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Suzuka Special 2010

5 years ago, I wrote: "On Oct 21, 1990, at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna hit Alain Prost out of the track deliberately. Prost must win the race to defend his world champion title. By wrecking Prost's Ferrari out of the race, Senna not only crowned himself "world champion", he also promised his soul to Satan...If you ever want to defend Ayrton Senna, sit in any vehicle of your choice (my advice: pick a tank) and ask someone to crash into it like Senna did."

5 years later I got this email:

"I have to say this is the only website or source where I have seen a reference to Senna nearly killing Prost. Surely we both know that 1990 accident was far from that, both drivers walked out of the crash unharmed, which is somewhat for from what your implying. I guess if this is your idea of killing then boy, so many drivers must've nearly died in every single season of Formula 1. You treat Senna as a villain yet you fail to look at the footage of 1989 where Prost clearly steers his car towards the grass in order to block and crash into Senna to prevent him from having any chance of attaining the world title, hypocritical I must say."

Both drivers walked out of the crash unharmed. That is true. But look at their cars in the picture below.

On July 19, 2009, Henry Surtees was killed by a bouncing wheel.

Only one week later, Ferrari's Felipe Massa was hit unconscious on the spot and badly injured by a loose spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn. Massa suffered from a fractured skull.

Compare Suzuka 90 and Surtees' fatal accident on Youtube. Judge for yourself how far Alain Prost was from death on Oct 21, 1990.

And if you need another source of reference, consider this in Murray Walker's autobiography:

"In 1990 I had to sit down in Australia and interview him (Ayrton Senna) for BBC TV about his collision with Prost at Suzuka , where he had quite clearly not only been in the wrong but could well have killed them both. I wasn't looking forward to it, to be honest, but was preceded by Jackie Stewart who was doing the same thing for Australia's Channel 9. In the most wonderful interview I have ever heard, using all his considerable debating and communication skills and his deep knowledge as a three-times World Champion, Jackie calmly and patiently took Senna apart until he lost his temper and was shouting angrily in an effort to justify himself. The interview ended acrimoniously and then I was on. I'd like to say I did as well as Jackie but the truth is that I didn't. 'I think he honestly believes what he's saying, but then so did Hitler,' said Jackie afterwards - and I agreed with him for Senna's total self-belief was not always justified."

 

Did I "fail to look at the footage of 1989"? Guess what Suzuka Special 1997 is about!

 

The email also said: "Then comes your quote page where quotes from Senna are taken out of context."

I guess the writer of the email has not visited the source. I pulled every quote from BrainyQuote.com without editing. I am not sure if I included every quote I saw, and I don't know if the site has added new quotes. But don't blame me for quoting what came out from the mouth of your hero that you don't want to hear.

Richard, thank you for your email. Not only did it give me a brilliant idea for Suzuka Special 2010, it tells me that what I have been doing is right... but not enough. I would put in more effort. Thank you very much.

 

Alan
Oct 30, 2010