McLaren, or Damon Hill himself, though not very young, confirmed as his teammate in Williams. Ayrton Senna needs him, needs Alain Prost, who replies to him ironically:
"Yes, I'll drive a slow car, so you'll be one lap ahead of me".
Senna acts as if he has not heard, and insists:
"Yes, but come back. I need you".
In fact, there was a real chance of welcoming Alain Prost back to Formula 1, and it came soon after the announcement of his retirement during the weekend of the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. Ron Dennis introduced himself to Alain that same evening, offering the chance to race for him again in 1994. Despite making his retirement official, Prost actually feels the desire to continue racing; his spirit as a driver is still alive. So the French driver accepts an invitation to participate in three days of testing with the Peugeot-powered McLaren, to be held during the winter of 1994; should he like the new car, he will be able to sign a contract for the following season, despite being still contractually bound to Williams until the end of 1994 and despite the fact that, by retiring, Alain also received the following season's signing fee in exchange for not racing for any other team. Yet during the winter various situations mature, conspiring in his favour. Marlboro, McLaren's main sponsor, loses its great global testimonial, Ayrton Senna, who moves to Williams, which isn’t sponsored by Marlboro. McLaren debuts with the new Peugeot engine of which there is good talk but will, like all new engines, need some development time before it can begin its climb to the top. McLaren also has only one driver for now, Finnish Mika Häkkinen, who is good but still inexperienced.
As for the other car, the team must absolutely try to engage an experienced driver, otherwise it risks having minor contributions from Marlboro itself. And who better than Alain Prost? Peugeot also has an interest in hiring Alain because he is French, he is famous, it would free him from any ties with Renault; but above all, the French driver has his greatest asset in his ability to be able to fine-tune new cars and engines, and this would allow them to accelerate the development process needed to win. However, the cost to release him from his contract with Williams is high: $20.000.000. Certainly not a small amount, given that Marlboro is much more committed to Ferrari than in the past, while Peugeot, by supplying the engines to McLaren for free, is heavily committed both economically and technically. In addition, it would be necessary to convince Frank Williams, who in recent months states:
"Prost has a contract with me and therefore he cannot race for anyone else. He can test with other teams if he wants, but he can't participate in the World Championship with other teams".
Meanwhile, Ferrari completes the lineup for the 1994 Formula 1 World Championship. Indeed, with a few exceptions (for minor roles), the team is already prepared. There is still no official confirmation for the hiring of engineer Osamu Goto, who is expected to have a major role in the engine department, but it seems that by now the Japanese technician is already on his way to Maranello. Otherwise, every piece of the puzzle has been put in place. And, at least in theory, this is a team capable of fighting at the top. There are two directions that Jean Todt has been working on since July, under the supervision of President Luca Montezemolo, who has taken personal responsibility for what has been decided. The first concerns the restructuring of Sports Management with a different working methodology; the other concerns the hiring of specialists that were missing, in order to complete an organisational chart that was lacking in some areas, as the negative results of recent years have amply demonstrated. New working groups that will deal with specific problems have been created. Each engineer, technician or designer now has specific tasks that should not get in the way of his colleagues’. The three departments which the team has been divided into report directly to Todt: engines, entrusted to Claudio Lombardi; technical management, with Valerio Bianchi; and Ferrari Design & Development, based in England under the responsibility of John Barnard.
The latter, after designing the new car, is in charge of future projects. Research and development on the single-seater that will run next year will be handled in the Fiorano workshops by Austrian Gustav Brunner. As far as the delicate area of engines is concerned, the interest in Osamu Goto (former head of Honda's V10 project, later taken over by McLaren to manage the powertrains and electronics) has an obvious purpose: to have an experienced man who is engaged in design, research and development at the same time, perhaps to study a different engine from the current 12-cylinder. Instead, the manufacture of the engines will be followed by engineer Govoni, while Tito Carniglia will be managing the engines destined, time after time, for racing. On track, still under the control of engineer Bianchi, the team will be directed by Franco Ciampolini (electronics expert), with technicians Mazzola and Lunetta responsible for the cars of Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, respectively. A multinational team that should ensure Ferrari makes up lost ground. The commitment made, both technically and financially, is proof that the Maranello team has no intention of giving up winning. On the contrary, it intends to find its way back to success, while keeping in mind the strength of its rivals and the unknowns that the new 1994 technical regulations represent for everyone. The new car should be ready toward the end of January. From then on, the men of the Maranello team will have to try to win.