In the 1988 points system, only your 11 best results counted (a "drop score" rule).
| Race | Key Moment | | :--- | :--- | | | Senna wins his home GP. Prost finishes 2nd. The tone is set. | | Monaco (Rd. 3) | Senna dominates qualifying by 1.4 seconds. He crashes while leading by 50 seconds, handing the win to Prost. | | France (Rd. 7) | Prost wins his home GP. | | Britain (Rd. 8) | Senna passes Prost on track. Prost famously waves his finger at Senna afterward—a sign of growing tension. | | Portugal (Rd. 13) | Senna pushes Prost toward the pit wall at 180 mph. Prost later said, "He tried to kill me." The rivalry turned toxic. | | Japan (Rd. 15) | Prost stalls on the grid. Senna wins the race, clinching the title with one round to spare. |
McLaren fielded arguably the strongest driver line-up ever assembled at that time. formula 1 1988 season
The combination of exceptional drivers and a near-unbeatable car made the 1988 McLaren team one of the most dominant in F1 history. This dominance by McLaren, coupled with the forthcoming ban on turbo engines, set a new era for Formula 1 that would begin in 1989.
The McLaren MP4/4 is widely considered the most dominant F1 car ever built. Designed by Steve Nichols and Gordon Murray (famed for the Brabham fan car), it was a masterclass in simplicity and efficiency. In the 1988 points system, only your 11
| Position | Team | Points | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | McLaren-Honda | 199 | | 2 | Ferrari | 65 | | 3 | Benetton-Ford | 39 | | 4 | Lotus-Honda | 23 | | 5 | Arrows-Megatron | 20 |
The 1988 Formula 1 season is not a story about competition. It is a story about . The McLaren MP4/4, driven by two of the greatest drivers of all time, achieved a level of supremacy that has never been matched before or since. For any fan of engineering, rivalry, or speed, 1988 is required viewing. The tone is set
Honda had perfected the fuel management software and the qualifying engines, providing a power unit that was not only the most powerful but the most driveable and efficient on the grid.
When Ayrton Senna crossed the line in Adelaide to win the season finale, he clinched his first World Championship. It was the confirmation of a talent that had been obvious since his arrival in 1984, but now he had the machinery to match his ambition.