At Monaco, Senna had a 55-second lead before crashing out of the tunnel while cruising to victory, handing the win to Prost. In Portugal, Senna nearly squeezed Prost into the pit wall at the start, a move that infuriated the Frenchman and deepened the rift. In Australia, the season finale, Prost was on course for victory before the race was stopped due to torrential rain, with Senna inheriting the win on countback.
Designed by Steve Nichols and Gordon Murray, the car featured a revolutionary "laydown" chassis and a Honda RA168E V6 turbo engine that produced roughly 700 hp despite strict fuel and boost limits. Senna vs. Prost: The Ultimate Rivalry
Prost vs. Senna: The top 10 moments of F1's defining rivalry f1 88 season
The result was a "perfect storm": the best engine, the best car, and the best two drivers on the grid.
The 1988 season transformed Senna and Prost from teammates into bitter rivals. While they shared the same garage, their philosophies were worlds apart: Senna’s raw speed and qualifying dominance (13 poles) clashed with Prost's calculated race-day precision. Total Points Counting Points* 90 Alain Prost 87 At Monaco, Senna had a 55-second lead before
The true battle was between teammates:
With Honda’s powerful and reliable RA168E V6 turbo engine (the last year of the turbo era) and McLaren’s exceptional MP4/4 chassis, the team won — a record that still stands for most wins by a constructor in a single season. Designed by Steve Nichols and Gordon Murray, the
The regulations for 1988 were changing. Turbos were being phased out in favor of naturally aspirated 3.5-liter engines, with turbo cars forced to run with reduced boost pressure and smaller fuel tanks (150 liters). While many thought this would level the playing field, McLaren-Honda mastered the rules. The MP4/4 was reliable, fast, and incredibly thirsty, forcing drivers to run lean engine mixes, yet still outpace the field.
The team led 1,003 out of 1,031 laps (97.3%) during the season.
The 1988 season was defined by the McLaren MP4/4 , widely considered the most successful car in F1 history. : McLaren won 15 out of 16 races.