Il rapporto umano tra Prost e Senna

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In questa bellissima intervista Prost ripercorre, con dovizia di particolari, il suo rapporto professionale ed umano con Senna.

Tra le righe emerge qualcosa che tutti hanno sempre saputo: Prost poteva vivere benissimo senza Senna, anzi, viveva decisamente meglio, ma Senna non poteva vivere senza Prost. Si pu? dire che se non ci fosse stato Prost, Senna non avrebbe avuto motivazioni per correre in F1. Un altro motivo per il quale ritengo Prost due spanne sopra Senna.

Questo cmq ? il testo dell'intervista, che vi posto sia in inglese che in francese. Con questo spero di non beccarmi altri insulti, ma di avviare un confronto costruttivo. Leggete fino in fondo perch? per certi aspetti ? illuminante.

 

 

Ayrton Senna - by Alain Prost

 

"Honestly, it's very difficult for me to talk about Ayrton, and not only because he's not here any more. He was so different, you know, so completely different from any other racing driver - any other person - I've ever known..."

 

Speaking now, more than four years after the death of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost is in an invidious position, for while the two are linked for ever, indisputably the best drivers of their generation, so also each was very much the other's nemesis. That being the case, in discussing Senna, Prost cannot win, and Prost knows it. Come out with only kind words, and some will say that he sang a very different tune when Ayrton was alive; go the other way, and they will vilify him for daring to criticise a defenceless icon.

 

"That's why I have always refused to speak about him," says Prost. "When he died, I said, that I felt a part of me had died also, because our careers had been so bound together. And I really meant it, but I know some people thought it was not sincere. Well, all I can do is try to be as honest as possible."

 

From the very beginning of Ayrton Senna's Formula One career, back in 1984, his sights were set squarely on Prost. In a way it was inevitable, for Ayrton was a man of extraordinary intensity, one who needed to prove himself the best in all things, and at that time Alain was very much the king of the hill. It was their very first meeting that was to set the tone of their relationships down the years.

 

"I remember it very well. In the spring of 1984, the new N?rburgring was opened, and there was a celebrity race for Grand Prix drivers of the past and present, in Mercedes road cars. I was coming from Geneva to Frankfurt on a scheduled flight, and Ayrton was due to land half an hour before, so Gerd Kremer of Mercedes asked me if I would bring him to the track. On the way we chatted, and he was very pleasant. Then we got to the track, and practised the cars. I was on pole, with Ayrton second - after that he didn't talk to me any more! It seemed funny at the time. Then in the race, I took the lead - and he pushed me off the track after half a lap. So that was a good start..."

 

That year, 1984, was Senna's first in F1, and his Toleman-Hart was not on par with the front runners. At Monaco, though, there was rain, and when the race was abandoned, shortly before half-distance, the rookie was right on the point of passing Prost's McLaren for the lead.

 

"From the beginning, he looked good, although you can't always tell for sure when a guy is with a small team. He drove a great race at Monaco, but in those days - when monocoques were far less stiff than now - it was quite possible to have a poor car in the dry turn out to be very good in the wet. Of course we all rated him, but with the reservation that sometimes a young driver looks quite good, but then joins a top team, and looks ordinary. There's always some doubt until the guy gets into a quick car. With Ayrton, though, it was pretty clear he had a special talent."

 

"Something else people should remember is that, 15 years ago, there were a lot more very good drivers in F1 than there are now. For sure Ayrton did well from the beginning, but he showed nothing that was truly exceptional before Monaco. Monaco was the thing: after that everyone discovered him, and talked about him. Without that, it might have taken a little longer, but the impressive thing, as I say, was that he looked so good at a time when there were so many top drivers..."

 

Senna was also, from the start no respecter of reputations, and that upset many an established star. After a single season with Toleman, he joined Lotus-Renault for 1985, brilliantly won the Portuguese Grand Prix (again in the rain), and was a front runner everywhere. But at Hockenheim, for example, he made a mistake at the Ostkurve, and when Michele Alboreto went to pass, Ayrton swerved left and right to keep him back. Back then such tactics were not embraced by the F1 community.

 

"Hmmm, yes, Senna was very tough in that way, from the start. Actually, one thing I really believe now is that it wasn't so much a matter of being that tough as having his own rules. He had them, he believed in them, and that was it."

 

"He was extremely religious, and he used to go on about that, about speaking the truth, about his education, his upbringing, and everything else. At the time, I used to think that some of the things he did on the track didn't fit with all that, but now it seems to me he really didn't know he was sometimes in the wrong. As I said, he had these rules, he played by them, and he wasn't interested in anything else. Looking back, I really think he believed he was always in the right, always telling the truth - and on the track he was exactly the same way."

 

It was not, however, until Senna became Prost's team-mate, in 1988, that there were any problems between them. The year before, Lotus had used Honda engines, and Ayrton had established a deep relationship with the Japanese engineers. As he came to McLaren, so also did Honda. And one team insider puts it this way: "I tended to think of Prost as a McLaren driver with a Honda engine, and Senna as a Honda driver with a McLaren chassis."

 

"Yes, I think that was a good way of putting it. My biggest problem was that I really loved McLaren, and wanted to do everything I could for the team. For my team-mate in '88, it was a choice between Senna and Nelson Piquet. When I went with Ron (Dennis) to Japan, to meet the Honda people, I said that Ron should take Ayrton, because he was the more talented driver, and for me the team came first. If I was going back to the start of my racing career now, I would do it rather differently - I would concentrate on me and my job..."

 

"In fact, I could have said no to Ayrton coming to McLaren. One strength I have is that normally when I make a decision, I don't regret it, but, from my own point of view, on that occasion I definitely made a mistake!"

 

In the very first pre-season test the did together, in Rio, Prost saw that Senna was emphatically not doing this for the fun of it. "We were tyre-testing, just using one car. I did the first run, and he was then due to take it over. I came into the pits, and the mechanics began to change the wheels. I could see Ayrton there, helmet on, pacing around, waiting for me to get out, so I decided to stay in the car just a little longer. And he got furious, telling everyone, 'It's not fair, it's not fair!' Then I got out, and I was laughing. He was not...

 

"Actually, though, our working relationship through that first season was pretty good. The only problem was at Estoril, at the end of the first lap."

 

It was a moment which will never be forgotten by anyone there to witness it. Down the pit straight Prost slipstreamed Senna, then ducked right to go by, whereupon Ayrton swerved towards him, putting him maybe six inches from the pit wall. Alain didn't lift, and emerged into a lead which he would keep to the end, but afterwards he made his feelings plain.

 

"That move in Estoril was very dangerous, and, yes, I was angry afterwards. I was right against the pit wall, and I really thought we were going to touch, and have a big crash - with the whole pack right behind us. I didn't like it at all, and told him so, but, in a way, I can't blame him for doing it, because he did always get away with it. How many times in his Formula One career was Ayrton sanctioned for that kind of thing? Never."

 

"Still, apart from that, the first year wasn't too bad. On a few occasions he was quite tough and uncompromising with me, but we didn't really have any other problems. And, in fact, he did apologise to me for what happened in Portugal."

 

The pair had a staggering season in 1988, Prost scoring more points (105, from seven wins and seven seconds) than Senna (94, from eight wins, and three seconds), but Ayrton claiming the driver's championship, 90 points to 87, by virtue of the '11 best scores' rule which applied at the time.

 

"At the end of '88 I was very pleased for the team - we were first and second in the championship, and I really wasn't too upset that he won the title; I'd won it twice already by then, it wasn't a problem."

 

"For '89, though, I was worried about Honda. And I think my biggest problem was that I never had the relationship with them that Ayrton did. From the beginning, it was something I never felt I had under control. I wouldn't have cared very much if they'd simply preferred one driver in the team - but the way they handled the situation was very difficult for me, because Senna and I had very different driving styles."

 

"I never understood why Honda took his side so much. It wasn't that I thought it was a question of the Brazilian sales marked or the French market, or anything like that. It was more a human thing. I worked with Honda again last year - now as a team owner - and it struck me again: I think the Japanese just work differently. In a team, they always favour someone over the rest. I've heard it said about their motorcycle teams as well."

 

"Let me give you an example. At one point in '88, the last year we were allowed to run turbos, I asked for some specific changes to the engine to suit my driving style and we worked on it for two days at Paul Ricard. At the end of that test I was very happy - but at the next race, one week later, they never put that strategy on my engine."

 

"Then we went to the French Grand Prix - at Ricard - and suddenly the engine was just as I had wanted! You understand what I'm saying? Ayrton and I raced for two seasons together in the McLaren-Hondas, and at both the French Grands Prix I was on pole position and won the race. Everyone said, 'Oh look, it's Prost in front of his home crowd', and that sort of thing. It was nothing like that; it was just that at those races I had something which enabled me to fight..."

 

"Understand me, this is nothing against Ayrton, OK? Ayrton was very quick, and in qualifying he was much better than me - much more committed, just as I think I was when I was the younger driver in the team, against Niki (Lauda)."

 

"Anyway, before the 1989 season I had dinner at the golf club in Geneva with Honda's then chairman, Mr Kawamoto and four other people. And he admitted that I was right in believing that Honda was more for Ayrton than for me."

 

"He said, 'You want to know why we push Senna so much? Well, I can't be 100 per cent sure.' But one thing he did let me know was that the new generation of engineers working on the engines were in favour of Ayrton, because he was more the samurai, and I was more the computer."

 

"So, that was an explanation, and I was very happy afterwards, because then at least I knew very well that something was not correct. Part of my problem had been that Ayrton was so bloody quick, it wasn't easy to know how much was that, and how much was Honda helping him. So after this dinner with Mr Kawamoto, I thought, 'Well, at least I'm not stupid - something really was going on, and now I know the situation.'"

 

Whatever, the situation was not to improve. Quite the opposite, in fact. In 1989, the fragile relationship between Prost and Senna broke apart utterly, and that existing between Alain and McLaren was not a lot better.

 

"Until then, I never had a problem with anyone at McLaren, but '89 was different. My contract was due to expire at the end of the year, but Ayrton's was not. Ron knew the future of his team was with Honda - and therefore with Senna. He tried hard to persuade me to stay, but in reality he couldn't keep both of us, and I told him in July that I would be leaving at the end of the season. In my opinion, he was not fair with me in '89. We're still very good friends, and, despite everything, I still even now think of McLaren as my team. But Ron knows my feelings about that period."

 

"At the time, I was completely disillusioned. After everything I'd done with the team, and for the team, I didn't think I should have been treated like that. But at the end of the day, you know, Ron was trying to push his company to the front, and of course I can understand that a little."

 

It was at Imola that the most bitter feud in motor-racing history took seed. Senna and Prost, as usual, qualified 1-2, a second and a half clear of the rest, and Ayrton suggested that they not jeopardise their prospects by fighting at the first corner, Tosa, on the opening lap: whomsoever got there first would keep the lead. Alain agreed. At the start, Senna led away, and at Tosa Prost duly fell in behind him.

 

Then, however, the race was stopped, when Gerhard Berger had a serious accident. On the restart, it was Prost who got ahead - but at Tosa Senna snicked by into the lead.

 

"Afterwards, he argued that it wasn't the start - it was the restart, so the agreement didn't apply. As I said, he had his own rules, and sometimes they were very... well let's say strange. It had been Ayrton's idea, in the first place, and I didn't have a problem with it. Afterwards, though, I said it was finished; I'd continue to work with him, in technical matters, but as far as our personal relationship was concerned, that was it. And the atmosphere in the team became very bad, of course."

 

"By the time we got to Monza, I was ahead of him in the championship, by about 10 points. But that race. was the real low point between McLaren and me. Senna had two cars, with 20 people around him, and I had just one car, with maybe four or five mechanics working for me. I was absolutely alone, in one part of the garage, and that was perhaps the toughest weekend of my racing career. Honda was really hard against me by then, and it was difficult trying to fight for the championship in that situation. In practice, Ayrton was nearly two seconds quicker than me - OK, as I said, he was certainly a better qualifier than I was, but two seconds? That was a joke."

 

In the race though, Senna retired, and Prost won; by the time they headed off to Suzuka and Adelaide, the last two races of the 1989 season, Alain led by 16 points. By now McLaren-Honda essentially worked as two different teams, which happened to operate out of the same pit. Once again, the two red and white cars were in front row, both its drivers in defiant mood, Senna knowing he had to win, Prost making it clear he'd be no pushover.

 

"I told both the team and the press, 'There's no way I'm going to open the door to him any more.' We talked very often, you should know, about the first corner, the first lap, and Ron always said the important thing was that we shouldn't hit each other, we should think of the team. Well, as far as I was concerned, Senna thought about himself, and that was it. For example, at the start of the British Grand Prix that year, going into Copse, if I hadn't moved three or four metres out of the way we'd have hit each other, and both McLarens would have been out immediately. That sort of thing had happened too often; I had had enough."

 

"As for the accident between us at the chicane, yes, I know everybody thinks I did it on purpose. What I say is that I did not open the door, and that's it. I didn't want to finish the race like that - I'd led from the start, and I wanted to win it."

 

"I had a good car; I'd been very bad in qualifying, compared with Ayrton, and I concentrated entirely on the race. In the warm-up I was nearly a second quicker than him, and for the race itself I was quite confident, even when he started catching me."

 

"I didn't want him too close, obviously, but I wanted him close enough that he would hurt his tyres; my plan was then to pus hard over the last ten laps. As it was he tried to pass - and for me the way he did it was impossible, because he was going so much quicker than usual into the braking area."

 

"I couldn't believe he tried it on that lap, because, as we came up to the chicane, he was so far back. When you look in your mirrors, and a guy is 20 metres behind you, it's impossible to judge, and I didn't even realise he was trying to overtake me. But at the same time I thought, 'There's no way I'm going to leave him even a one-metre gap. No way'. I came off the throttle braked - and turned in."

 

A year later the two were back at Suzuka, once again to settle the World Championship, and this time it was Alain who had to win. Although no longer in the same team, he and Ayrton had not in any way diluted the intensity of their strife. Prost, said Senna, had better not try to turn into the first corner ahead of him: 'If he does, he's not going to make it...' In the event, at 150mph, the McLaren ran into the back of the Ferrari.

 

"Well, what can you say about that? After I'd retired we talked about it, and he admitted to me - as he did to the press - that he'd done it on purpose. He explained to me why he did it. He was furious with (FIA President) Balestre for not agreeing to change the grid, so that he could start on the left, and he told me he had decided that if I got to the first corner ahead of him, he'd push me off."

 

"What happened in Japan in '90 is something I will never forget, because it wasn't only Ayrton who was involved. Some of the people at McLaren, a lot of officials - and a lot of media - agreed with what he'd done, and that I couldn't accept. Honestly I almost retired after that race."

 

"As I always said, you know, he didn't want to beat me, metaphorically he wanted to destroy me - that was his motivation from the first day. Even in that Mercedes touring car race, back in '84, I realised that he wasn't interested in beating Alan Jones or Keke Rosberg or anyone else - it was me, just me, for some reason."

 

Right to the end of Prost's career as a driver, that situation never changed. But on the podium in Adelaide in 1993, Alain's last race, the two embraced, and it was as if, now that Alain was no longer a rival, Ayrton saw no reason for any more hostility. Prost was surprised by the gesture.

 

"Yes, I was - and also a little bit disappointed, to be honest. This will tell you something about Ayrton. In Japan, the race before, he won, and I was second. As we walked from the podium to the press conference, I said to him, 'This may be the last race where we are at a press conference together, and I think we should show the people something nice - maybe shake hands, or something.' He didn't answer me, but he didn't say no, either, so I thought maybe he agreed. We went to the press conference - and he wouldn't even look at me."

 

"In fact, I'd even thought maybe in Australia we could exchange helmets, the last helmets we'd worn in a race against each other - but after Japan, I forgot about it, because he hadn't seemed interested in any sort of reconciliation."

 

"Then we went to Adelaide, and finished first and second again. On our way to the podium afterwards, already he was starting to talk a little bit, and he said to me, 'What are you going to do now?' I was very surprised! 'I don't know yet', I said. 'You're going to be fat,' he sad, and he smiled. Then on the podium he put his arm round me, shook hands, and everything. Why? Because now it was his idea, and it was on his terms. OK, in any case, that was nice. But that was Ayrton - if it was his idea, fine; if not, forget it."

 

Later Senna would admit to a close friend that only after Prost's retirement had he come fully to realise how much of his motivation had come from fighting with this one rival. Only a couple of days before his death, filming an in-car lap of Imola for Elf, he amazed everyone with a spontaneous greeting: 'I'd like to welcome back my friend Alain - we all miss you...' Prost was touched by that.

 

"In fact, after I'd retired we spoke quite often on the telephone. He called me several times, usually to talk about safety; he wanted me to keep involved with that, and we had agreed to talk about it at Imola. That weekend he was talking, talking, talking, about safety, and he was much softer than before - for me, he changed completely in '94. He seemed to me very down somehow, without the same power as before."

 

"We had this conversation on the Friday, and I saw him again on the Sunday morning - after Roland Ratzenberger's fatal accident, of course. I was with a lot of people at the Renault motorhome at the time. You know how Ayrton usually was - he'd go from the garage straight to the motorhome, but that morning I was very surprised, because he came into the middle of all these people, which he would never normally do, just to get to me. We had a chat, and he was trying really had to be nice, to be friendly."

 

"Then I saw him in the garage briefly. I didn't want to disturb him, but I knew he wanted help, that he needed somebody. That was obvious. We were going to speak again the following week..."

 

Senna's funeral took place in Sao Paulo, four days later, and Prost was one of many drivers in attendance. It was not a particularly difficult decision to take, he said, except in one respect.

 

"I knew I wanted to go, but Ayrton and I had such a history for so long that I didn't really know how the Brazilian people would perceive it: would they be upset if I went, upset if I didn't go, or what? The day after the accident, I was in Paris, and a good friend of Jean-Luc Lagadere (the chairman of Matra) called me. His wife was Brazilian, and I asked his advice. 'I have my ticket ready', I said, 'but what do you think I should do?' He told me I should definitely go, that the Brazilian people would like that. I didn't have to be pushed - I already wanted to go - but he convinced me. And I know now that if I hadn't gone, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

 

"There was no hostility towards me in Sao Paulo at all - the very opposite, in fact. I'm still in contact with Ayrton's family all the time; the day after the funeral, his father invited me to his farm, and we talked for a long time. And I see his sister very often, do what I can to help with the foundation."

 

"Ayrton was certainly the best driver I ever raced against, by a long, long way. He was, by far, the most committed driver I ever saw. To be honest, I think maybe the best race driver - in terms of really applying intelligence - was Niki, but overall Ayrton was the best, by far. He was very successful in everything that mattered to him, everything that he set out to achieve for himself."

 

"Actually, I think it's not impossible that in time we might have become friends. We shared an awful lot, after all, and one thing never changed - even when our relationship was at its worst - was our great respect for each other as drivers. I don't think either of us worried too much about anyone else. And there were those times we did have fun together, you know. Not very often, but..."

 

"He was just strange, you know. In 1988, I remember, we had to go to the Geneva Motor Show for Honda; it's only 40 kilometres from my house, so I asked him to come over for lunch first, and then we'd drive there together. He came to my house - and slept for two hours! Hardly spoke at all."

 

"Then, after lunch, we went for a walk, and I still remember our conversation clearly. I liked to talk to him: sometimes it could be boring if he was going on about something, but usually it was fascinating. Yes, I think maybe we could have become friends eventually. Once we were not rivals any more everything changed."

 

"I look back on those days now and think to myself, 'Jesus, what was that all about? Why did we put ourselves through all of that?' Sometimes it seemed like a bad dream. Maybe because usually we were so much in front, it was inevitable that there would be problems between us, but why did it have to get so venomous - why did we have to live like that? I used to say to people, 'You're a fan of Ayrton Senna? Good, that's fine - but please don't hate me!' It was the same with the press."

 

"The pressure was so high, so high... If we had to do it all again, I think I'd say to Ayrton, 'Listen, we're the best, we can screw all the others!' With a lot of intelligence, it could have been such good dream. Still, even as it turned out, it was a fantastic story, don't you think? And I think, in a way, we're missing a little of that today."

 

Alain Prost was talking to Nigel Roebuck

 

Ayrton Senna - par Alain Prost

 

 

 

"Franchement, c'est tr?s dur pour moi de parler d'Ayrton, et pas seulement parce qu'il n'est plus l?. Il ?tait tellement diff?rent, vous savez, compl?tement diff?rent d'un autre pilote de courses, ou de qui que ce soit. Je l'ai toujours su?"

 

En parlant aujourd'hui, plus de quatre ans apr?s la mort d'Ayrton Senna, on voudrait ?tre ? la place d'Alain, tellement chacun d'entre eux est li? ? l'autre pour toujours. Indiscutablement les deux meilleurs pilotes de leurs g?n?ration, bien qu'ils soient chacun le "Nemesis" (D?esse de la vengeance), le fl?au de l'autre. C'est m?me encore le cas : en parlant de Senna, Prost n'a pas le doit de se poser en vainqueur, et il le sait. Il parle de lui sereinement, et certains diront que ce n'?tait gu?re le cas du vivant d'Ayrton. Mais s'il en ?tait autrement, on le diffamerait pour oser critiquer une ic?ne qui ne peut se d?fendre.

 

"C'est pourquoi j'ai toujours refus? d'en parler', dit Prost. 'Quand il s'est tu?, ajoute-t-il, j'ai ressenti que je perdais aussi une partie de moi, tellement nos carri?res ?tait li?es l'une ? l'autre. Je l'ai exprim?, et je sais que certains ont pens? que ce n'?tait pas sinc?re. Alors que tout ce que je peux faire, c'est d'essayer d'?tre le plus honn?te possible."

 

Depuis le d?but de la carri?re d'Ayrton Senna en F1, c'est ? dire en 1984, ses regards ?taient carr?ment dirig?s vers Alain. Dans un sens, c'?tait in?vitable, pour Ayrton, qui ?tait un gar?on formidablement extr?me, qui voulait tellement se prouver qu'il ?tait le meilleur dans tout ce qu'il entreprenait, et ? cette ?poque c'?tait Alain qui ?tait le Dieu de l'Olympe. Et leur premi?re rencontre a bien donn? le ton de ce qu'allait ?tre leur relation pendant des ann?es.

 

"Je m'en souviens parfaitement. Au printemps 1984 le nouveau trac? du Nurburgring a ?t? inaugur?, et il y a eu la course des c?l?brit?s, qui r?unissait les pilotes d'hier et ceux d'aujourd'hui, dans des Mercedes de tourisme. J'?tais parti de Gen?ve pour Francfort par un vol r?gulier, et Ayrton devait y atterrir une demi-heure avant. Donc Gerd Kremer, de Mercedes, m'a demand? si je voulais bien l'emmener avec moi jusqu'au circuit. Sur la route, on a discut?, et il ?tait tr?s content. Ensuite nous nous sommes retrouv?s sur la piste, pour essayer les voitures. J'avais la p?le, il ?tait second. A partir de l? il ne m'a plus rien dit ! Il avait l'air sympa jusque l?. Mais en course, j'ai pris la t?te et il m'a fait sortir de la route au bout d'un demi-tour. Donc, ?a a bien commenc??"

 

Cette ann?e l?, en 1984, c'?tait la 1?re saison en F1 pour Ayrton, et sa Toleman-Hart ne pouvait pas se mesurer aux voitures de t?te. A Monaco cependant, sous la pluie, et quand le GP fut stopp? un peu avant la mi-course, le petit nouveau ?tait sur le point d'attaquer la McLaren de Prost, et de prendre la t?te !

 

"Depuis le d?but il allait bien, m?me si vous ne pouvez pas trop l'affirmer quand un gar?on conduit pour une petite ?curie. Il a fait une excellente course ? Monaco, mais ? ce moment-l?, quand les voitures ?taient bien plus rigides que maintenant, il ?tait possible qu'une voiture moyenne devienne tr?s bonne sous la pluie. Forc?ment, on l'a tous remarqu?, mais avec la r?serve que l'on a sur un jeune qui a l'air bon au d?but, puis qui n'est plus grand chose lorsqu'il int?gre une grande ?quipe. On ne peut pas se prononcer tant qu'on ne l'a pas vu dans une voiture rapide. Dans le cas d'Ayrton, pourtant, c'?tait clair qu'il avait un talent ?vident."

 

"Quelque chose dont on peut se souvenir aussi, c'est qu'il y a 15 ans, il y avait davantage de tr?s bons pilotes en F1, qu'aujourd'hui. Bien s?r, Ayrton ?tait bon depuis le d?but, mais il n'avait rien fait de particuli?rement extraordinaire avant Monaco. A partir de Monaco, tout le monde l'a d?couvert et on a commenc? ? parler de lui. Sans ?a, ?a aurait peut-?tre pris plus de temps, mais l?, comme je l'ai dit, c'?tait incroyable ce qu'il a r?ussi ? faire au milieu de tant de Champions..."

 

Depuis le d?but, Senna n'a pas franchement respect? m?me les pilotes r?put?s, et ?a a contrari? plus d'une valeur sure. Apr?s son unique saison chez Toleman, il a rejoint l'?quipe Lotus-Renault, en 1985, et a brillamment remport? le GP du Portugal, sous la pluie encore une fois, et a toujours ?t? dans le peloton de t?te, partout ailleurs. Mais ? Hockenheim, par exemple, il a commis une faute, ? l'Ostkurve, et quand Michele Alboreto ?tait sur le point de le passer, Ayrton s'est d?port? de droite ? gauche pour le maintenir derri?re. Mais ce genre de strat?gies n'est pas vraiment appr?ci?e dans le monde de la F1.

 

"Hmmm, oui. Senna a toujours ?t? fort dans ce genre l?, depuis le d?but. En v?rit?, je crois r?ellement ? pr?sent qu'il ne s'agissait pas de vouloir faire le forcing, c'?tait plut?t ses propres r?gles. Il s'y tenait, il y croyait, et c'?tait comme ?a."

 

"Il ?tait vraiment croyant, c'?tait en lui, il avait l'habitude de parler de ses v?rit?s, de ses enseignements, son ?ducation, des tas de choses dans ce genre. Je me disais tout le temps que son comportement sur la piste ne correspondait pas ? tout ?a, mais maintenant j'ai vraiment l'impression qu'il avait la certitude de ne pas se tromper. Comme je l'ai dit, il avait ses r?gles, il en jouait, et tout le reste ne le concernait pas. Avec le recul, je suis persuad? qu'il ?tait s?r de bien faire, qu'il avait vraiment raison, et sur le circuit c'?tait pareil."

 

IC'?tait bien avant que Senna ne devienne le partenaire de Prost, dans la m?me ?quipe, en 1988, que les probl?mes ont commenc? entre eux. L'ann?e pr?c?dente, Lotus avait utilis? des moteurs Honda, et Ayrton a vraiment nou? une profonde relation avec les motoristes japonais. Il est donc arriv? chez McLaren en m?me temps qu' Honda. Et un membre de l'?quipe l'a consid?r? ainsi : "J'avais tendance ? penser que Prost ?tait le pilote McLaren avec un moteur Honda, et que Senna ?tait un pilote Honda avec un ch?ssis McLaren."

 

"Oui, je pense que c'?tait une bonne fa?on de voir les choses. Mon plus gros souci c'?tait que j'aimais r?ellement McLaren, et que j'avais envie de donner tout ce que je pouvais ? cette ?quipe. Pour mon partenaire, en 1988, il y avait le choix entre Senna et Nelson Piquet. Quand je suis all? avec Ron (Dennis) au Japon, pour rencontrer les gens chez Honda, j'ai dit ? Ron qu'il devait prendre Ayrton, parce qu'il ?tait le pilote le plus talentueux, et pour moi c'?tait comme ?a que McLaren gagnerait. Si je pouvais revenir maintenant au d?but de ma carri?re de pilote, je pense que ce serait diff?rent, et que je m'occuperais plut?t de moi et de mon travail..."

 

"En v?rit?, j'aurais pu refuser qu'Ayrton entre chez McLaren. Une de mes forces est que g?n?ralement, lorsque je d?cide de quelque chose, je n'ai jamais ? le regretter. Mais l?-dessus, ? mon avis, j'ai d?cid?ment fait une erreur !"

 

Au tout d?but des essais d'avant la saison, ils ?taient ensemble ? Rio. Prost s'est rendu compte qu'Ayrton ne faisait franchement pas ?a pour le plaisir. "On essayait des pneus, en n'utilisant qu'une voiture. J'ai fait le premier test, et c'?tait ? lui de continuer. Je suis entr? dans les stands, et les m?caniciens ont commenc? ? changer le volant. J'observais Ayrton, avec le casque sur la t?te, me tournant autour, et il attendait que je sorte de la voiture. Alors j'ai d?cid? de rester ? l'int?rieur juste un peu plus longtemps. Il s'est mis en col?re, en disant ? tout le monde "Ce n'est pas juste, ce n'est pas juste!". Alors je suis sorti et je me suis mis ? rire, mais pas lui...

 

"En r?alit?, bon, notre relation de travail au cours de la premi?re saison ?tait plut?t bonne. Le seul probl?me, ?a a ?t? ? Estoril, ? la fin du premier tour."

 

Il y a eu un moment qu'aucun des t?moins de la sc?ne n'oubliera jamais. Au bout de la ligne droite des stands, Prost ?tait dans le sillage de Senna, et se d?cala vers la droite pour le passer. Ayrton s'est alors d?port? sur lui, le projetant ? peut-?tre seulement 6 pouces (15cm) du mur des stands. Alain s'en est bien tir?, a r?ussi ? prendre la t?te de la course et l'a conserv?e qu'? l'arriv?e. Mais par la suite il a fait un constat tr?s clair :

 

"Cette attitude, ? Estoril, ?tait vraiment dangereuse, et bien s?r j'?tais en col?re, par la suite. J'?tais coinc? contre le mur des stands, et j'ai vraiment cru qu'on allait se toucher, avoir un accident grave, et peut ?tre aussi ceux qui arrivaient derri?re nous. Je n'ai vraiment pas appr?ci?, et je lui ai dit. Mais dans un sens, je ne pouvais pas lui reprocher d'avoir fait ?a, parce qu'il s'en tirait ? chaque fois. A combien de reprises dans sa carri?re de pilote, Ayrton a-t-il ?t? sanctionn? pour ce genre de comportements ? Pas une fois."

 

"Sinon, ? part ?a, la premi?re ann?e ne s'est pas trop mal pass?e. A plusieurs reprises, il a ?t? plut?t dur et intransigeant ? mon ?gard. Mais on n'a pas franchement eu d'autres probl?mes. Et en fait, il s'est excus? aupr?s de moi pour ce qui s'?tait pass? au Portugal."

 

Le duo a r?alis? une saison ?poustouflante en 1988, Prost remportant plus de points (105, avec 7 victoires et 7 places de second). Senna (avec 94 points pour 8 victoires, et trois secondes places) fut couronn? Champion du Monde des pilotes, 90 points ? 87, en vertu des "onze meilleurs r?sultats", selon le r?glement en vigueur cette ann?e-l?.

 

&quotA la fin de l'ann?e 1988, j'?tais vraiment heureux pour l'?quipe. Nous ?tions premier et second au Championnat du Monde, et je n'?tais sinc?rement pas trop d??u que ce soit lui qui remporte le titre. Je l'avais ?t? deux fois auparavant, alors ce n'?tait pas un probl?me."

 

"En 1989 par contre, j'?tais inquiet pour Honda. Et je pensais que mon probl?me majeur ?tait de ne jamais avoir eu des rapports comme ceux qu'il y avait entre eux et Ayrton. Depuis le d?but, c'est quelque chose que je ressentais, mais dont je n'avais pas le contr?le. Je n'en aurais pas trop tenu compte si cela s'?tait born? ? pr?f?rer un pilote par rapport ? l'autre, mais la fa?on dont ils ont g?r? cette situation s'est av?r?e tr?s p?nible pour moi, parce que Senna et moi avions des styles de conduites tr?s diff?rents.

 

Je n'ai jamais compris pourquoi Honda a tellement pris son parti. Il ne s'agissait pas, comme je le pensais, d'une question de mieux s'introduire sur le march? br?silien ou fran?ais, ou quelque chose de ce genre l?. C'?tait davantage une question de personnes. J'ai de nouveau travaill? avec Honda, l'an dernier, mais cette fois-ci en tant que propri?taire, et ?a m'a encore frapp?. Je pense que les japonais ont simplement une conception du travail qui leur est propre. Dans une ?quipe, ils privil?gieront toujours quelqu'un par rapport ? un autre. J'ai entendu que cela se pratiquait dans leurs ?quipes, en courses moto ?galement."

 

"Je vais vous donner un exemple : ? un moment, en 1988, la derni?re ann?e o? nous pouvions utiliser les moteurs turbo, j'ai r?clam? quelques modifications de mon moteur, afin de l'adapter parfaitement ? mon style de conduite, et nous y avons travaill? pendant deux jours au Paul Ricard. A la fin des essais, j'?tais vraiment satisfait. Mais lors de la course suivante, une semaine apr?s, ils n'ont pas reproduit cette mise au point de mon moteur."

 

"Puis nous sommes partis pour le Grand Prix de France, au Paul Ricard, et subitement, le moteur a ?t? pr?par? de nouveau exactement comme je le souhaitais ! Vous voyez ce que je veux dire ? Ayrton et moi avons pass? deux saisons ensemble chez McLaren-Honda, et aux deux GP de France, j'ai obtenu la pole et j'ai gagn? la course. Tout le monde a dit : "Oh, regardez, c'est parce que Prost est devant son public", et ce genre de trucs. Ce n'?tait pas du tout pour ?a, c'est simplement parce qu'? deux reprises, j'ai eu les moyens de me battre..."

 

"Je vous assure, je n'ai absolument rien contre Ayrton, OK ? Il ?tait tr?s rapide, et pendant les qualifications, il ?tait meilleur que moi. Plus agressif, exactement comme je pense l'avoir ?t? dans l'?quipe, envers Niki (Lauda)."

 

"Toutefois, avant la saison 1989, j'ai d?n? au Club de Golf de Gen?ve, avec le Directeur d'Honda de l'?poque, M. Kawamnoto, et quatre autres personnes. Et il a admis que j'avais raison de penser qu'Honda privil?giait davantage Ayrton que moi."

 

"Il m'a dit : Vous voulez savoir pourquoi on soutient Senna ? ce point ? Bon, je ne suis pas sur ? 100%, mais l'une des choses qu'il m'a bien fait comprendre, c'est que la nouvelle g?n?ration d'ing?nieurs qui travaillaient sur le d?veloppement des moteurs, ?taient fans d'Ayrton, qui pour eux symbolisait le Samoura?, alors que moi j'?tait plut?t l'ordinateur."

 

"Voil?, c'?tait une explication, et j'en ?tait tr?s content, par la suite, parce que j'ai enfin compris pourquoi quelque chose n'allait pas. Une grosse partie de mon probl?me, c'est qu'Ayrton ?tait nettement plus rapide, je ne sais pas trop de combien, et dans quelle mesure Honda l'aidait ? le devenir. Alors apr?s ce d?ner avec M. KAWAMOTO, j'ai pens? "Bon, au moins je ne suis pas idiot, je me doutais bien qu'il se passait quelque chose et maintenant je sais quoi."

 

Cependant, la situation ne s'est gu?re am?lior?e. Plut?t m?me l'inverse, ? vrai dire. En 1989, les rapports d?j? d?licats entre Prost et Senna se sont compl?tement d?t?rior?s, et ceux entre Alain et McLaren n'?taient pas vraiment meilleurs.

 

"Avant cela, je n'avais jamais eu de probl?mes avec qui que ce soit, chez McLaren, mais 1989 a vraiment ?t? un tournant. Mon contrat allait se terminer ? la fin de l'ann?e, mais pas celui d'Ayrton. Ron savait que l'avenir de son ?quipe ?tait li? ? Honda, et par cons?quent avec Senna. Il a vraiment tout fait pour me convaincre de rester, mais en r?alit?, c'?tait impossible qu'il continue ? travailler avec nous deux. Et je lui ai dit en juillet que je quitterais l'?quipe ? la fin de la saison. A mon avis, il n'avait pas ?t? tr?s juste avec moi en 1989. On est vraiment rest?s tr?s bons amis, et malgr? tout, je consid?re McLaren comme ma vraie ?quipe. Mais Ron conna?t parfaitement mes sentiments sur cette p?riode."

 

"A ce moment l?, je ne me faisais plus d'illusions. Apr?s tout j'avais donn? le meilleur de moi-m?me ? l'?quipe, et pour l'?quipe. Je pense que je n'avais pas m?rit? ?a. Et ? la fin de cette journ?e, vous savez, Ron essayait d?j? de maintenir son ?curie au premier plan, et bien s?r je peux un peu comprendre ce genre de choses."

 

C'est ? Imola que le combat le plus cruel de l'histoire de la F1 s'est d?roul?. Senna et Prost, comme d'habitude, s'?taient install?s ? la premi?re et seconde place, ? une seconde et demi d'intervalle des autres. Ayrton proposa de ne pas g?cher cet avantage, et de ne pas s'attaquer d?s le premier virage, Tosa, d?s le premier tour. Celui qui y arrive en t?te est ? peu pr?s s?r de gagner la course. Alain ?tait d'accord. Senna pris la t?te, et au virage de Tosa, Prost est rest? derri?re lui, comme convenu.

 

Puis, toutefois, la course fut stopp?e en raison du grave accident de Gerhard BERGER. Au second d?part, c'est Prost qui est parti en t?te, et ? Tosa, Senna lui passa sous le nez et pris le commandement.

 

""Par la suite, il m'a expliqu? que ce n'?tait plus le d?part, mais le re-d?part, donc la consigne n'?tait plus valable. Comme je disais, il avait des r?gles bien ? lui et de temps en temps elles ?taient plut?t ? disons bizarres. C'?tait une id?e d'Ayrton, ? la base, et ?a ne m'avait pas pos? de probl?me. Par la suite, je me suis dit que c'?tait fini. J'ai continu? ? travailler avec lui, bien s?r, pour tout ce qui concernait la technique. Mais pour tout ce qui ?tait de nos relations personnelles, c'?tait termin?. Et l'atmosph?re dans l'?quipe est devenue vraiment mauvaise, ?videmment."

 

&quotAu moment o? nous sommes all?s ? Monza, j'?tais devant lui au Championnat du Monde, avec environ 10 points d'avance. Mais cette course a vraiment ?t? ce que j'ai v?cu de pire chez McLaren. Senna avait deux voitures avec 20 personnes ? sa disposition, alors que je n'avais qu'une seule voiture, et peut-?tre quatre ou cinq m?caniciens qui travaillaient pour moi. J'?tais vraiment tout seul dans un coin du garage, et ?a a s?rement ?t? le week-end le plus p?nible de toute ma carri?re. Honda m'?tait carr?ment hostile, ? ce moment-l?, et ce n'est pas facile d'essayer de se battre pour le titre dans ces conditions. Aux essais, Ayrton ?tait plus rapide de presque deux secondes par rapport ? moi. Comme je l'ai dit, d'accord, il ?tait meilleur que moi en qualifications. Mais deux secondes, l? on fr?lait la plaisanterie."

 

Pendant la course, Senna a abandonn?, et Prost l'a remport?. Par la suite, ils domin?rent Suzuka et Ad?la?de, les deux derni?res courses de la saison 1989. Alain ?tait en t?te du Championnat avec 16 points d'avance. Mais ? partir de l?, McLaren-Honda ressemblait ? deux ?quipes diff?rentes qui travailleraient dans le m?me stand. Encore une fois, les voitures rouges et blanches ?taient en premi?re ligne, chacun de ses pilotes d?fiant l'autre. Senna savait qu'il devait gagner, Prost lui faisait comprendre qu'il ne se laisserait plus faire.

 

"J'en ai parl? au sein de l'?quipe, et ? la presse. Il n'?tait plus question de lui laisser le passage. On a souvent reparl?, vous vous doutez bien, du premier virage, du premier tour, et Ron me r?p?tait sans arr?t que l'essentiel ?tait de ne pas s'?tre touch?s, tous les deux, que nous devions penser ? l'?quipe. Bon, aussi loin que je me souvienne, Senna pensait surtout ? lui, et c'?tait comme ?a. Par exemple, au d?but du GP d'Angleterre, cette ann?e-l?, en rentrant dans Copse, si je ne m'?tais pas d?port? de 3 ou 4 m?tres en dehors de la trajectoire, nous nous serions touch?s, et les deux McLaren auraient abandonn?. Ce genre de choses se sont trop souvent produites, j'en avais assez."

 

"C'est ce qui s'est ?galement pass? lors de notre accident, dans la chicane. Oui, je sais bien, certains soutiennent que je l'ai fait expr?s. Ce que j'ai dit c'est seulement que je ne voulais plus lui ouvrir la porte, et c'est tout. Je ne voulais pas finir cette course comme ?a, je la menais depuis le d?but, et je voulais gagner."

 

"J'avais une bonne voiture, j'avais ?t? tr?s mauvais en qualification par rapport ? Ayrton, et je m'?tais compl?tement concentr? sur la course. Au cours du warm-up, j'?tais de presque deux secondes plus rapide que lui, et j'?tais plut?t confiant pour la course en elle-m?me, m?me lorsqu'il a commenc? ? me rattraper."

 

"Je ne souhaitais pas qu'il se rapproche trop de moi, mais je voulais qu'il m'attaque suffisamment pour user ses pneus, et mon objectif ?tait de tenir le rythme jusqu'au dix derniers tours. C'est ce que je faisais lorsqu'il a tent? de me doubler, ce que j'estimais impossible parce qu'il arrivait beaucoup plus vite qu'il n'aurait du, dans la zone de freinage."

 

"J'?tais persuad? qu'il ne le ferait pas pendant ce tour, parce que lorsque nous avons n?goci? la chicane, il ?tait relativement loin derri?re. Quand vous regardez dans vos r?tros et que vous voyez un mec ? 20 m?tres derri?re vous, c'est impossible de le juger, alors je n'avais pas vraiment r?alis? qu'il essayait de me d?passer. Mais au m?me instant je me suis dit "Je ne le laisserais pas me refaire le coup, il ne profitera m?me pas d'un trou de souris. Pas question". Il m'a sorti dans l'?chappatoire et j'ai du abandonner."

 

Un an plus tard, ils se retrouvent de nouveau ensemble ? Suzuka, et tous deux encore une fois en position de remporter le Championnat du Monde, et cette fois-ci c'est Alain qui devait gagner. Pratiquement d?s le d?but de leur pr?sence dans la m?me ?quipe, ni lui ni Ayrton n'ont mettre un terme ? l'intensit? de leur conflit. Prost, affirmait Senna, n'aurait pas du tent? de n?gocier son virage juste devant lui. "M?me s'il envisageait de le faire, il ne pouvait pas y parvenir". En r?alit?, c'est en arrivant derri?re elle ? 150km/h que la McLaren est entr?e en collision avec la Ferrari.

 

"Que voulez-vous que je vous dise par rapport ? ?a ? Apr?s mon abandon, on en a parl?, et il m'a assur?, comme il l'a dit aussi ? la presse d'ailleurs, qu'il avait fait ?a volontairement. Et il m'a expliqu? pourquoi. Il en voulait terriblement au Pr?sident de la FIA, Jean-Marie Balestre, qui lui avait refus? le changement de c?t? qu'il souhaitait pour la p?le position, en premi?re ligne de d?part (il voulait qu'elle soit situ?e ? gauche). Alors il m'avoua qu'il s'?tait promis de me sortir si j'arrivais dans le premier virage avant lui."

 

"Ce qu'il s'est pass? au Japon en 1990 est quelque chose que je n'oublierais jamais, parce qu'Ayrton n'?tait pas le seul responsable de cela. Quelques membres de McLaren, beaucoup d'officiels, mais ?galement beaucoup de m?dias, ont ?t? d'accord avec ce qu'il venait de faire, et moi je ne pouvais pas accepter ?a." "Franchement, j'ai failli tout abandonner apr?s ce GP."

 

"Comme je l'ai d?j? ?voqu?, ce n'?tait pas me battre qu'il voulait, mais purement (pour vous donner une image) me d?truire, et c'?tait son objectif depuis le premier jour. M?me lors de cette premi?re course avec les voitures de tourisme Mercedes, qui remonte quand m?me ? 1984, j'ai bien remarqu? que ce n'?tait pas battre Alan Jones, K?k? Rosberg ou qui que ce soit d'autre, qui l'int?ressait. C'est moi qu'il devait battre, et seulement moi, d'une fa?on ou d'une autre."

 

Et jusqu'? la fin de la carri?re d'Alain Prost en tant que Pilote, cela ne changera plus jamais. Mais sur le podium d'Ad?la?de, en 1993, au cours de l'ultime GP d'Alain, ils se sont donn?s une tr?s sinc?re et longue accolade. C'?tait comme si, en fait, Alain n'?tait plus un ennemi ? cet instant l?, et Ayrton ne trouvait alors plus aucune raison de lui ?tre hostile. Prost ne s'attendait vraiment pas ? un tel geste.

 

"C'est clair, j'?tais vraiment surpris. Mais pour ?tre honn?te, j'?tais aussi un petit peu d??u. Et je vais peut-?tre vous apprendre quelque chose sur Ayrton : Au GP pr?c?dent, au Japon, c'est lui qui a gagn? et j'?tais second. Quand il s'est dirig? du podium vers la Conf?rence de Presse, je lui ai dit "C'est peut-?tre la derni?re course o? nous rendons ensemble ? une Conf?rence de Presse, et je pense qu'on devrait offrir au public un geste agr?able, peut-?tre une poign?e de mains, enfin quelque chose comme ?a". Il ne m'a pas r?pondu, mais il ne s'y est pas oppos? non plus. Alors quelque part je pensais qu'il ?tait d'accord. Nous sommes all?s ? la Conf?rence de Presse, et il ne m'a m?me pas regard?."

 

"En v?rit?, j'avais m?me pens? qu'en Australie, on aurait pu s'?changer les casques, c'?tait quand m?me ceux que l'on porterait ? cette course, qui serait l'ultime occasion de nous affronter. Mais apr?s le Japon, j'ai oubli? tout ?a, parce qu'il n'avait pas l'air de vouloir envisager une quelconque r?conciliation."

 

"Puis nous sommes all?s ? Ad?la?de, o? nous avons termin?s premier et second. Pendant que nous approchions du podium, il avait d?j? commenc? ? me parler un petit peu, et il m'a demand? "Qu'est ce que tu vas faire, maintenant?". J'?tais ?tonn? et je lui ai r?pondu "Je ne sais pas encore !". "Tu vas devenir gros !" m'a-t-il dit alors, et il a souri. Et puis il y a eu le podium, o? il a mis son bras autour de moi, il m'a serr? la main et tout ?a. Pourquoi ? parce qu'? ce moment l? il l'avait d?cid?, et il ?tait en accord avec lui-m?me. OK, dans un sens c'?tait g?nial. Mais ?a c'?tait Ayrton : C'est lui qui d?cide ? Excellent. Sinon ? Tu oublies !"

 

Plus tard, Senna a confi? ? l'un de ses meilleurs amis, que ce n'est qu'apr?s qu'Alain se soit retir? de la comp?tition, qu'il a r?alis? ? quel point sa motivation semblait presque enti?rement li?e ? l'envie qu'il avait de le battre. Deux jours seulement avant sa mort, au cours d'un reportage o? une cam?ra embarqu?e dans sa voiture filmait pour Elf un tour du circuit d'Imola, il a surpris tout le monde en saluant quelqu'un qui lui tenait ? c?ur : 'D'abord, je voudrais dire bonjour ? mon ami Alain. Tu nous manques ? tous'. Prost a ?t? extr?mement touch?..

 

"En r?alit?, apr?s mon retrait de la comp?tition, on s'est tr?s souvent t?l?phon?s. Il m'a souvent appel? et r?guli?rement pour que l'on parle de s?curit?. Il voulait que je continue ? m'y consacrer, et on avait justement convenu d'en discuter ? Imola. Ce week-end pr?cis?ment, il n'a cess? de parler, parler, et parler encore de mesures de s?curit?. Il ?tait beaucoup plus calme qu'avant, pour moi en 1994, il avait compl?tement chang?. Il avait m?me l'air moins enthousiaste en quelque sorte, moins agressif qu'auparavant."

 

"On a discut? le vendredi, et je l'ai revu le dimanche matin, apr?s l'accident mortel de Roland Ratzenberger bien s?r. J'?tais entour? de nombreuses personnes de chez Renault, ? ce moment-l?. Vous savez comment Ayrton se comporte habituellement : il sort du stand et se rend direct au motor-home. Mais ce matin-l? j'ai vraiment ?t? surpris, parce qu'il a travers? tout le groupe, ce qu'il ne faisait vraiment jamais, juste pour venir me parler. On a eu une discussion, et il a ?t? tr?s sympathique, tr?s amical avec moi."

 

"Puis je l'ai vu dans le garage bri?vement. Je ne voulais pas le d?ranger, mais je sentais qu'il avait besoin d'aide, besoin de quelqu'un. C'?tait ?vident. Alors on a parl? ensemble du prochain week-end..."

 

Les obs?ques d'Ayrton ont eu lieu ? Sao-Paulo, quatre jours plus tard, et Prost ?tait parmi les nombreux pilotes ? ?tre pr?sents. Ce n'?tait gu?re une d?cision difficile ? prendre, tellement il voulait lui t?moigner son respect.

 

"Evidemment je voulais m'y rendre, mais Ayrton et moi avions de tels rapports depuis si longtemps, que je me demandais quelle serait la r?action des Br?siliens : seraient-il pein?s par ma pr?sence, ou par mon absence ? Alors que faire ? Le lendemain de l'accident, j'?tais ? Paris, et un ami proche de Jean-Luc Lagardere (le Pr?sident de Matra) m'a appel?. Son ?pouse ?tait Br?silienne, et je lui ai demand? conseil. "J'ai d?j? pris mon billet d'avion", lui ai-je dit, "mais selon toi, que dois-je faire ?". Il m'a r?pondu que je devais absolument y aller, que les Br?siliens aimeraient que je sois l?. Il n'a pas eu ? me forcer, je voulais tellement m'y rendre. Mais il m'a rassur?. Et je sais que si je n'y avais pas assist?, je m'en serais voulu jusqu'? la fin de mes jours."

 

"Il n'y a vraiment eu aucun geste d'hostilit? envers moi, ? Sao-Paulo, bien au contraire, en fait. A pr?sent, je suis tout le temps en rapport avec la famille d'Ayrton. Le lendemain des obs?ques, son p?re m'a invit? dans sa propri?t? et on a ?norm?ment discut?. Je suis tr?s souvent en contact avec sa s?ur, et je suis ? sa disposition pour tout ce qu'elle me demandera de faire pour la Fondation."

 

"Ayrton est de loin le meilleur pilote auquel j'ai du me mesurer, et pendant vraiment aussi longtemps. C'?tait le pilote le plus d?termin? que j'ai pu conna?tre. Pour ?tre franc, je pense que le meilleur pilote en course (en pure intelligence de la course) ?tait peut-?tre Niki Lauda. Mais au-del? de tout, Ayrton ?tait le meilleur et de loin. Il r?ussissait tout ce qu'il entreprenait, et tout ce qui lui permettait de se r?aliser."

 

"Sinc?rement, je suis s?r que nous serions devenus des amis, avec le temps. Nous avions tellement partag?, apr?s tout, et quelque chose n'a jamais chang?, m?me dans les pires moments de notre relation, c'est le r?el respect que nous avions l'un pour l'autre en tant que pilotes. Je ne pense pas que l'un de nous se soit d'ailleurs souci? de qui que ce soit d'autre. Et il y a eu des moments o? on s'est bien amus?s ensemble. Pas souvent, mais..."

 

"Il ?tait surprenant, vous savez. En 1988, je me rappelle, nous avons particip? au Motor-Show Honda, ? Gen?ve. C'est juste ? 40km de chez moi, alors je l'ai invit? ? venir d?ner ? la maison, puis de nous rendre l?-bas ensuite. Il est venu chez moi et s'est endormi pendant deux heures. On n'a m?me pas pu discuter !"

 

"Puis, apr?s le repas, on est all?s faire une promenade, et je me souviens tr?s bien de ce que l'on s'est dit. J'adorais parler avec lui : parfois il ?tait p?nible quand il s'?ternisait sur un petit point de d?tail, mais en g?n?ral il ?tait passionnant. Oui, vraiment, j'en suis sur, on serait vraiment devenus amis. A partir du moment o? nous n'?tions plus adversaires, tout aurait ?t? diff?rent."

 

"Je me rappelle de tout cela, et je me dis "J?sus, qu'est ce qui a bien pu se passer ? Qu'est ce qui nous a pris de nous battre tous les deux comme ?a ? Quelquefois, c'est comme un cauchemar. Peut-?tre parce que quand on est toujours les premiers, comme nous l'?tions, ce genre d'affrontements est in?vitable. Mais pourquoi ont-t-ils ?t? aussi douloureux ? Pourquoi l'avons nous v?cu comme ?a ? J'ai l'habitude de dire ? tout le monde "Vous ?tes un fan de Senna ? G?nial, mais s'il vous plait, ne me ha?ssez pas !" C'?tait la m?me chose avec la presse."

 

"La pression ?tait tellement forte, tellement forte? Si c'?tait ? refaire, je pense que je dirais ? Ayrton "Ecoute, on est les meilleurs, on les aura tous !" En y r?fl?chissant un peu, ?a aurait pu ?tre g?nial, comme r?ve. Maintenant, m?me si elle est finie, je me dis que c'?tait vraiment une histoire merveilleuse, vous ne trouvez pas ? Et aujourd'hui, dans un sens, je pense que ?a nous manque un peu."

 

Alain Prost ?tait interview? par Nigel Roebuck

 

 

 

 

[RL83 0]

In questa bellissima intervista Prost ripercorre, con dovizia di particolari, il suo rapporto professionale ed umano con Senna.

Tra le righe emerge qualcosa che tutti hanno sempre saputo: Prost poteva vivere benissimo senza Senna, anzi, viveva decisamente meglio, ma Senna non poteva vivere senza Prost. Si pu? dire che se non ci fosse stato Prost, Senna non avrebbe avuto motivazioni per correre in F1. Un altro motivo per il quale ritengo Prost due spanne sopra Senna.

Questo cmq ? il testo dell'intervista, che vi posto sia in inglese che in francese. Con questo spero di non beccarmi altri insulti, ma di avviare un confronto costruttivo. Leggete fino in fondo perch? per certi aspetti ? illuminante.

 

 

Ayrton Senna - by Alain Prost

 

"Honestly, it's very difficult for me to talk about Ayrton, and not only because he's not here any more. He was so different, you know, so completely different from any other racing driver - any other person - I've ever known..."

 

Speaking now, more than four years after the death of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost is in an invidious position, for while the two are linked for ever, indisputably the best drivers of their generation, so also each was very much the other's nemesis. That being the case, in discussing Senna, Prost cannot win, and Prost knows it. Come out with only kind words, and some will say that he sang a very different tune when Ayrton was alive; go the other way, and they will vilify him for daring to criticise a defenceless icon.

 

"That's why I have always refused to speak about him," says Prost. "When he died, I said, that I felt a part of me had died also, because our careers had been so bound together. And I really meant it, but I know some people thought it was not sincere. Well, all I can do is try to be as honest as possible."

 

From the very beginning of Ayrton Senna's Formula One career, back in 1984, his sights were set squarely on Prost. In a way it was inevitable, for Ayrton was a man of extraordinary intensity, one who needed to prove himself the best in all things, and at that time Alain was very much the king of the hill. It was their very first meeting that was to set the tone of their relationships down the years.

 

"I remember it very well. In the spring of 1984, the new N?rburgring was opened, and there was a celebrity race for Grand Prix drivers of the past and present, in Mercedes road cars. I was coming from Geneva to Frankfurt on a scheduled flight, and Ayrton was due to land half an hour before, so Gerd Kremer of Mercedes asked me if I would bring him to the track. On the way we chatted, and he was very pleasant. Then we got to the track, and practised the cars. I was on pole, with Ayrton second - after that he didn't talk to me any more! It seemed funny at the time. Then in the race, I took the lead - and he pushed me off the track after half a lap. So that was a good start..."

 

That year, 1984, was Senna's first in F1, and his Toleman-Hart was not on par with the front runners. At Monaco, though, there was rain, and when the race was abandoned, shortly before half-distance, the rookie was right on the point of passing Prost's McLaren for the lead.

 

"From the beginning, he looked good, although you can't always tell for sure when a guy is with a small team. He drove a great race at Monaco, but in those days - when monocoques were far less stiff than now - it was quite possible to have a poor car in the dry turn out to be very good in the wet. Of course we all rated him, but with the reservation that sometimes a young driver looks quite good, but then joins a top team, and looks ordinary. There's always some doubt until the guy gets into a quick car. With Ayrton, though, it was pretty clear he had a special talent."

 

"Something else people should remember is that, 15 years ago, there were a lot more very good drivers in F1 than there are now. For sure Ayrton did well from the beginning, but he showed nothing that was truly exceptional before Monaco. Monaco was the thing: after that everyone discovered him, and talked about him. Without that, it might have taken a little longer, but the impressive thing, as I say, was that he looked so good at a time when there were so many top drivers..."

 

Senna was also, from the start no respecter of reputations, and that upset many an established star. After a single season with Toleman, he joined Lotus-Renault for 1985, brilliantly won the Portuguese Grand Prix (again in the rain), and was a front runner everywhere. But at Hockenheim, for example, he made a mistake at the Ostkurve, and when Michele Alboreto went to pass, Ayrton swerved left and right to keep him back. Back then such tactics were not embraced by the F1 community.

 

"Hmmm, yes, Senna was very tough in that way, from the start. Actually, one thing I really believe now is that it wasn't so much a matter of being that tough as having his own rules. He had them, he believed in them, and that was it."

 

"He was extremely religious, and he used to go on about that, about speaking the truth, about his education, his upbringing, and everything else. At the time, I used to think that some of the things he did on the track didn't fit with all that, but now it seems to me he really didn't know he was sometimes in the wrong. As I said, he had these rules, he played by them, and he wasn't interested in anything else. Looking back, I really think he believed he was always in the right, always telling the truth - and on the track he was exactly the same way."

 

It was not, however, until Senna became Prost's team-mate, in 1988, that there were any problems between them. The year before, Lotus had used Honda engines, and Ayrton had established a deep relationship with the Japanese engineers. As he came to McLaren, so also did Honda. And one team insider puts it this way: "I tended to think of Prost as a McLaren driver with a Honda engine, and Senna as a Honda driver with a McLaren chassis."

 

"Yes, I think that was a good way of putting it. My biggest problem was that I really loved McLaren, and wanted to do everything I could for the team. For my team-mate in '88, it was a choice between Senna and Nelson Piquet. When I went with Ron (Dennis) to Japan, to meet the Honda people, I said that Ron should take Ayrton, because he was the more talented driver, and for me the team came first. If I was going back to the start of my racing career now, I would do it rather differently - I would concentrate on me and my job..."

 

"In fact, I could have said no to Ayrton coming to McLaren. One strength I have is that normally when I make a decision, I don't regret it, but, from my own point of view, on that occasion I definitely made a mistake!"

 

In the very first pre-season test the did together, in Rio, Prost saw that Senna was emphatically not doing this for the fun of it. "We were tyre-testing, just using one car. I did the first run, and he was then due to take it over. I came into the pits, and the mechanics began to change the wheels. I could see Ayrton there, helmet on, pacing around, waiting for me to get out, so I decided to stay in the car just a little longer. And he got furious, telling everyone, 'It's not fair, it's not fair!' Then I got out, and I was laughing. He was not...

 

"Actually, though, our working relationship through that first season was pretty good. The only problem was at Estoril, at the end of the first lap."

 

It was a moment which will never be forgotten by anyone there to witness it. Down the pit straight Prost slipstreamed Senna, then ducked right to go by, whereupon Ayrton swerved towards him, putting him maybe six inches from the pit wall. Alain didn't lift, and emerged into a lead which he would keep to the end, but afterwards he made his feelings plain.

 

"That move in Estoril was very dangerous, and, yes, I was angry afterwards. I was right against the pit wall, and I really thought we were going to touch, and have a big crash - with the whole pack right behind us. I didn't like it at all, and told him so, but, in a way, I can't blame him for doing it, because he did always get away with it. How many times in his Formula One career was Ayrton sanctioned for that kind of thing? Never."

 

"Still, apart from that, the first year wasn't too bad. On a few occasions he was quite tough and uncompromising with me, but we didn't really have any other problems. And, in fact, he did apologise to me for what happened in Portugal."

 

The pair had a staggering season in 1988, Prost scoring more points (105, from seven wins and seven seconds) than Senna (94, from eight wins, and three seconds), but Ayrton claiming the driver's championship, 90 points to 87, by virtue of the '11 best scores' rule which applied at the time.

 

"At the end of '88 I was very pleased for the team - we were first and second in the championship, and I really wasn't too upset that he won the title; I'd won it twice already by then, it wasn't a problem."

 

"For '89, though, I was worried about Honda. And I think my biggest problem was that I never had the relationship with them that Ayrton did. From the beginning, it was something I never felt I had under control. I wouldn't have cared very much if they'd simply preferred one driver in the team - but the way they handled the situation was very difficult for me, because Senna and I had very different driving styles."

 

"I never understood why Honda took his side so much. It wasn't that I thought it was a question of the Brazilian sales marked or the French market, or anything like that. It was more a human thing. I worked with Honda again last year - now as a team owner - and it struck me again: I think the Japanese just work differently. In a team, they always favour someone over the rest. I've heard it said about their motorcycle teams as well."

 

"Let me give you an example. At one point in '88, the last year we were allowed to run turbos, I asked for some specific changes to the engine to suit my driving style and we worked on it for two days at Paul Ricard. At the end of that test I was very happy - but at the next race, one week later, they never put that strategy on my engine."

 

"Then we went to the French Grand Prix - at Ricard - and suddenly the engine was just as I had wanted! You understand what I'm saying? Ayrton and I raced for two seasons together in the McLaren-Hondas, and at both the French Grands Prix I was on pole position and won the race. Everyone said, 'Oh look, it's Prost in front of his home crowd', and that sort of thing. It was nothing like that; it was just that at those races I had something which enabled me to fight..."

 

"Understand me, this is nothing against Ayrton, OK? Ayrton was very quick, and in qualifying he was much better than me - much more committed, just as I think I was when I was the younger driver in the team, against Niki (Lauda)."

 

"Anyway, before the 1989 season I had dinner at the golf club in Geneva with Honda's then chairman, Mr Kawamoto and four other people. And he admitted that I was right in believing that Honda was more for Ayrton than for me."

 

"He said, 'You want to know why we push Senna so much? Well, I can't be 100 per cent sure.' But one thing he did let me know was that the new generation of engineers working on the engines were in favour of Ayrton, because he was more the samurai, and I was more the computer."

 

"So, that was an explanation, and I was very happy afterwards, because then at least I knew very well that something was not correct. Part of my problem had been that Ayrton was so bloody quick, it wasn't easy to know how much was that, and how much was Honda helping him. So after this dinner with Mr Kawamoto, I thought, 'Well, at least I'm not stupid - something really was going on, and now I know the situation.'"

 

Whatever, the situation was not to improve. Quite the opposite, in fact. In 1989, the fragile relationship between Prost and Senna broke apart utterly, and that existing between Alain and McLaren was not a lot better.

 

"Until then, I never had a problem with anyone at McLaren, but '89 was different. My contract was due to expire at the end of the year, but Ayrton's was not. Ron knew the future of his team was with Honda - and therefore with Senna. He tried hard to persuade me to stay, but in reality he couldn't keep both of us, and I told him in July that I would be leaving at the end of the season. In my opinion, he was not fair with me in '89. We're still very good friends, and, despite everything, I still even now think of McLaren as my team. But Ron knows my feelings about that period."

 

"At the time, I was completely disillusioned. After everything I'd done with the team, and for the team, I didn't think I should have been treated like that. But at the end of the day, you know, Ron was trying to push his company to the front, and of course I can understand that a little."

 

It was at Imola that the most bitter feud in motor-racing history took seed. Senna and Prost, as usual, qualified 1-2, a second and a half clear of the rest, and Ayrton suggested that they not jeopardise their prospects by fighting at the first corner, Tosa, on the opening lap: whomsoever got there first would keep the lead. Alain agreed. At the start, Senna led away, and at Tosa Prost duly fell in behind him.

 

Then, however, the race was stopped, when Gerhard Berger had a serious accident. On the restart, it was Prost who got ahead - but at Tosa Senna snicked by into the lead.

 

"Afterwards, he argued that it wasn't the start - it was the restart, so the agreement didn't apply. As I said, he had his own rules, and sometimes they were very... well let's say strange. It had been Ayrton's idea, in the first place, and I didn't have a problem with it. Afterwards, though, I said it was finished; I'd continue to work with him, in technical matters, but as far as our personal relationship was concerned, that was it. And the atmosphere in the team became very bad, of course."

 

"By the time we got to Monza, I was ahead of him in the championship, by about 10 points. But that race. was the real low point between McLaren and me. Senna had two cars, with 20 people around him, and I had just one car, with maybe four or five mechanics working for me. I was absolutely alone, in one part of the garage, and that was perhaps the toughest weekend of my racing career. Honda was really hard against me by then, and it was difficult trying to fight for the championship in that situation. In practice, Ayrton was nearly two seconds quicker than me - OK, as I said, he was certainly a better qualifier than I was, but two seconds? That was a joke."

 

In the race though, Senna retired, and Prost won; by the time they headed off to Suzuka and Adelaide, the last two races of the 1989 season, Alain led by 16 points. By now McLaren-Honda essentially worked as two different teams, which happened to operate out of the same pit. Once again, the two red and white cars were in front row, both its drivers in defiant mood, Senna knowing he had to win, Prost making it clear he'd be no pushover.

 

"I told both the team and the press, 'There's no way I'm going to open the door to him any more.' We talked very often, you should know, about the first corner, the first lap, and Ron always said the important thing was that we shouldn't hit each other, we should think of the team. Well, as far as I was concerned, Senna thought about himself, and that was it. For example, at the start of the British Grand Prix that year, going into Copse, if I hadn't moved three or four metres out of the way we'd have hit each other, and both McLarens would have been out immediately. That sort of thing had happened too often; I had had enough."

 

"As for the accident between us at the chicane, yes, I know everybody thinks I did it on purpose. What I say is that I did not open the door, and that's it. I didn't want to finish the race like that - I'd led from the start, and I wanted to win it."

 

"I had a good car; I'd been very bad in qualifying, compared with Ayrton, and I concentrated entirely on the race. In the warm-up I was nearly a second quicker than him, and for the race itself I was quite confident, even when he started catching me."

 

"I didn't want him too close, obviously, but I wanted him close enough that he would hurt his tyres; my plan was then to pus hard over the last ten laps. As it was he tried to pass - and for me the way he did it was impossible, because he was going so much quicker than usual into the braking area."

 

"I couldn't believe he tried it on that lap, because, as we came up to the chicane, he was so far back. When you look in your mirrors, and a guy is 20 metres behind you, it's impossible to judge, and I didn't even realise he was trying to overtake me. But at the same time I thought, 'There's no way I'm going to leave him even a one-metre gap. No way'. I came off the throttle braked - and turned in."

 

A year later the two were back at Suzuka, once again to settle the World Championship, and this time it was Alain who had to win. Although no longer in the same team, he and Ayrton had not in any way diluted the intensity of their strife. Prost, said Senna, had better not try to turn into the first corner ahead of him: 'If he does, he's not going to make it...' In the event, at 150mph, the McLaren ran into the back of the Ferrari.

 

"Well, what can you say about that? After I'd retired we talked about it, and he admitted to me - as he did to the press - that he'd done it on purpose. He explained to me why he did it. He was furious with (FIA President) Balestre for not agreeing to change the grid, so that he could start on the left, and he told me he had decided that if I got to the first corner ahead of him, he'd push me off."

 

"What happened in Japan in '90 is something I will never forget, because it wasn't only Ayrton who was involved. Some of the people at McLaren, a lot of officials - and a lot of media - agreed with what he'd done, and that I couldn't accept. Honestly I almost retired after that race."

 

"As I always said, you know, he didn't want to beat me, metaphorically he wanted to destroy me - that was his motivation from the first day. Even in that Mercedes touring car race, back in '84, I realised that he wasn't interested in beating Alan Jones or Keke Rosberg or anyone else - it was me, just me, for some reason."

 

Right to the end of Prost's career as a driver, that situation never changed. But on the podium in Adelaide in 1993, Alain's last race, the two embraced, and it was as if, now that Alain was no longer a rival, Ayrton saw no reason for any more hostility. Prost was surprised by the gesture.

 

"Yes, I was - and also a little bit disappointed, to be honest. This will tell you something about Ayrton. In Japan, the race before, he won, and I was second. As we walked from the podium to the press conference, I said to him, 'This may be the last race where we are at a press conference together, and I think we should show the people something nice - maybe shake hands, or something.' He didn't answer me, but he didn't say no, either, so I thought maybe he agreed. We went to the press conference - and he wouldn't even look at me."

 

"In fact, I'd even thought maybe in Australia we could exchange helmets, the last helmets we'd worn in a race against each other - but after Japan, I forgot about it, because he hadn't seemed interested in any sort of reconciliation."

 

"Then we went to Adelaide, and finished first and second again. On our way to the podium afterwards, already he was starting to talk a little bit, and he said to me, 'What are you going to do now?' I was very surprised! 'I don't know yet', I said. 'You're going to be fat,' he sad, and he smiled. Then on the podium he put his arm round me, shook hands, and everything. Why? Because now it was his idea, and it was on his terms. OK, in any case, that was nice. But that was Ayrton - if it was his idea, fine; if not, forget it."

 

Later Senna would admit to a close friend that only after Prost's retirement had he come fully to realise how much of his motivation had come from fighting with this one rival. Only a couple of days before his death, filming an in-car lap of Imola for Elf, he amazed everyone with a spontaneous greeting: 'I'd like to welcome back my friend Alain - we all miss you...' Prost was touched by that.

 

"In fact, after I'd retired we spoke quite often on the telephone. He called me several times, usually to talk about safety; he wanted me to keep involved with that, and we had agreed to talk about it at Imola. That weekend he was talking, talking, talking, about safety, and he was much softer than before - for me, he changed completely in '94. He seemed to me very down somehow, without the same power as before."

 

"We had this conversation on the Friday, and I saw him again on the Sunday morning - after Roland Ratzenberger's fatal accident, of course. I was with a lot of people at the Renault motorhome at the time. You know how Ayrton usually was - he'd go from the garage straight to the motorhome, but that morning I was very surprised, because he came into the middle of all these people, which he would never normally do, just to get to me. We had a chat, and he was trying really had to be nice, to be friendly."

 

"Then I saw him in the garage briefly. I didn't want to disturb him, but I knew he wanted help, that he needed somebody. That was obvious. We were going to speak again the following week..."

 

Senna's funeral took place in Sao Paulo, four days later, and Prost was one of many drivers in attendance. It was not a particularly difficult decision to take, he said, except in one respect.

 

"I knew I wanted to go, but Ayrton and I had such a history for so long that I didn't really know how the Brazilian people would perceive it: would they be upset if I went, upset if I didn't go, or what? The day after the accident, I was in Paris, and a good friend of Jean-Luc Lagadere (the chairman of Matra) called me. His wife was Brazilian, and I asked his advice. 'I have my ticket ready', I said, 'but what do you think I should do?' He told me I should definitely go, that the Brazilian people would like that. I didn't have to be pushed - I already wanted to go - but he convinced me. And I know now that if I hadn't gone, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

 

"There was no hostility towards me in Sao Paulo at all - the very opposite, in fact. I'm still in contact with Ayrton's family all the time; the day after the funeral, his father invited me to his farm, and we talked for a long time. And I see his sister very often, do what I can to help with the foundation."

 

"Ayrton was certainly the best driver I ever raced against, by a long, long way. He was, by far, the most committed driver I ever saw. To be honest, I think maybe the best race driver - in terms of really applying intelligence - was Niki, but overall Ayrton was the best, by far. He was very successful in everything that mattered to him, everything that he set out to achieve for himself."

 

"Actually, I think it's not impossible that in time we might have become friends. We shared an awful lot, after all, and one thing never changed - even when our relationship was at its worst - was our great respect for each other as drivers. I don't think either of us worried too much about anyone else. And there were those times we did have fun together, you know. Not very often, but..."

 

"He was just strange, you know. In 1988, I remember, we had to go to the Geneva Motor Show for Honda; it's only 40 kilometres from my house, so I asked him to come over for lunch first, and then we'd drive there together. He came to my house - and slept for two hours! Hardly spoke at all."

 

"Then, after lunch, we went for a walk, and I still remember our conversation clearly. I liked to talk to him: sometimes it could be boring if he was going on about something, but usually it was fascinating. Yes, I think maybe we could have become friends eventually. Once we were not rivals any more everything changed."

 

"I look back on those days now and think to myself, 'Jesus, what was that all about? Why did we put ourselves through all of that?' Sometimes it seemed like a bad dream. Maybe because usually we were so much in front, it was inevitable that there would be problems between us, but why did it have to get so venomous - why did we have to live like that? I used to say to people, 'You're a fan of Ayrton Senna? Good, that's fine - but please don't hate me!' It was the same with the press."

 

"The pressure was so high, so high... If we had to do it all again, I think I'd say to Ayrton, 'Listen, we're the best, we can screw all the others!' With a lot of intelligence, it could have been such good dream. Still, even as it turned out, it was a fantastic story, don't you think? And I think, in a way, we're missing a little of that today."

 

Alain Prost was talking to Nigel Roebuck

 

Ayrton Senna - par Alain Prost

 

 

 

"Franchement, c'est tr?s dur pour moi de parler d'Ayrton, et pas seulement parce qu'il n'est plus l?. Il ?tait tellement diff?rent, vous savez, compl?tement diff?rent d'un autre pilote de courses, ou de qui que ce soit. Je l'ai toujours su?"

 

En parlant aujourd'hui, plus de quatre ans apr?s la mort d'Ayrton Senna, on voudrait ?tre ? la place d'Alain, tellement chacun d'entre eux est li? ? l'autre pour toujours. Indiscutablement les deux meilleurs pilotes de leurs g?n?ration, bien qu'ils soient chacun le "Nemesis" (D?esse de la vengeance), le fl?au de l'autre. C'est m?me encore le cas : en parlant de Senna, Prost n'a pas le doit de se poser en vainqueur, et il le sait. Il parle de lui sereinement, et certains diront que ce n'?tait gu?re le cas du vivant d'Ayrton. Mais s'il en ?tait autrement, on le diffamerait pour oser critiquer une ic?ne qui ne peut se d?fendre.

 

"C'est pourquoi j'ai toujours refus? d'en parler', dit Prost. 'Quand il s'est tu?, ajoute-t-il, j'ai ressenti que je perdais aussi une partie de moi, tellement nos carri?res ?tait li?es l'une ? l'autre. Je l'ai exprim?, et je sais que certains ont pens? que ce n'?tait pas sinc?re. Alors que tout ce que je peux faire, c'est d'essayer d'?tre le plus honn?te possible."

 

Depuis le d?but de la carri?re d'Ayrton Senna en F1, c'est ? dire en 1984, ses regards ?taient carr?ment dirig?s vers Alain. Dans un sens, c'?tait in?vitable, pour Ayrton, qui ?tait un gar?on formidablement extr?me, qui voulait tellement se prouver qu'il ?tait le meilleur dans tout ce qu'il entreprenait, et ? cette ?poque c'?tait Alain qui ?tait le Dieu de l'Olympe. Et leur premi?re rencontre a bien donn? le ton de ce qu'allait ?tre leur relation pendant des ann?es.

 

"Je m'en souviens parfaitement. Au printemps 1984 le nouveau trac? du Nurburgring a ?t? inaugur?, et il y a eu la course des c?l?brit?s, qui r?unissait les pilotes d'hier et ceux d'aujourd'hui, dans des Mercedes de tourisme. J'?tais parti de Gen?ve pour Francfort par un vol r?gulier, et Ayrton devait y atterrir une demi-heure avant. Donc Gerd Kremer, de Mercedes, m'a demand? si je voulais bien l'emmener avec moi jusqu'au circuit. Sur la route, on a discut?, et il ?tait tr?s content. Ensuite nous nous sommes retrouv?s sur la piste, pour essayer les voitures. J'avais la p?le, il ?tait second. A partir de l? il ne m'a plus rien dit ! Il avait l'air sympa jusque l?. Mais en course, j'ai pris la t?te et il m'a fait sortir de la route au bout d'un demi-tour. Donc, ?a a bien commenc??"

 

Cette ann?e l?, en 1984, c'?tait la 1?re saison en F1 pour Ayrton, et sa Toleman-Hart ne pouvait pas se mesurer aux voitures de t?te. A Monaco cependant, sous la pluie, et quand le GP fut stopp? un peu avant la mi-course, le petit nouveau ?tait sur le point d'attaquer la McLaren de Prost, et de prendre la t?te !

 

"Depuis le d?but il allait bien, m?me si vous ne pouvez pas trop l'affirmer quand un gar?on conduit pour une petite ?curie. Il a fait une excellente course ? Monaco, mais ? ce moment-l?, quand les voitures ?taient bien plus rigides que maintenant, il ?tait possible qu'une voiture moyenne devienne tr?s bonne sous la pluie. Forc?ment, on l'a tous remarqu?, mais avec la r?serve que l'on a sur un jeune qui a l'air bon au d?but, puis qui n'est plus grand chose lorsqu'il int?gre une grande ?quipe. On ne peut pas se prononcer tant qu'on ne l'a pas vu dans une voiture rapide. Dans le cas d'Ayrton, pourtant, c'?tait clair qu'il avait un talent ?vident."

 

"Quelque chose dont on peut se souvenir aussi, c'est qu'il y a 15 ans, il y avait davantage de tr?s bons pilotes en F1, qu'aujourd'hui. Bien s?r, Ayrton ?tait bon depuis le d?but, mais il n'avait rien fait de particuli?rement extraordinaire avant Monaco. A partir de Monaco, tout le monde l'a d?couvert et on a commenc? ? parler de lui. Sans ?a, ?a aurait peut-?tre pris plus de temps, mais l?, comme je l'ai dit, c'?tait incroyable ce qu'il a r?ussi ? faire au milieu de tant de Champions..."

 

Depuis le d?but, Senna n'a pas franchement respect? m?me les pilotes r?put?s, et ?a a contrari? plus d'une valeur sure. Apr?s son unique saison chez Toleman, il a rejoint l'?quipe Lotus-Renault, en 1985, et a brillamment remport? le GP du Portugal, sous la pluie encore une fois, et a toujours ?t? dans le peloton de t?te, partout ailleurs. Mais ? Hockenheim, par exemple, il a commis une faute, ? l'Ostkurve, et quand Michele Alboreto ?tait sur le point de le passer, Ayrton s'est d?port? de droite ? gauche pour le maintenir derri?re. Mais ce genre de strat?gies n'est pas vraiment appr?ci?e dans le monde de la F1.

 

"Hmmm, oui. Senna a toujours ?t? fort dans ce genre l?, depuis le d?but. En v?rit?, je crois r?ellement ? pr?sent qu'il ne s'agissait pas de vouloir faire le forcing, c'?tait plut?t ses propres r?gles. Il s'y tenait, il y croyait, et c'?tait comme ?a."

 

"Il ?tait vraiment croyant, c'?tait en lui, il avait l'habitude de parler de ses v?rit?s, de ses enseignements, son ?ducation, des tas de choses dans ce genre. Je me disais tout le temps que son comportement sur la piste ne correspondait pas ? tout ?a, mais maintenant j'ai vraiment l'impression qu'il avait la certitude de ne pas se tromper. Comme je l'ai dit, il avait ses r?gles, il en jouait, et tout le reste ne le concernait pas. Avec le recul, je suis persuad? qu'il ?tait s?r de bien faire, qu'il avait vraiment raison, et sur le circuit c'?tait pareil."

 

IC'?tait bien avant que Senna ne devienne le partenaire de Prost, dans la m?me ?quipe, en 1988, que les probl?mes ont commenc? entre eux. L'ann?e pr?c?dente, Lotus avait utilis? des moteurs Honda, et Ayrton a vraiment nou? une profonde relation avec les motoristes japonais. Il est donc arriv? chez McLaren en m?me temps qu' Honda. Et un membre de l'?quipe l'a consid?r? ainsi : "J'avais tendance ? penser que Prost ?tait le pilote McLaren avec un moteur Honda, et que Senna ?tait un pilote Honda avec un ch?ssis McLaren."

 

"Oui, je pense que c'?tait une bonne fa?on de voir les choses. Mon plus gros souci c'?tait que j'aimais r?ellement McLaren, et que j'avais envie de donner tout ce que je pouvais ? cette ?quipe. Pour mon partenaire, en 1988, il y avait le choix entre Senna et Nelson Piquet. Quand je suis all? avec Ron (Dennis) au Japon, pour rencontrer les gens chez Honda, j'ai dit ? Ron qu'il devait prendre Ayrton, parce qu'il ?tait le pilote le plus talentueux, et pour moi c'?tait comme ?a que McLaren gagnerait. Si je pouvais revenir maintenant au d?but de ma carri?re de pilote, je pense que ce serait diff?rent, et que je m'occuperais plut?t de moi et de mon travail..."

 

"En v?rit?, j'aurais pu refuser qu'Ayrton entre chez McLaren. Une de mes forces est que g?n?ralement, lorsque je d?cide de quelque chose, je n'ai jamais ? le regretter. Mais l?-dessus, ? mon avis, j'ai d?cid?ment fait une erreur !"

 

Au tout d?but des essais d'avant la saison, ils ?taient ensemble ? Rio. Prost s'est rendu compte qu'Ayrton ne faisait franchement pas ?a pour le plaisir. "On essayait des pneus, en n'utilisant qu'une voiture. J'ai fait le premier test, et c'?tait ? lui de continuer. Je suis entr? dans les stands, et les m?caniciens ont commenc? ? changer le volant. J'observais Ayrton, avec le casque sur la t?te, me tournant autour, et il attendait que je sorte de la voiture. Alors j'ai d?cid? de rester ? l'int?rieur juste un peu plus longtemps. Il s'est mis en col?re, en disant ? tout le monde "Ce n'est pas juste, ce n'est pas juste!". Alors je suis sorti et je me suis mis ? rire, mais pas lui...

 

"En r?alit?, bon, notre relation de travail au cours de la premi?re saison ?tait plut?t bonne. Le seul probl?me, ?a a ?t? ? Estoril, ? la fin du premier tour."

 

Il y a eu un moment qu'aucun des t?moins de la sc?ne n'oubliera jamais. Au bout de la ligne droite des stands, Prost ?tait dans le sillage de Senna, et se d?cala vers la droite pour le passer. Ayrton s'est alors d?port? sur lui, le projetant ? peut-?tre seulement 6 pouces (15cm) du mur des stands. Alain s'en est bien tir?, a r?ussi ? prendre la t?te de la course et l'a conserv?e qu'? l'arriv?e. Mais par la suite il a fait un constat tr?s clair :

 

"Cette attitude, ? Estoril, ?tait vraiment dangereuse, et bien s?r j'?tais en col?re, par la suite. J'?tais coinc? contre le mur des stands, et j'ai vraiment cru qu'on allait se toucher, avoir un accident grave, et peut ?tre aussi ceux qui arrivaient derri?re nous. Je n'ai vraiment pas appr?ci?, et je lui ai dit. Mais dans un sens, je ne pouvais pas lui reprocher d'avoir fait ?a, parce qu'il s'en tirait ? chaque fois. A combien de reprises dans sa carri?re de pilote, Ayrton a-t-il ?t? sanctionn? pour ce genre de comportements ? Pas une fois."

 

"Sinon, ? part ?a, la premi?re ann?e ne s'est pas trop mal pass?e. A plusieurs reprises, il a ?t? plut?t dur et intransigeant ? mon ?gard. Mais on n'a pas franchement eu d'autres probl?mes. Et en fait, il s'est excus? aupr?s de moi pour ce qui s'?tait pass? au Portugal."

 

Le duo a r?alis? une saison ?poustouflante en 1988, Prost remportant plus de points (105, avec 7 victoires et 7 places de second). Senna (avec 94 points pour 8 victoires, et trois secondes places) fut couronn? Champion du Monde des pilotes, 90 points ? 87, en vertu des "onze meilleurs r?sultats", selon le r?glement en vigueur cette ann?e-l?.

 

&quotA la fin de l'ann?e 1988, j'?tais vraiment heureux pour l'?quipe. Nous ?tions premier et second au Championnat du Monde, et je n'?tais sinc?rement pas trop d??u que ce soit lui qui remporte le titre. Je l'avais ?t? deux fois auparavant, alors ce n'?tait pas un probl?me."

 

"En 1989 par contre, j'?tais inquiet pour Honda. Et je pensais que mon probl?me majeur ?tait de ne jamais avoir eu des rapports comme ceux qu'il y avait entre eux et Ayrton. Depuis le d?but, c'est quelque chose que je ressentais, mais dont je n'avais pas le contr?le. Je n'en aurais pas trop tenu compte si cela s'?tait born? ? pr?f?rer un pilote par rapport ? l'autre, mais la fa?on dont ils ont g?r? cette situation s'est av?r?e tr?s p?nible pour moi, parce que Senna et moi avions des styles de conduites tr?s diff?rents.

 

Je n'ai jamais compris pourquoi Honda a tellement pris son parti. Il ne s'agissait pas, comme je le pensais, d'une question de mieux s'introduire sur le march? br?silien ou fran?ais, ou quelque chose de ce genre l?. C'?tait davantage une question de personnes. J'ai de nouveau travaill? avec Honda, l'an dernier, mais cette fois-ci en tant que propri?taire, et ?a m'a encore frapp?. Je pense que les japonais ont simplement une conception du travail qui leur est propre. Dans une ?quipe, ils privil?gieront toujours quelqu'un par rapport ? un autre. J'ai entendu que cela se pratiquait dans leurs ?quipes, en courses moto ?galement."

 

"Je vais vous donner un exemple : ? un moment, en 1988, la derni?re ann?e o? nous pouvions utiliser les moteurs turbo, j'ai r?clam? quelques modifications de mon moteur, afin de l'adapter parfaitement ? mon style de conduite, et nous y avons travaill? pendant deux jours au Paul Ricard. A la fin des essais, j'?tais vraiment satisfait. Mais lors de la course suivante, une semaine apr?s, ils n'ont pas reproduit cette mise au point de mon moteur."

 

"Puis nous sommes partis pour le Grand Prix de France, au Paul Ricard, et subitement, le moteur a ?t? pr?par? de nouveau exactement comme je le souhaitais ! Vous voyez ce que je veux dire ? Ayrton et moi avons pass? deux saisons ensemble chez McLaren-Honda, et aux deux GP de France, j'ai obtenu la pole et j'ai gagn? la course. Tout le monde a dit : "Oh, regardez, c'est parce que Prost est devant son public", et ce genre de trucs. Ce n'?tait pas du tout pour ?a, c'est simplement parce qu'? deux reprises, j'ai eu les moyens de me battre..."

 

"Je vous assure, je n'ai absolument rien contre Ayrton, OK ? Il ?tait tr?s rapide, et pendant les qualifications, il ?tait meilleur que moi. Plus agressif, exactement comme je pense l'avoir ?t? dans l'?quipe, envers Niki (Lauda)."

 

"Toutefois, avant la saison 1989, j'ai d?n? au Club de Golf de Gen?ve, avec le Directeur d'Honda de l'?poque, M. Kawamnoto, et quatre autres personnes. Et il a admis que j'avais raison de penser qu'Honda privil?giait davantage Ayrton que moi."

 

"Il m'a dit : Vous voulez savoir pourquoi on soutient Senna ? ce point ? Bon, je ne suis pas sur ? 100%, mais l'une des choses qu'il m'a bien fait comprendre, c'est que la nouvelle g?n?ration d'ing?nieurs qui travaillaient sur le d?veloppement des moteurs, ?taient fans d'Ayrton, qui pour eux symbolisait le Samoura?, alors que moi j'?tait plut?t l'ordinateur."

 

"Voil?, c'?tait une explication, et j'en ?tait tr?s content, par la suite, parce que j'ai enfin compris pourquoi quelque chose n'allait pas. Une grosse partie de mon probl?me, c'est qu'Ayrton ?tait nettement plus rapide, je ne sais pas trop de combien, et dans quelle mesure Honda l'aidait ? le devenir. Alors apr?s ce d?ner avec M. KAWAMOTO, j'ai pens? "Bon, au moins je ne suis pas idiot, je me doutais bien qu'il se passait quelque chose et maintenant je sais quoi."

 

Cependant, la situation ne s'est gu?re am?lior?e. Plut?t m?me l'inverse, ? vrai dire. En 1989, les rapports d?j? d?licats entre Prost et Senna se sont compl?tement d?t?rior?s, et ceux entre Alain et McLaren n'?taient pas vraiment meilleurs.

 

"Avant cela, je n'avais jamais eu de probl?mes avec qui que ce soit, chez McLaren, mais 1989 a vraiment ?t? un tournant. Mon contrat allait se terminer ? la fin de l'ann?e, mais pas celui d'Ayrton. Ron savait que l'avenir de son ?quipe ?tait li? ? Honda, et par cons?quent avec Senna. Il a vraiment tout fait pour me convaincre de rester, mais en r?alit?, c'?tait impossible qu'il continue ? travailler avec nous deux. Et je lui ai dit en juillet que je quitterais l'?quipe ? la fin de la saison. A mon avis, il n'avait pas ?t? tr?s juste avec moi en 1989. On est vraiment rest?s tr?s bons amis, et malgr? tout, je consid?re McLaren comme ma vraie ?quipe. Mais Ron conna?t parfaitement mes sentiments sur cette p?riode."

 

"A ce moment l?, je ne me faisais plus d'illusions. Apr?s tout j'avais donn? le meilleur de moi-m?me ? l'?quipe, et pour l'?quipe. Je pense que je n'avais pas m?rit? ?a. Et ? la fin de cette journ?e, vous savez, Ron essayait d?j? de maintenir son ?curie au premier plan, et bien s?r je peux un peu comprendre ce genre de choses."

 

C'est ? Imola que le combat le plus cruel de l'histoire de la F1 s'est d?roul?. Senna et Prost, comme d'habitude, s'?taient install?s ? la premi?re et seconde place, ? une seconde et demi d'intervalle des autres. Ayrton proposa de ne pas g?cher cet avantage, et de ne pas s'attaquer d?s le premier virage, Tosa, d?s le premier tour. Celui qui y arrive en t?te est ? peu pr?s s?r de gagner la course. Alain ?tait d'accord. Senna pris la t?te, et au virage de Tosa, Prost est rest? derri?re lui, comme convenu.

 

Puis, toutefois, la course fut stopp?e en raison du grave accident de Gerhard BERGER. Au second d?part, c'est Prost qui est parti en t?te, et ? Tosa, Senna lui passa sous le nez et pris le commandement.

 

""Par la suite, il m'a expliqu? que ce n'?tait plus le d?part, mais le re-d?part, donc la consigne n'?tait plus valable. Comme je disais, il avait des r?gles bien ? lui et de temps en temps elles ?taient plut?t ? disons bizarres. C'?tait une id?e d'Ayrton, ? la base, et ?a ne m'avait pas pos? de probl?me. Par la suite, je me suis dit que c'?tait fini. J'ai continu? ? travailler avec lui, bien s?r, pour tout ce qui concernait la technique. Mais pour tout ce qui ?tait de nos relations personnelles, c'?tait termin?. Et l'atmosph?re dans l'?quipe est devenue vraiment mauvaise, ?videmment."

 

&quotAu moment o? nous sommes all?s ? Monza, j'?tais devant lui au Championnat du Monde, avec environ 10 points d'avance. Mais cette course a vraiment ?t? ce que j'ai v?cu de pire chez McLaren. Senna avait deux voitures avec 20 personnes ? sa disposition, alors que je n'avais qu'une seule voiture, et peut-?tre quatre ou cinq m?caniciens qui travaillaient pour moi. J'?tais vraiment tout seul dans un coin du garage, et ?a a s?rement ?t? le week-end le plus p?nible de toute ma carri?re. Honda m'?tait carr?ment hostile, ? ce moment-l?, et ce n'est pas facile d'essayer de se battre pour le titre dans ces conditions. Aux essais, Ayrton ?tait plus rapide de presque deux secondes par rapport ? moi. Comme je l'ai dit, d'accord, il ?tait meilleur que moi en qualifications. Mais deux secondes, l? on fr?lait la plaisanterie."

 

Pendant la course, Senna a abandonn?, et Prost l'a remport?. Par la suite, ils domin?rent Suzuka et Ad?la?de, les deux derni?res courses de la saison 1989. Alain ?tait en t?te du Championnat avec 16 points d'avance. Mais ? partir de l?, McLaren-Honda ressemblait ? deux ?quipes diff?rentes qui travailleraient dans le m?me stand. Encore une fois, les voitures rouges et blanches ?taient en premi?re ligne, chacun de ses pilotes d?fiant l'autre. Senna savait qu'il devait gagner, Prost lui faisait comprendre qu'il ne se laisserait plus faire.

 

"J'en ai parl? au sein de l'?quipe, et ? la presse. Il n'?tait plus question de lui laisser le passage. On a souvent reparl?, vous vous doutez bien, du premier virage, du premier tour, et Ron me r?p?tait sans arr?t que l'essentiel ?tait de ne pas s'?tre touch?s, tous les deux, que nous devions penser ? l'?quipe. Bon, aussi loin que je me souvienne, Senna pensait surtout ? lui, et c'?tait comme ?a. Par exemple, au d?but du GP d'Angleterre, cette ann?e-l?, en rentrant dans Copse, si je ne m'?tais pas d?port? de 3 ou 4 m?tres en dehors de la trajectoire, nous nous serions touch?s, et les deux McLaren auraient abandonn?. Ce genre de choses se sont trop souvent produites, j'en avais assez."

 

"C'est ce qui s'est ?galement pass? lors de notre accident, dans la chicane. Oui, je sais bien, certains soutiennent que je l'ai fait expr?s. Ce que j'ai dit c'est seulement que je ne voulais plus lui ouvrir la porte, et c'est tout. Je ne voulais pas finir cette course comme ?a, je la menais depuis le d?but, et je voulais gagner."

 

"J'avais une bonne voiture, j'avais ?t? tr?s mauvais en qualification par rapport ? Ayrton, et je m'?tais compl?tement concentr? sur la course. Au cours du warm-up, j'?tais de presque deux secondes plus rapide que lui, et j'?tais plut?t confiant pour la course en elle-m?me, m?me lorsqu'il a commenc? ? me rattraper."

 

"Je ne souhaitais pas qu'il se rapproche trop de moi, mais je voulais qu'il m'attaque suffisamment pour user ses pneus, et mon objectif ?tait de tenir le rythme jusqu'au dix derniers tours. C'est ce que je faisais lorsqu'il a tent? de me doubler, ce que j'estimais impossible parce qu'il arrivait beaucoup plus vite qu'il n'aurait du, dans la zone de freinage."

 

"J'?tais persuad? qu'il ne le ferait pas pendant ce tour, parce que lorsque nous avons n?goci? la chicane, il ?tait relativement loin derri?re. Quand vous regardez dans vos r?tros et que vous voyez un mec ? 20 m?tres derri?re vous, c'est impossible de le juger, alors je n'avais pas vraiment r?alis? qu'il essayait de me d?passer. Mais au m?me instant je me suis dit "Je ne le laisserais pas me refaire le coup, il ne profitera m?me pas d'un trou de souris. Pas question". Il m'a sorti dans l'?chappatoire et j'ai du abandonner."

 

Un an plus tard, ils se retrouvent de nouveau ensemble ? Suzuka, et tous deux encore une fois en position de remporter le Championnat du Monde, et cette fois-ci c'est Alain qui devait gagner. Pratiquement d?s le d?but de leur pr?sence dans la m?me ?quipe, ni lui ni Ayrton n'ont mettre un terme ? l'intensit? de leur conflit. Prost, affirmait Senna, n'aurait pas du tent? de n?gocier son virage juste devant lui. "M?me s'il envisageait de le faire, il ne pouvait pas y parvenir". En r?alit?, c'est en arrivant derri?re elle ? 150km/h que la McLaren est entr?e en collision avec la Ferrari.

 

"Que voulez-vous que je vous dise par rapport ? ?a ? Apr?s mon abandon, on en a parl?, et il m'a assur?, comme il l'a dit aussi ? la presse d'ailleurs, qu'il avait fait ?a volontairement. Et il m'a expliqu? pourquoi. Il en voulait terriblement au Pr?sident de la FIA, Jean-Marie Balestre, qui lui avait refus? le changement de c?t? qu'il souhaitait pour la p?le position, en premi?re ligne de d?part (il voulait qu'elle soit situ?e ? gauche). Alors il m'avoua qu'il s'?tait promis de me sortir si j'arrivais dans le premier virage avant lui."

 

"Ce qu'il s'est pass? au Japon en 1990 est quelque chose que je n'oublierais jamais, parce qu'Ayrton n'?tait pas le seul responsable de cela. Quelques membres de McLaren, beaucoup d'officiels, mais ?galement beaucoup de m?dias, ont ?t? d'accord avec ce qu'il venait de faire, et moi je ne pouvais pas accepter ?a." "Franchement, j'ai failli tout abandonner apr?s ce GP."

 

"Comme je l'ai d?j? ?voqu?, ce n'?tait pas me battre qu'il voulait, mais purement (pour vous donner une image) me d?truire, et c'?tait son objectif depuis le premier jour. M?me lors de cette premi?re course avec les voitures de tourisme Mercedes, qui remonte quand m?me ? 1984, j'ai bien remarqu? que ce n'?tait pas battre Alan Jones, K?k? Rosberg ou qui que ce soit d'autre, qui l'int?ressait. C'est moi qu'il devait battre, et seulement moi, d'une fa?on ou d'une autre."

 

Et jusqu'? la fin de la carri?re d'Alain Prost en tant que Pilote, cela ne changera plus jamais. Mais sur le podium d'Ad?la?de, en 1993, au cours de l'ultime GP d'Alain, ils se sont donn?s une tr?s sinc?re et longue accolade. C'?tait comme si, en fait, Alain n'?tait plus un ennemi ? cet instant l?, et Ayrton ne trouvait alors plus aucune raison de lui ?tre hostile. Prost ne s'attendait vraiment pas ? un tel geste.

 

"C'est clair, j'?tais vraiment surpris. Mais pour ?tre honn?te, j'?tais aussi un petit peu d??u. Et je vais peut-?tre vous apprendre quelque chose sur Ayrton : Au GP pr?c?dent, au Japon, c'est lui qui a gagn? et j'?tais second. Quand il s'est dirig? du podium vers la Conf?rence de Presse, je lui ai dit "C'est peut-?tre la derni?re course o? nous rendons ensemble ? une Conf?rence de Presse, et je pense qu'on devrait offrir au public un geste agr?able, peut-?tre une poign?e de mains, enfin quelque chose comme ?a". Il ne m'a pas r?pondu, mais il ne s'y est pas oppos? non plus. Alors quelque part je pensais qu'il ?tait d'accord. Nous sommes all?s ? la Conf?rence de Presse, et il ne m'a m?me pas regard?."

 

"En v?rit?, j'avais m?me pens? qu'en Australie, on aurait pu s'?changer les casques, c'?tait quand m?me ceux que l'on porterait ? cette course, qui serait l'ultime occasion de nous affronter. Mais apr?s le Japon, j'ai oubli? tout ?a, parce qu'il n'avait pas l'air de vouloir envisager une quelconque r?conciliation."

 

"Puis nous sommes all?s ? Ad?la?de, o? nous avons termin?s premier et second. Pendant que nous approchions du podium, il avait d?j? commenc? ? me parler un petit peu, et il m'a demand? "Qu'est ce que tu vas faire, maintenant?". J'?tais ?tonn? et je lui ai r?pondu "Je ne sais pas encore !". "Tu vas devenir gros !" m'a-t-il dit alors, et il a souri. Et puis il y a eu le podium, o? il a mis son bras autour de moi, il m'a serr? la main et tout ?a. Pourquoi ? parce qu'? ce moment l? il l'avait d?cid?, et il ?tait en accord avec lui-m?me. OK, dans un sens c'?tait g?nial. Mais ?a c'?tait Ayrton : C'est lui qui d?cide ? Excellent. Sinon ? Tu oublies !"

 

Plus tard, Senna a confi? ? l'un de ses meilleurs amis, que ce n'est qu'apr?s qu'Alain se soit retir? de la comp?tition, qu'il a r?alis? ? quel point sa motivation semblait presque enti?rement li?e ? l'envie qu'il avait de le battre. Deux jours seulement avant sa mort, au cours d'un reportage o? une cam?ra embarqu?e dans sa voiture filmait pour Elf un tour du circuit d'Imola, il a surpris tout le monde en saluant quelqu'un qui lui tenait ? c?ur : 'D'abord, je voudrais dire bonjour ? mon ami Alain. Tu nous manques ? tous'. Prost a ?t? extr?mement touch?..

 

"En r?alit?, apr?s mon retrait de la comp?tition, on s'est tr?s souvent t?l?phon?s. Il m'a souvent appel? et r?guli?rement pour que l'on parle de s?curit?. Il voulait que je continue ? m'y consacrer, et on avait justement convenu d'en discuter ? Imola. Ce week-end pr?cis?ment, il n'a cess? de parler, parler, et parler encore de mesures de s?curit?. Il ?tait beaucoup plus calme qu'avant, pour moi en 1994, il avait compl?tement chang?. Il avait m?me l'air moins enthousiaste en quelque sorte, moins agressif qu'auparavant."

 

"On a discut? le vendredi, et je l'ai revu le dimanche matin, apr?s l'accident mortel de Roland Ratzenberger bien s?r. J'?tais entour? de nombreuses personnes de chez Renault, ? ce moment-l?. Vous savez comment Ayrton se comporte habituellement : il sort du stand et se rend direct au motor-home. Mais ce matin-l? j'ai vraiment ?t? surpris, parce qu'il a travers? tout le groupe, ce qu'il ne faisait vraiment jamais, juste pour venir me parler. On a eu une discussion, et il a ?t? tr?s sympathique, tr?s amical avec moi."

 

"Puis je l'ai vu dans le garage bri?vement. Je ne voulais pas le d?ranger, mais je sentais qu'il avait besoin d'aide, besoin de quelqu'un. C'?tait ?vident. Alors on a parl? ensemble du prochain week-end..."

 

Les obs?ques d'Ayrton ont eu lieu ? Sao-Paulo, quatre jours plus tard, et Prost ?tait parmi les nombreux pilotes ? ?tre pr?sents. Ce n'?tait gu?re une d?cision difficile ? prendre, tellement il voulait lui t?moigner son respect.

 

"Evidemment je voulais m'y rendre, mais Ayrton et moi avions de tels rapports depuis si longtemps, que je me demandais quelle serait la r?action des Br?siliens : seraient-il pein?s par ma pr?sence, ou par mon absence ? Alors que faire ? Le lendemain de l'accident, j'?tais ? Paris, et un ami proche de Jean-Luc Lagardere (le Pr?sident de Matra) m'a appel?. Son ?pouse ?tait Br?silienne, et je lui ai demand? conseil. "J'ai d?j? pris mon billet d'avion", lui ai-je dit, "mais selon toi, que dois-je faire ?". Il m'a r?pondu que je devais absolument y aller, que les Br?siliens aimeraient que je sois l?. Il n'a pas eu ? me forcer, je voulais tellement m'y rendre. Mais il m'a rassur?. Et je sais que si je n'y avais pas assist?, je m'en serais voulu jusqu'? la fin de mes jours."

 

"Il n'y a vraiment eu aucun geste d'hostilit? envers moi, ? Sao-Paulo, bien au contraire, en fait. A pr?sent, je suis tout le temps en rapport avec la famille d'Ayrton. Le lendemain des obs?ques, son p?re m'a invit? dans sa propri?t? et on a ?norm?ment discut?. Je suis tr?s souvent en contact avec sa s?ur, et je suis ? sa disposition pour tout ce qu'elle me demandera de faire pour la Fondation."

 

"Ayrton est de loin le meilleur pilote auquel j'ai du me mesurer, et pendant vraiment aussi longtemps. C'?tait le pilote le plus d?termin? que j'ai pu conna?tre. Pour ?tre franc, je pense que le meilleur pilote en course (en pure intelligence de la course) ?tait peut-?tre Niki Lauda. Mais au-del? de tout, Ayrton ?tait le meilleur et de loin. Il r?ussissait tout ce qu'il entreprenait, et tout ce qui lui permettait de se r?aliser."

 

"Sinc?rement, je suis s?r que nous serions devenus des amis, avec le temps. Nous avions tellement partag?, apr?s tout, et quelque chose n'a jamais chang?, m?me dans les pires moments de notre relation, c'est le r?el respect que nous avions l'un pour l'autre en tant que pilotes. Je ne pense pas que l'un de nous se soit d'ailleurs souci? de qui que ce soit d'autre. Et il y a eu des moments o? on s'est bien amus?s ensemble. Pas souvent, mais..."

 

"Il ?tait surprenant, vous savez. En 1988, je me rappelle, nous avons particip? au Motor-Show Honda, ? Gen?ve. C'est juste ? 40km de chez moi, alors je l'ai invit? ? venir d?ner ? la maison, puis de nous rendre l?-bas ensuite. Il est venu chez moi et s'est endormi pendant deux heures. On n'a m?me pas pu discuter !"

 

"Puis, apr?s le repas, on est all?s faire une promenade, et je me souviens tr?s bien de ce que l'on s'est dit. J'adorais parler avec lui : parfois il ?tait p?nible quand il s'?ternisait sur un petit point de d?tail, mais en g?n?ral il ?tait passionnant. Oui, vraiment, j'en suis sur, on serait vraiment devenus amis. A partir du moment o? nous n'?tions plus adversaires, tout aurait ?t? diff?rent."

 

"Je me rappelle de tout cela, et je me dis "J?sus, qu'est ce qui a bien pu se passer ? Qu'est ce qui nous a pris de nous battre tous les deux comme ?a ? Quelquefois, c'est comme un cauchemar. Peut-?tre parce que quand on est toujours les premiers, comme nous l'?tions, ce genre d'affrontements est in?vitable. Mais pourquoi ont-t-ils ?t? aussi douloureux ? Pourquoi l'avons nous v?cu comme ?a ? J'ai l'habitude de dire ? tout le monde "Vous ?tes un fan de Senna ? G?nial, mais s'il vous plait, ne me ha?ssez pas !" C'?tait la m?me chose avec la presse."

 

"La pression ?tait tellement forte, tellement forte? Si c'?tait ? refaire, je pense que je dirais ? Ayrton "Ecoute, on est les meilleurs, on les aura tous !" En y r?fl?chissant un peu, ?a aurait pu ?tre g?nial, comme r?ve. Maintenant, m?me si elle est finie, je me dis que c'?tait vraiment une histoire merveilleuse, vous ne trouvez pas ? Et aujourd'hui, dans un sens, je pense que ?a nous manque un peu."

 

Alain Prost ?tait interview? par Nigel Roebuck

Quoto....io cel'ho in inglese...Chissa se si riferisce alla solita

[aloisio 0]

Visto che hai cambiato la tua risposta inopportuna, la cambio anch'io.

[IoStoConLaOsella 0]

Io penso che ad Ayrton mancasse Alain in gara (senza di lui corse la "peggior" stagione nel 1992), e pure ad Alain Ayrton mancava, soprattutto una volta finito di correre. Entrambi hanno trovato nell'altro il complemento naturale, Senna ci? che lo faceva andare al 101% (mentre Prost un p? lo pativa), Alain lo stimolo per tornare nel '93.

[aloisio 0]

"As I always said, you know, he didn't want to beat me, metaphorically he wanted to destroy me - that was his motivation from the first day. Even in that Mercedes touring car race, back in '84, I realised that he wasn't interested in beating Alan Jones or Keke Rosberg or anyone else - it was me, just me, for some reason."

 

Infatti tra le grandi qualit? di Porst c'? proprio quella di aver resistito a un pilota che vedeva nella sua distruzione la propria motivazioen principale.

Prost non era cos? motivato, aveva due mondiali in tasca, aveva una vita fuori dalle corse quasi da gaudente (in effetti le attenzioni che prost riservava alle mogli degli altri non erano un segreto per nessuno), insomma aveva altri interessi al di fuori della f1, che non era tutta la sua vita.

Il fatto di non aver ceduto a un avversario pi? giovane , pi? motivato, concentrato solo sulle corse, pronto a prendersi qualsiasi rischio pur di vincere, e soprattutto intenzionato a distruggerlo, secondo me ? un qualcosa di straordinario.

[guido_owl 0]

Da tifoso di Senna (quale sono), ma con estremo rispetto per Alain: Ayrton non sarebbe stato Ayrton senza Alain e Prost non sarebbe stato Prost senza Senna...

 

Ciao!!!

[rumpen78 6]

aloiso non scopri niente di nuovo...

 

senna ha sempre dichiarato che avere un avversario di grande valore era molto importante per lui,per avere gli stimoli e la determinazione a dare il 100%.

 

basta prendere una dichiarazione di ayrton di fine 92':

 

"prost non ha il diritto di andare in williams togliendo a me e nigel la possibilita' di andare a correre con la macchina migliore..mi viene voglia di batterlo con qualsiasi mezzo"

 

e sappiamo tutti cosa fece senna con la mclaren ford nel 93'

 

 

prost dal canto suo aveva un approccio piu' distaccato verso gli avversari,comunque alla fine senna mancava pure alui e questo si vince da tutte le interviste fatte dopo il suo ritiro.

 

 

a inizio 94' senna non riteneva schumacher ancora un avversario all'altezza di prost,per questo si sentiva "solo".quando finalmente avrebbe capito il vero valore del tedesco si sarebbe buttato nella sfida come ai tempi di prost

[IoStoConLaOsella 0]

[IoStoConLaOsella 0]

 

 

[IoStoConLaOsella 0]

Australia '88

 

Imola '89 - E' stato Nelson a fare questo?

 

Nippone '89

 

Sudafrica '93 - Ai lati opposti.

 

Nippone '93

 

Australia '93

 

Paris-Bercy '93

[Visitatore Ayrton4ever]

non ho capito una cosa: perch? Senna si sarebbe arrabbiato tanto quando Prost nei test '88 rimase seduto in macchina un po' di pi?

[aloisio 0]

"By the time we got to Monza, I was ahead of him in the championship, by about 10 points. But that race. was the real low point between McLaren and me. Senna had two cars, with 20 people around him, and I had just one car, with maybe four or five mechanics working for me. I was absolutely alone, in one part of the garage, and that was perhaps the toughest weekend of my racing career. Honda was really hard against me by then, and it was difficult trying to fight for the championship in that situation".

 

In effetti, oltre che in pista, la forza mentale di Prost si ? rivelata in situazioni come questa. Il fatto di aver vinto, tra le polemiche, quel mondiale, con la squadra contro, secondo me vale moltissimo.

[312t4 5]

 

Che sfida..

 

che vita..

 

vi rendete conto essere Alain Prost cosa vuol dire?

Chiss? cosa pensa, alla sera, se alle volte parla con Ayrton...

[Busstop 0]

Come si pu? intuire dalla lettura di questa intervista , mentre Prost ? stato un vero amico per Senna , non si pu? dire il contrario .

Era stato Prost a preferire Senna a Piquet per la McLaren del 1988 , era stato Prost a collaudare in inverno la McLaren del 1988 e del 1989 mentre Senna si riposava in Brasile , Prost non si lamentava pi? di tanto del fatto che Senna gli copiasse gli assetti da gara e neanche nel 1989 non si oppose ad offrire una collaborazione tecnica ,

e Senna come lo ricambiava : ottenendo i migliori propulsori dalla Honda , con la furbata di Imola 89 , mettendo seriamente a repentaglio la vita del rivale all' Estoril nel 1988 e a Suzuka nel 1990 , oltre che facendo la sceneggiata vittimista post Suzuka 89 e aizzando la stampa sia in quell' occasione che successivamente .

Oggi rivedendo le immagini del podio di Adelaide del 1993 mi commuovo perch? ? stata l' ultima gara di Prost e l' ultima vittoria di Senna , ma quella mattina ero assolutamente contrario a quella scena perch? avevo bene in mente tutto il male che Senna ( anche in quell' anno ) aveva detto di Prost .

[rumpen78 6]

Come si pu? intuire dalla lettura di questa intervista , mentre Prost ? stato un vero amico per Senna , non si pu? dire il contrario .

Era stato Prost a preferire Senna a Piquet per la McLaren del 1988 , era stato Prost a collaudare in inverno la McLaren del 1988 e del 1989 mentre Senna si riposava in Brasile , Prost non si lamentava pi? di tanto del fatto che Senna gli copiasse gli assetti da gara e neanche nel 1989 non si oppose ad offrire una collaborazione tecnica ,

e Senna come lo ricambiava : ottenendo i migliori propulsori dalla Honda , con la furbata di Imola 89 , mettendo seriamente a repentaglio la vita del rivale all' Estoril nel 1988 e a Suzuka nel 1990 , oltre che facendo la sceneggiata vittimista post Suzuka 89 e aizzando la stampa sia in quell' occasione che successivamente .

Oggi rivedendo le immagini del podio di Adelaide del 1993 mi commuovo perch? ? stata l' ultima gara di Prost e l' ultima vittoria di Senna , ma quella mattina ero assolutamente contrario a quella scena perch? avevo bene in mente tutto il male che Senna ( anche in quell' anno ) aveva detto di Prost .

aloiso 3?