Who was better between Prost and Senna?

Question

Here's the stats:

Prost
Grand Prix: 199
Victories: 51
Victories percentage: 25,6%
Podium: 106
Podium percentage: 53,2%
Finishes in points: 128
Finishes in points percentage: 64,3%
Total points: 798,5
Average points per race: 4
Pole position: 33
Pole position percentage: 16,5%
First row starts: 86
Fastest lap: 41
Fastest lap percentage: 20,6%
World titles: 4
World podium (1st, 2nd or 3d): 8
Hat trick: 8

Senna

Grand Prix: 161
Victories: 41
Victories percentage: 25,4%
Podium: 80
Podium percentage: 49,6%
Finishes in points: 96
Finishes in points percentage: 59,6%
Total points: 614
Average points per race: 3.81
Pole position 65
Pole percentage: 40,3%
Fastest lap: 19
Fastest lap percentage: 11,8%
World titles: 3
World podium (1st, 2nd or 3d): 6
Hat trick: 7

While they were teammates, they conquered each one world title. In 1989 Prost outscored Senna, the same he did the previous year, but a strange scoring system gave the title to Senna.

So, why so many people say Senna was better?

Answer 1

Only asked four weeks ago, with the same cut and paste stats...here is my answer from then:

It all depends on what you want from a driver. My way of judging is how many championships the driver had and how many years he had the best car.
Senna had the best car in 1988 and 1989, plus equal best in 1990. He won two titles with the best car and one without. Almost every season from 1985 to 1994 he had to make up for deficiencies in his car, and he was competitive in every one of those seasons. He was the best driver in the world from 1988 to 1994 in my opinion.
Prost had the best car in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990= and 1993, during which time he won three of his four titles. In all his other seasons (except the first in 1980) he had either a quick but unreliable car (81, 82, 91) or a reliable car a little off the pace (86,87). He was the best driver from 1985 to 1987.
So Senna made the most of what he was given, while Prost should have done more; that's why for me Senna was the better of the two.

Answer 2

This is actually a very tough comparision - both were among the all time greats of the sport, and very successful drivers. But they were also extremely different, and to some degree, it's almost a matter of what style you prefer. In terms of pure driving and car control, I am inclined to the the edge to Senna based on the control he displayed in the rain. He maintained excellent balance in the car and drove with great consistency. He was always a threat to do the unexpected and take a long shot or ill advised move - this was both on his strengths, and ultimatley one of his weaknesses. He often seemed to drive on emotion, but at the same time, disecting his drives often shows he was very analytical. Prost was also a great technical driver, but always one that was working the odds to get the best possible result. His ability to win shows he too had to have had that drive and emotion, but an opposite to Senna, he always seem cold and calculating. The period when they were teammates showed some heavy favoritism within the team (mostly from engine maker Honda) towards Senna, yet Prost still had some success... further, the rules of the times wound up favoring Senna (if the rules of today were in place then, Prost would have had even better career statistics at the expense of Senna). For me, I consider Prost better based on his career championships and his amazing control of the pace within a race (or a season). But in terms of pure skill behind the wheel, I think it may have been Senna... given a few more years to compete Senna may have shown a maturity that would have seen some of those characteristics that define Prost, but that sadly never came to be.

Answer 3

You are forgetting that Prost entered F1 at least four years before senna, also that senna didnt get his hands on a really competetive car until 1988 (with Mclaren although he had won races at lotus 1985-1987). So you need to look at the stats from those years (with Senna winning the title 3 times in four years 1988, 1990 and 1991), Prost winning two titles in five years (1989 and 1993) although Prost did take a year out (1992).

So if you look at it like that Senna was the better driver by far, but at the end of the day it's how they make you feel as a fan, and in that case they both leave me cold.

My favourite driver from that era is the great Nigel Mansell, mainly because in some pretty crap, machinery (1988 williams and 1989 Ferrari) he still managed to make these two look like fools!!!

Answer 4

Senna was a natural driver, while Prost had to analyze and know ahead of time what he needed to do. Take a look at the 88-89 seasons when they were in identical cars. In 88 Senna beat Prost to win his first world title. Prost at that time was already a 2-time champion. In 89 Senna would have won, but he was disqualified in Suzuka after Prost caused their cars to collide (by the way Senna returned to the track and won that race before disqualification). Also both of these seasons Senna won more races than Prost.

Another fact that speaks for Senna's ability was the Monaco race. It is considered to be one of the trickiest races in Formula One, due to a virtual inability to pass. Senna holds the record there with 6 wins.

Finally Senna's ability to capture the pole was amazing. As well as his ability to drive in the rain.

I think overall Prost's strength was consistency. Generally though, if Senna's car did not die on him (which unfortunately happened a lot), Senna came out on top when those two went head to head.

Answer 5

Prost was a more calculating driver. He only drove as fast as he needed to to win. Senna was a more passionate driver and almost always drove on the edge, even when he didn't need to. If Senna had calmed down a little bit he would have easily outdone Prost on the stats.

I think people say Senna was better simply because he was more fun to watch. Prost tended to be a little bit boring and would sit back rather than pushing the other guy into a mistake or just trying to barge past.

Answer 6

Having watched both race I would say Senna was the best and if he had not died he would have gone on to be the greatest ever driver. Prost also lost a lot of his nerve towards the end of his career in F1. He hated rain races and got out when he could. Senna brought something new to the sport, he did what others could only dream of doing. He was the complete package.

Answer 7

Fratello K, I agree with you that Senna was not better than Prost. When this question was asked in the past, I always pointed out that Prost outscored Senna by 11 pt and 21 pt. margins when they had the same car in '88 and '89. He didn't get the '88 championship because of the silly points system.

Let's not forget Prost also lost a title by 0.5 points in '84 to Lauda. Again, with today's points system (10-8-6 . . . ), he would have won that title as well. The points system, you could say, took two titles away from Prost. Instead of Schumacher, it should have been Prost breaking Fangio's record first.

Senna was faster over one lap and Senna was more thrilling to watch, but Prost was not slower over race distance than Senna. IMO, Prost was the more complete and the better driver. I have said it many times.

Answer 8

Senna's career was shorter than Prost's. If he was still alive, he would have given Schumacher a great run for the titles. Senna was a great driver in the rain. Prost was unhappy when driving a less than perfect car. Senna would drive the wheels off the car to win. Both drivers are among the best ever!

Answer 9

I believe Senna was more endearing to fans and the press because he was an approachable person. Prost was known to be cold and what I call "foo-foo".

Prost and Senna were very close in their racing abilities. I do give the nod to Prost because of the edge number-wise. In my opinion, Senna just had the feel of his car. He just had more passion for the sport in my opinion. The first time I saw him on tv driving in the pouring rain on slicks I was amazed. He maneuvered the track like he was ice skating

Answer 10

Senna was more inspiring.

It was not just the talent but also the way he talked and you could see that really to him, racing was too important, it was his life. Other racers like prost and the racers that you see these days they just look like it's just their job but he was different.

This is why he has inspired so many drivers including schumacher, button, montoya, hamilton (yellow helmet with stripes anyone?), etc etc.

Oh I forgot.. 2 words, Donnington 1993... go ahead youtube it.. youll see why he only needs ONE lap to make his point. Rain was always a sign of a Senna victory.