On October 21st, 1990, Ayrton Senna secured the Formula One World Champion title when he deliberately crashed his car into Alain Prost at the Japanese Grand Prix.

This ballsy move here from Senna was a brutal combination of spiteful vengeance and sweet sweet revenge.

Let’s set the stage here by rewinding to the 1989 Formula One championship when Senna and Prost clashed at the same Japanese Grand Prix race at the Suzuka race track. And I mean literally clashed.

In ’89 Prost had secured enough points during the previous 14 Grand Prix races to clinch the championship…as long as Senna did not win the Suzuka race. With Prost ahead most of the race, Senna made a risky attempt to pass and the rivals tangled wheels, causing both to skid off the track.

While Prost was content with the dual-crash, Senna quickly sprung to action, restarted his car, jumped back into the race and ended up actually winning! This would have allowed Senna to stay in the running for the ’89 Championship…except that his Suzuka win was revoked. After the race, officials reviewed tape and determined that Senna had re-entered the race incorrectly after the crash, disqualifying Senna and giving the title to Prost.

So essentially in ’89 the officials stole the title from Senna AND charged him a fine.

PHEW! That was a lot just a for a set up. I never thought I’d be so invested in Formula One.

Now we find ourselves in 1990 when Senna was in a similar position as Prost the year before. Having scored enough points in the previous races, Senna simply had to not let Prost win.

Before the race, officials ensured Senna that his car would be placed on the left side of the track. However, they changed their minds and actually placed Senna on the inside of that track (a worse starting position).

Senna, obviously still mad about the ’89 race, and now even more upset that race officials put him in a worse starting position, made it clear that his starting maneuver would crash into any car that tried to shoot in front of him. When the whistle blew, Senna stayed true to this tactic, and Prost happened to be that unlucky other car.

Here’s a look at how it went down (with Senna on the inside of the first turn)

Boom. Retribution. Senna crashed right into Prost, taking both cars out of the race. Since Senna already had enough points, he was crowned Formula One World Champion, and I’m sure all of the race officials were very pleased with the situation.

Now, unofficially, they actually allowed Senna and Prost to finish the race after their cars crashed and we’ve obtained EXCLUSIVE video footage of that glorious finish here.

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