F1 | Prost remembers Senna: “Our stories were completely connected”

The one between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna was one of the most important and intense rivalries in the history of Formula One. The Frenchman, interviewed by Repubblica, admitted that the relationship with the late Brazilian - who would have turned 21 last Saturday, March 60st - has clearly improved after 1993. A season which marked the definitive withdrawal from the world of racing by the Professor, following the conquest of the fourth and final world title of his career with Williams.

"I won the 1993 championship with a podium in Adelaide but Ayrton, who won the race, raised my arm and wanted to share the top step with me – recalled Prost -. That moment changed our relationship and today I can say that our story was wonderful".

The Frenchman then added: “There was a before and an after: Senna first saw me as the driver to beat. There are facts that confirm this. Then, when I retired, there was a completely different attitude. He no longer had the same motivation. Without me, she lost her goals a little".

The two, as confirmed by Prost himself, became friends: “He has me told intimate things about his life. It was no longer the same Ayrton Senna who battled with me on the track. I remember that he wanted me to be in charge of the pilots' association and he called me several times a week to ask for advice".

The former Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams driver also recalled the radio message that Ayrton sent to him at the beginning of the tragic 1994 Imola weekend: “After he said 'We miss you Alain' I was interviewed by French television, on which I was a commentator. Our stories were completely connected. Not only my career, but also my life. I lived with this friendship-rivalry all the time".

"There isn't a day that someone I know doesn't talk about me and Ayrton – admitted Prost -. This means that we have done something, something that will last over time. But in those days, live, you didn't realize it. AND it was truly incredible. I don't know if today's rivalries are the same as mine with Ayrton . These are different times, the world of competition is now more sophisticated, the atmosphere and relationships have also changed with the press. We must also consider the charisma and style of each driver".