By Margaux Luzé 

The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix was not merely a race. It was the precise moment the Formula 1 world realized a young Brazilian named Ayrton Senna was playing a diDerent game than everyone else. It remains one of the most debated and legendary afternoons in motorsport history, defined by a deluge of rain and a flash of excellence.

Chaos in the Principality

Monaco is notoriously diDicult on a sunny day. In 1984, the street circuit became a swimming pool. Heavy rain delayed the start, and when the lights finally went out, the track was risky. Alain Prost in the McLaren and Nigel Mansell in the Lotus led the pack as the favorites. Meanwhile, Senna sat 13th on the grid. He was a rookie in his first season driving a Toleman-Hart, a car that under normal conditions had no business being at the front of the field.

The Charge of the Rain Man

While established stars like Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg struggled to keep their cars on the track, Senna looked as though he was driving on dry land. His mastery of the throttle and his vision through the spray were supernatural. By lap 19, Senna had sliced through the field to reach 2nd place. He then began hunting down the leader, Alain Prost, at an incredible rate. He was gaining three to four seconds per lap, an unheard-of margin in the tight streets of Monte Carlo. This was the first true intersection of Prost and Senna, sparking a rivalry that would define the sport for the next decade.

A Controversial Finish

As Senna closed the gap to just a few seconds, Prost began frantically waving to the marshals to stop the race due to the dangerous conditions. On lap 31, Clerk of the Course Jacky Ickx displayed the red flag. Prost stopped his car just before the finish line, while Senna flew past him waving in celebration, convinced he had won. However, the rules dictated that the standings be taken from the last completed lap. Since Prost was leading on lap 31, he was declared the winner and Senna was classified 2nd.

The Irony of Half Points

The decision to stop the race carried a massive historical irony. Because the full distance wasn’t reached, only half points were awarded. Prost earned 4.5 points for his victory. Had the race continued and Senna passed him, Prost likely would have finished 2nd and earned 6 points. At the end of the 1984 season, Prost lost the World Championship to Niki Lauda by exactly half a point. That rainy afternoon in Monaco eDectively cost Prost the title.

The Arrival of a King

The race changed the trajectory of Formula 1 forever. It provided the first podium for the small Toleman team and solidified Senna’s reputation as the Master of Rain. It is also often remembered for the “Stefan Bellof Factor.” Bellof, another rookie in a Tyrrell, was in 3rd place and catching both Senna and Prost even faster than Senna was catching the lead. While Bellof’s performance is often overshadowed, the afternoon belonged to the arrival of Ayrton Senna.