The only blot on McLaren's perfect record was the at Monza. Just weeks after the death of Enzo Ferrari, Gerhard Berger led home a Ferrari 1-2. This victory was emotionally charged, seen as a tribute to the founder. It occurred largely due to reliability issues on the McLarens (Prost retired, Senna crashed while leading).
Heading into the final round in Adelaide, Senna led the points standings. Under the "best 11 results" rule, Senna needed to finish second to secure the title if Prost won. Prost qualified on pole and dominated the race. Senna, starting second, stalled on the grid and dropped to the back. He charged through the field and eventually took the lead, but he didn't need the win to be Champion. f1 1988
October 26, 2023 Subject: A Retrospective on the 1988 FIA Formula One World Championship The only blot on McLaren's perfect record was the at Monza