Formula 1 legend Alain Prost has slammed a new Netflix series, depicting his relationship with Aryton Senna, as ‘bulls***’.
The four-time world champion endured a fierce rivalry with Brazilian icon Senna, with the duo even enjoying a tense relationship when McLaren team-mates in 1988 and 1989. The pair twice collided at the Japanese Grand Prix in both 1989 and 1990.
After coming together at the final chicane in the former year, Senna’s attempted restart saw him controversially disqualified for cutting the track and that saw Prost declared champion. The following year, Senna crashed into Prost and the French driver was unable to finish which meant his rival clinched the title on that occasion.
The pair are said to have grown closer before Senna’s untimely death at Imola in 1994, during the San Marino Grand Prix. Now their relationshop comes under the microscope of a Brazilian-made Netlfix series ‘Senna’, where Prost believes he has been depicted as a ‘bad guy’.
The rivalry was previously explored in Asif Kapadia’s film ‘Senna’ in 2010, and Prost was frustrated by that depiction despite being involved. However, Prost the 70-year-old claims the new series is ‘completely fictionalised’ in terms of the racers’ relationship.
“Bulls***, bulls***, complete bulls***, almost everything has been completely fictionalised,” Prost told Motorsport.com.
“I’ve only seen a few pictures and heard quite a lot of feedback. As with the film Senna, the first one, which I probably spent even more time on than my own documentary, and this biopic, it’s obvious that I won’t be satisfied, of course.
“Because there is always a good guy and a bad guy. I know a little bit about the story that is being told and yes, it is a biopic, it is fictionalised. But unfortunately, a few repetitive stories are inserted that are totally made up, just totally wrong.”
Prost has also revealed he could choose to leave social media, such is the abuse he receives from Brazilian fans, 30 years on from their rivalry. “I can’t not think about Ayrton, fortunately or unfortunately,” he said.
“For example, I’m considering turning off my Instagram, because I get messages every day, really every day without exception – from time to time there’s a hateful one, that can happen. My biggest fan base on social media is from Brazil, of all places, so I’m forced to think of him. Indirectly, I’ve been living around this story for 30 years, and it will probably stay that way for the rest of my life.”
F1’s governing body, the FIA, has called for an end to the abuse. “As a former world champion in his sport, Alain Prost should not be driven off social media due to online abuse,” the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign told PlanetF1.
“His experience highlights the harsh reality faced by sportsmen and women at all levels—daily abuse, harassment, and even threats.
“Under the FIA’s leadership, UAOA is developing the educational, technological, and regulatory solutions needed to protect competitors, officials, and fans to ensure that sport remains a place of strong but fair and inclusive competition.”
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