The battle for the title went down to the penultimate round in Japan. At Suzuka, Senna stalled his car on the grid but somehow managed to restart and charge through the field. He took the lead when Prost encountered backmarker traffic, securing the victory and his first World Championship.
McLaren, led by the enigmatic Ron Dennis, had formed a partnership with Honda, which would prove to be one of the most successful collaborations in F1 history. The team boasted a potent combination of the McLaren MP4/4 chassis, the powerful Honda RA168E engine, and two exceptional drivers: Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. formula one 1988