When Ayrton Senna Was Almost Kicked Out And Banned From Formula 1 

The man was too shocked to speak… 

When we think of Ayrton Senna, we think of a talented man, a man who did all he could to win, a man who didnt like coming in second, a man who committed his life to the sport of Formula 1. It would not even cross someone’s mind, even for a split second, that a World Champion would be resented and put on the spot by others in the same paddock and field. It can seem unbelievable that the Ayrton Senna we know of was on the verge and inches away from being banned by the motorsport that he commanded and influenced for so long, and still continues to do so today. Yet, following the vast events of the controversial Suzuki 1989 incident, Ayrton Senna getting stripped of his super license was on the brink of occurring. How did it all begin? Why was Senna targeted immensely? Who and what was involved in this high-strung situation? 

Ayrton Senna and Jean Marie Balestre 

Ayrton Senna clashed with only a few people in Formula 1. If you got the title and name of being a rival of Senna and being someone who the Brazilian could not reason with, then you must have either been Alain Post or Jean Marie Balestre. Jean-Marie Balestre was a French auto racing administrator, he became President of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile from 1978 to 1991 and President of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) from 1985 to 1993. The Frenchman had a powerful and significant part in the world of Formula 1 during the 80s and 90s. His strong traditional views and hard-headed personality got him respect in the sport, but also came with a lot of enemies. Balestre versus Ayrton Senna and the controversial collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was something that both persons had to grapple with. They had to grapple with the never-seen-before tension and misunderstood communication that literally put Senna’s career on the line. 

Just imagine 30-year-old Ayrton at the top of his career and game, oozing performance and talent from every inch of his body, suddenly not being able to compete in the 1990 season. Being banned from the sport with only 1-World Championship so far, bound to be oddly replaced at Mclaren by Jonathan Palmer. Yes, they even went to the extent of figuring out who Gerhard Berger would be new teammates with. After Ayrton Senna’s clash with rival Alain Prost at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix, it resulted in the disqualification of the Brazilian and the debate between the President of the FIA. The reason for Senna’s disqualification led to one action, and it was that he had re-joined the track from the run-off area, rather than turning around and going through the chicane. He finished the race on a high and ended the day with a low, it was announced by the FIA that it wasn’t ‘officially’ completing the entire race, giving Prost the title. 

Ayrtons’ intentions during the race caused a big commotion in the Formula 1 paddock. When his Mclaren teammate Prost was handed the 89′ Championship title, a couple of confused days passed and on November 10 Senna accused Balestre and FISA of mutilating and messing with the outcome of the championship. 

“It was clear that political and economic pressure groups manipulated behind the scenes to make Prost world champion.”

Senna disclosed in Brazil. This statement made Balestre absolutely furious and boiling with anger and fury. 

Senna was brought to a meeting with the FISA president, it was reported that he was given an agreement, you can say it was a détente. The following day he participated in front of the World Motor Sports Council (WMSC) but no matter what was offered, the then 1-time World Champion did not back down. Since nothing was being compromised, and both sides were on polar opposites of the spectrum, the WMSC unanimously voted that Senna’s 1990 superlicence application would be rejected and refused. There was only one way Ayrton could race in Formula 1 again, unless he took back and withdrew his flimsy and unjustified allegations, Senna was hanging from a thread from being terminated. The stubborn yet, determined driver was faced with a ban from FISA and his whole career was flashing before his eyes. 

The Mclaren driver felt like he was being treated like an outlaw, a criminal, an animal… and he was faced with a decision on what to do about his career that was starting to crumble. Ayrton seriously considered quitting and retiring from Formula 1 overall. Thankfully he quickly shut that down and realized that this is what he was meant to do, and if it meant to put his pride aside to keep his dream alive, then it had to be done. After a long and stretched talk with team principal Ron Dennis, Honda bosses and FISA came to a point and agreement that his license would be renewed and that he would have to issue an apology. Jean Marie ended off by saying that thus refusal would hold on until FISA got its apology from Senna. Evidently, that occurred, since the Brazilian went on to become a 3-time World Champion and one of, if not the most respected driver to have ever raced in the pinnacle of motorsports.

It is undescribable to think that we could have lost Ayrton Senna so early on in the sport. Only achieving one Formula 1 World Title instead of is well-deserved three, but it was his fate to finish off in this career and write a name for himself in the book of legends.