With two races left on the F1 calendar and 11 points separating them, Ferrari's Alain Prost and McLaren's Ayrton Senna were in the midst of a terrific battle for the Championship. Two races meant that 18 points were up for grabs, and both drivers knew that the situation was critical. Almost before the Grand Prix of Japan had started, the Championship outcome would be determined.
Mirroring the events of the 1989 race at Suzuka in which Senna and Prost collided, securing Prost's Championship, in 1990 the pair again came together at the very first turn. This time, however, the Championship would go to Senna.
Looking back at the events, qualifying for the race in Japan was a critical factor in the eventual outcome. Saturday qualifying saw teams and drivers studying every nuance of their performances on the track, evaluating changes and making the most subtle adjustments, looking for that extra tenth that would gain them pole position.
As early as Wednesday before the race Senna petitioned FISA officials to swap the pole position to the outside of the track, arguing that the polesitter should be on the best side of the circuit, as opposed to having the inside line for the first corner. When the green fell, Prost got off superbly and Senna spun his wheels on the dusty side of the track. It looked as if Senna would fall in line behind Prost, but made a sudden dive down the inside of Prost on onto the grass at the first turn. The season was over for the two drivers, but the war would go on for some years to come.
