Berger: Senna was absolutely the best I’ve ever known

Disputes over who their drivers can be considered the best in Formula 1 history will never stop, although it has long been clear that making such assessments is a cunning undertaking as the result will always be relative.

But there is no question that Ayrton Senna will always be one of the most important superstars. Gerhard Berger once had the opportunity to partner with the great Brazilian at McLaren, and he knows exactly what set Senna apart from others, and why he was personally inferior to Ayrton.

Switching from Ferrari to McLaren in 1990, the Austrian was very confident in his own abilities and had no doubts that he was able to compete on an equal footing with Senna or even get ahead of him. But he soon realized he was wrong.

The 1990 season started with the American Grand Prix in Phoenix. Berger won the qualifier, while Senna only showed the 5th result. But on lap 44 Gerhard retired due to clutch problems and it was Ayrton who won.

But then Senna was ahead of his partner in nearly every race that season and eventually won the title; Berger, on the other hand, scored far fewer points, he had the same number of points as Nelson Piquet and therefore ended up in fourth place in the individual standings.

“Ayrton was absolutely the best I’ve ever known,” Berger admitted in an interview with the Austrian edition of Motorsport-Magazin. – And it’s not about talent, but for a whole host of reasons.

Senna started karting at the age of 4 and became a professional kart driver at the age of 6. He came to Formula 1 with the experience of 400 starts in races of different levels.

If I count all the races I’ve participated in from the very beginning of my career right up to F1, I probably get to about 40. So I had to catch up, and it was almost impossible.

In addition, Ayrton was a much more disciplined person, he devoted himself completely to racing. And I liked to drink beer in the evening, to spend time at parties. Of course, I was also collected and purposeful, but not to the same degree as him.

In general, there was a whole host of reasons. He was also very strong physically, trained a lot and was ahead of everyone else in that area. As for talent, this is perhaps the only thing in which I am not inferior to him.

And yet I don’t regret that in those days I didn’t make an effort to put everything on the line to get ahead of him, because then it wouldn’t be me. Every rider has a certain skill level, his own characteristics and attempts to go against his nature usually end badly.

Ron Dennis once called me a diamond that needs serious polishing. It was attempts to somehow “grind” me that ended up sideways with me…”