Monaco 1988: Ayrton Senna's unfinished symphony

On a dry track, the man who was at the time in his first season with Ron Dennis' team will amaze the entire paddock. With a turbo engine whose pressure is set at 2.5 bar and around 650 horsepower, the McLaren MP4/4 is a rocket that deposits atmospheric single-seaters.

Even more incredible, Alain Prost (McLaren), winner of the previous Grand Prix at Imola (San Marino), was rejected by almost a second and a half in an equal car (+1''427)!

Ayrton Senna reached an almost mystical dimension that day, a fascinating experience which he described in these terms: « I was no longer flying consciously. It was piloting by instinct, in another dimension.

 I was well beyond the limits but still able to push them. The circuit was a tunnel and I kept going over and over. This frightened me, because I realized that I had gone beyond my conscious state. »

The Brazilian attacked the Monaco GP the next day with a bang. As the laps go by, the lead widens. On lap 54, Ayrton Senna is more than 50 seconds ahead of Alain Prost. Victory is almost there. Ron Dennis then decides to calm things down, and advises his foal to slow down.

Was Ayrton Senna distracted by the team order? Or did he release on his own? He hit the rail at the Portier bend and retired with 11 laps remaining.

“I was so close to perfection this weekend that I relaxed. I invited error, and that's the lesson I learned that day.", he explained. Furious with himself, he does not show up for the Sunday evening debriefing and returns to his Monaco residence. McLaren's men won't hear from him for several hours.

Alain Prost won the race with a margin of 20 seconds over Gerhard Berger (Ferrari). Michele Alboreto (Ferrari) follows at 41 seconds.