Ayrton Senna was the real World Champion in 1989!

How did FISA steal Ayrton Senna‘s 1989 World Championship? It was thanks to French Cooperation Balestre and Prost’s dirty political games in F1. Ayrton Senna is the real 1989 World Champion.

In the Japanese GP of 1989, at the end of lap 46, Senna made his move at the chicane. Prost saw him coming and turned into his teammate’s path. The two interlocked McLarens slid up the chicane escape road. Prost, thinking the World Championship was over, climbed out.

To separate the cars, the marshals pushed Senna backwards on to the track. They put the car into a dangerous position and so had to push it forwards again. As they did so, Senna bump-started the engine. He drove through the chicane and rejoined. The nose of his car was damaged and he had to pit but he rejoined only five seconds behind Nannini. Senna’s chase was furious and merciless. On lap 50, Ayrton sliced past Nannini at the chicane to take the lead and won the race.

But it was Nannini who appeared on the podium. Senna had been excluded for missing the chicane. McLaren appealed the decision but the FIA Court of Appeal not only upheld the decision, but fined Senna $100,000 and gave him a suspended six month ban.