You love to see it. Fast forward, past that Panthers’ first drive where they sliced through the defense like a knife through butter, followed by the Patriots’ fizzled 3-and-out, and Pats fans were able to enjoy a high-five filled afternoon. The major turnover and fundamentals problems that plagued New England early in the season were nowhere in sight. Kudos to the coaching staff for making the fixing of these issues a point of emphasis at practice. The result was a New England scoring eruption of 42 points, 0 turnovers, and the defense limiting Carolina to just 13 points. What’s not to love?
As fun as that was, the glaring question becomes, “Was this a fluke against a middling Panthers squad (now 1-3), or the dawn of a resurgence?” I’m voting resurgence. Not to say the team has suddenly vaulted to true contender status, but I believe they will beat the teams they should beat and give the upper crust a run for their money. Top teams will ignore the Pats at their peril. I’ve said it before, if these Patriots can play turnover-free football, tackle well and limit bad penalties/sloppy play, it will take them pretty far with the roster as it stands.
Next up are the 4-0 Bills in Buffalo. This will be a primetime matchup, putting Mike Vrabel and his team in the spotlight. The early odds favor the Bills by 7.5 points. Can’t frankly say I would put my retirement money on the Patriots to win straight up just yet, but I do believe this team is on the rise for real. Another mistake-free game and anything’s possible.
18th –Pete Prisco (CBS Sports):At 2-2, they face a big division game at Buffalo on Sunday night. It will be a big step up in competition from what they’ve seen so far. [+2]
21st –NFL Nation (ESPN):Biggest issue on offense: RB ball security. The Patriots took a significant step to correct it in Week 4, turning to a more even snap distribution between Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson. This came after a Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh in which Stevenson lost two fumbles and Gibson coughed up one. The team had a new blaster at practice after that game, which is a gauntlet players run through as they experience high-intensity contact from a series of blocking pads. There were no RB fumbles against Carolina. — Mike Reiss. [+4]
21st –Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports):The one team that can make the Bills sweat this season might be the Patriots. That probably requires a win Sunday night in Buffalo, which is a big ask. The good news for the Patriots is Drake Maye continues to show improvement. [+2]
21st –Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News):The Patriots need to love what they’re seeing from Drake Maye with a variety of weapons with the offense starting to hum in the Josh McDaniels way. The Mike Vrabel way is also being seen more on defense and special teams. [+4]
22nd –Diante Lee (The Ringer):This is the best we’ve seen from someone named Drake since “Hotline Bling”. QB Drake Maye has taken some fair criticism because of his habit of committing turnovers in key situations, but he’s quietly been one of the league’s 10 best QBs on a down-to-down basis this season. Maye’s always been an impressive athlete, but he’s underrated as a pocket passer–and that’s where he’s been at his best this season. Josh McDaniels has steadily put more on Maye’s plate and the young QB has delivered with excellent accuracy in tight windows and throws in the middle of the field. Next week brings a prime-time duel with Buffalo’s star QB Josh Allen. I can’t wait to see how Maye performs on the biggest stage of his career thus far. [+2]
22nd –Nate Davis (USA Today):Marcus’ Jones team-record 167 punt return yards Sunday included an 87-yard TD and a 61-yarder when, per Next Gen Stats, his route took him nearly twice as far. [+3]
23rd –Eric Edholm (NFL.com):The Patriots seemed to sleepwalk early before waking up in a big way and dominating the final 50 or so minutes en route to a blowout win. Marcus Jones gave the Pats a necessary spark with the punt-return TD, and he was a shoestring tackle away from housing a second one later. That’s all Drake Maye and the offense needed. They came in griping about the lack of explosive plays, but authored seven gains of 21 yards or longer against a Carolina defense that looked like it tapped out in the third quarter. The offense scored TDs on five of seven mid-game possessions, and New England’s defense rallied nicely after an ugly first series. Maye vs. Josh Allen on Sunday night could be more fun than some anticipate. [+4]
23rd –Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk):They have a chance to make a big jump, with their annual trip to Buffalo up next. [+3]
24th –Ralph Vacchiano (FOX Sports):The Patriots took advantage of every opportunity the Panthers gave them on Sunday in a remarkably efficient blowout. Even better: After a trip to Buffalo on Sunday, New England has a very favorable schedule ahead (@ Saints, @Titans, then home vs. Browns and Falcons). [+2]
24th –Conor Orr (SI):Our thoughts are with Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams as he battles prostate cancer. Cancer sucks. [-3] /Nice sentiment but… down 3?
BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 30: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta controls the ball under pressure from Kyriani Sabbe of Club Brugge during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at Stadio di Bergamo on September 30, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Atalanta had to come from behind through Lazar Samardzic and Mario Pasalic to claim their first Champions League victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Club Brugge at the New Balance Arena on Tuesday night.
There was no Isak Hien, Giorgio Scalvini or Sead Kolasinac in defence for La Dea, nor Charles De Ketelaere, Gianluca Scamacca or Nicola Zalewski further up the pitch.
That, however, meant that Ademola Lookman was called into the starting line-up for the first time this season, following his attempts to leave the club over the course of the summer transfer window. There was also a first start of the campaign for Brazilian midfielder, Ederson.
Atalanta threatened early on through Lorenzo Bernasconi, who thundered a fierce volley just wide of the target from 25 yards out after less than four minutes.
Ederson, Lookman and Mario Pasalic all tried their best to get Atalanta ahead, but it was the visitors who would claim the first-half lead.
Carlos Forbs capitalised when Marten De Roon gave up possession midway through his own half. The Portuguese played in Nicolo Tresoldi, who slipped it to Tzolis on the edge of the area, where he was able to bend past Marco Carnesecchi for 1-0.
BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 30: Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge scores his teams first goal past Marco Carnesecchi of Atalanta during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at Stadio di Bergamo on September 30, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Atalanta had to wait until the final 20 minutes to find the equaliser. Nordin Jackers did brilliantly to stop Musah while charging into the area, but the Brugge goalkeeper overcommitted and brought down Mario Pasalic on the follow-up.
Samardzic stepped up to convert the penalty just inside the right post to level for Atalanta with what was his first competitive goal this calendar year.
Then, with three minutes of regular time remaining, Pasalic stole the lead with a well-placed header from Samardzic’s corner delivery, sending the New Balance Arena into a frenzy.
Atalanta, who had been eliminated by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round last season, are now off the mark with their first victory in Europe this season.
BERGAMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 30: Lorenzo Bernasconi of Atalanta lines up a shot at goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at Stadio di Bergamo on September 30, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Leverkusen’s former gaffer, now in charge of Champions League opponents PSV, reflected on his enjoyable spell with the Bundesliga club.
Photo: Fran Santiago/Getty Images.
The visit of PSV Eindhoven to Bayer Leverkusen will be an emotional one for the visitors’ coach Peter Bosz. He managed the Bundesliga club for three seasons between 2018 and 2021.
“Leverkusen is one of the clubs where I’ve worked the longest. It was a great time, right up until the last day. I enjoyed it, except for the day I was fired,” Bosz said in his press conference.
“I’ve had a great time here with great people, players, and staff. Once a year, I meet with people from Bayer 04,” the 61-year-old added, with a smile etched across his face.
Furthermore, Bosz revealed that he was in attendance at the BayArena in April 2024 when Leverkusen clinched a the Bundesliga title with a 5-0 win over Werder Bremen.
“I was in the stadium for the championship game against Bremen in 2024. I absolutely had to see it. The football was fantastic, the positional play was outstanding,” Bosz said.
Now in charge of the reigning Eredivisie champions, Bosz will have to lay his past loyalties to the side as they go in hunt of three crucial points against Die Werkself.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prime Video will bring many of its interactive features from “Thursday Night Football” and NASCAR to its NBA coverage.
Prime will have key moments and rapid recap, allowing viewers to catch up on the game if they tuned in at some point. There will also be a way to access the team and individual stats via a traditional box score or advanced stats.
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Something new for NBA coverage will be an opt-in personalized bet tracking with FanDuel. Viewers will be able to link their Prime Video profile to their FanDuel account and track their bets. There will also be updated odds and lines during the game. However, the bet tracking feature does not offer the ability to place bets directly on Prime Video.
Some of the regional sports networks in recent seasons have done alternate broadcasts tied to betting.
Prime Video will also have a fully-customizable multiview feature where fans can pick which games they want to watch if they subscribe to Prime and NBA League Pass.
There will also be a shop the game feature, allowing fans to be able to purchase NBA merchandise.
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Prime Video begins this season with the league’s 11-year, $76 billion series of rights deals set to begin. Its first games are on Oct. 24 with a doubleheader featuring Boston at the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting Minnesota.
There will be 66 regular-season games on Prime Video this season, with Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games, and the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game of the NBA Cup in-season tournament.
Prime Video will also show all six games in the play-in tournament, then has part of the league’s playoff coverage as well.
The hits keep coming for Oklahoma State‘s 2026 recruiting class.
On Tuesday, Owasso (Okla.) three-star safety Carter Langenderfer backed off his pledge to the Cowboys, he told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. The in-state star, who had been committed since April, is the eighth prospect to decommit from the Cowboys in the past week since Gundy’s firing.
“I have made the difficult decision to decommit from Oklahoma State University,” he posted on Twitter. “My recruitment is now open.”
Langenderfer committed to Oklahoma State in April over offers from Army, Iowa State and Tulsa. But now he joins the mass exodus from the class, which kicked off last Tuesday when Jenks (Okla.) three-star running back Kaydin Jones decommitted.
They join three earlier decommitments — EDGE Jaylen Stewart, cornerback Jason Braford, and cornerback Victor Lincoln — all backed off their initial pledges this summer. Bradford ended up flipping to TCU, while Lincoln committed to Arkansas and Stewart flipped to Illinois.
More attrition expected for the Cowboys
Following Langenderfer’s departure, the Cowboys are down to just seven commitments, including their two lone four-star prospects. Defensive linemen Danny Bealeand Tajh Overton are the two crown jewels of the class, but are already being pursued by other programs. Overton was predicted on Monday to land at Missouri by Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and Sam Spiegelman.
“After Gundy’s firing, informed sources told Rivals that Overton was a prospect unlikely to sign in Stillwater,” Speigelman wrote. “We fully believe that to still be the case. After spending this weekend at Mizzou, I like the Tigers’ chances of flipping Overton. I’ve submitted a prediction reflecting the intel coming out of this visit.”
Beale, meanwhile, has yet to make any public comments since the firing. But the Tigers are also expected to be in the mix for him after being one of his top schools before committing to OSU.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder also picked up an offer from Tennessee last week.
With only the seven commitments, Oklahoma State’s class currently ranks No. 108 nationally out of 136 FBS programs.
Die Fohlen have been dealt another seismic shock not long after the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane.
Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images.
Borussia Mönchengladbach have announced that Roland Virkus will no longer operate as the club’s sporting director with immediate effect.
According to the club’s very own statement, the executive committee and supervisory board are releasing the official at their own suggestion.
Virkus and the Rhineland side will thus part ways after an impressive 35-year relationship where he filled various positions at the club.
It hasn’t yet been decided who will succeed Virkus and assume responsibility for the next transfer window.
“I’ve always said that the club is paramount, and that’s why I decided to take this step,” said Virkus regarding his departure:
“We are unanimous in our committees that we want to reposition ourselves for the future of our sporting activities,” added club president Rainer Bonhof.
Ansonia High School (Conn.) is Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) record holder for state championships at 22 and has only lost nine games in the last decade.
It has been even longer since the Chargers lost consecutive games in a row, which the last time was back in the 2005 season. In Ansonia’s 28-25 loss to Waterbury Career Academy last week, the Chargers dropped multiple games in a row for the first time in two decades and in the same style as well.
It was also the first time since 2008 that a Waterbury public high school had defeated Ansonia, which last happened on Nov. 7, 2008 against Crosby.
The Chargers started off the 2005 season with a 1-2 record, recording losses on Sep. 23 and 30 of 2005 to Holy Cross and Watertown, respectively. Ansonia started the season off 1-0 this fall with a 23-14 victory over Bloomfield, but followed it up with back-to-back losses to Seymour and Waterbury Career Academy.
Ansonia’s football program is one in transition as longtime head coach Tom Brockett retired following the 2024 season, capping one of the greatest tenures for any high school lead man. Brockett, who coached the program from 2006-2024, left Ansonia with the best winning percentage of all-time for coaches that have coached a minimum of 200 games at .922 and compiled an overall record of 215-18.
Back in April of this year, the Chargers tabbed longtime assistant coach John Mihalko as the successor to Brockett. Mihalko had been an offensive line coach for Ansonia since 2014.
For Connecticut high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Constitution State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Connecticut high school football excitement across the state.
Over the past few days, the Golden State Warriors have been rounding out their roster. Al Horford, Gary Payton II, Will Richard and De’Anthony Melton have all committed to, or signed a contract with the franchise. Those additions will ensure the Warriors have depth and talent across the board and should give them a fighting chance of contending at or near the top of the Western Conference.
When speaking to the media on Monday, September 29, Stephen Curry shared his excitement over the Warriors’ latest additions and the team’s chances of being a legitimate threat heading into the new season.
“I think with this last little piece that needs to settle, I think I’m extremely happy with a different look,” Curry said. “We’re just trying to carry the momentum that we had from last year, understanding that getting through an 82-game season is the challenge for every team, but especially a veteran team. But the way that we finished [2024-25] and the record that we had, and obviously before I got hurt during the [2025 NBA playoffs] second round, we were a relevant threat, and I think we’ve gotten better.”
If the Warriors can stay healthy and they can find a resolution to Kuminga’s current standoff, they will undoubtedly be a threat in the upcoming season. Steve Kerr should use the early part of the season to find ways to manage his veteran stars’ minutes, too, especially as they will be needed at full strength during the postseason.
Nevertheless, the Warriors have a stronger roster than the one that began the 2024-25 campaign, and for that reason, there should be little doubt about their ability to make an impact on the Western Conference championship race.
There are those who say that one or other of the McLaren drivers should have the 2025 Formula 1 world championship in the bag by now.
Within that group it has been claimed that Oscar Piastri’s peculiar off-weekend in Azerbaijan – shunting in qualifying, getting the start wrong, then crashing on the opening lap – is evidence of the Australian ‘bottling it’.
But, there is many a slip twixt cup and lip in F1. While you can count the number of times Emerson Fittipaldi crashed on the fingers of one hand, some of the greatest drivers of the past century have had embarrassing and occasionally injurious moments – even the great Jim Clark.
Here are some examples…
Juan Manuel Fangio – 1952 Monza Grand Prix
Juan Manuel Fangio (leading) contested Ulster Trophy for BRM the day before racing the new Maserati A6GCM at Monza
Photo by: Klemantaski Collection / Getty Images
The greatest driver of his era came within a whisker of only being world champion once. In 1952, when European race organisers responded to the shortage of competitive F1 cars by excluding them from championship races, Juan Manuel Fangio committed to a mixed programme of events for BRM and Maserati.
When the Italian marque announced it would have its new A6GCM F2 cars ready for the non-championship Monza Grand Prix on Sunday 8 June, it left the maestro in a pickle. He had already committed to race BRM’s temperamental Type 15 in the Ulster Trophy Formula Libre race at Dundrod road course near Lisburn in Northern Ireland. But he had also given his word to Maserati’s owner Adolfo Orsi that he would race his new car.
Fangio’s engine blew up after he made a spirited recovery from a spin at the infamous Lindsay Hairpin (witnessed by this writer’s eventual father-in-law). Prince Bira had promised to fly Fangio to Milan in his own plane but seemed to have forgotten this arrangement, and had already departed after crashing out on the opening lap.
Bad weather then left Fangio with no option but to fly to Paris and drive the rest of the way, borrowing a car from Louis Rosier for the purpose. Driving throughout the night, slapping himself in the face to stay awake, Fangio arrived at Monza with half an hour to spare and, as guest star, was allowed to start from the back of the grid in a new Maserati which had been reserved for him.
In his biography Fangio claimed to have had a shower, swallowed some aspirins, and then driven like the proverbial clappers, passing six cars on the opening lap. On the second time around he misjudged his trajectory through the second Lesmo, hit the apex kerb and went wide at the exit, where he struck a straw bale which had been baked solid in the summer sun.
The ensuing somersault was so violent that, while Fangio was thrown clear, his shoes were later found in the mangled wreck. Fangio was hospitalised for weeks with a broken neck. Early visitors to his bedside, 1951 champion Giuseppe Farina and Andre Simon, hardened racers both, retreated from the room in shock at this appearance.
Having made a remarkable recovery, Fangio promised himself never again to race while fatigued.
Alberto Ascari – 1955 Monaco Grand Prix
Alberto Ascari, Lancia D50
Photo by: Klemantaski Collection / Getty Images
A deeply superstitious man, Alberto Ascari never raced on the 26th of the month – that was the day he lost his father in a racing accident – and would make an immediate u-turn if he saw a black cat in his vicinity. For all these eccentricities, though, Ascari was an unflappable perfectionist once ensconced in the cockpit, an exemplar of precision and consistency in an era when many of the fastest drivers took every corner at the ragged edge.
Disputes with Enzo Ferrari over money led Ascari to dissolve his relationship with the Scuderia, at least at grand prix level, but committing to Lancia’s new F1 project meant the double world champion was an absentee from top-level racing for much of 1954. While technically adventurous – its engine acted as a partially stressed element of the chassis – the short-wheelbase D50 was twitchy and taming it meant the car arrived very late that year.
Ascari was one of several drivers to wilt in the Argentine summer heat in the January 1955 season opener in Buenos Aires, crashing out on the 21st lap. But it was his mishap in the next round, four months later, which was more spectacular.
In Monaco the Mercedes cars of Fangio and Stirling Moss were running 1-2, as was customary, but when Fangio’s car halted with a broken driveshaft at half distance and then Moss’s engine blew with 20 of the 100 laps to go, Ascari was in the lead. It’s said that a group of the drivers had taken a stroll around the circuit that morning and, as they reached the chicane, one had gestured at the inner apex and said, “Whoever touches here, goes in the water.” Ascari had scurried away in search of a wooden object to touch.
Moss had been within half a minute or so of lapping Ascari when his engine let go, so the Italian had no idea he was now in the lead as he made his way down through the hairpin, into the tunnel and out again. There would have been no signals warning of oil from Moss’s Mercedes. Some believe Ascari could have been distracted by cheers from the crowd, who had been informed of the development by the trackside commentator.
The actual cause remains an object of speculation. But, at the chicane, the paragon of precision and consistency lost control and speared over the balustrade, into the harbour, breaking his nose in the process. “At least I can swim,” he’s said to have told Fangio later.
Jim Clark – 1965 Race of Champions
Jim Clark, Lotus 33 Climax, leads Dan Gurney, Brabham BT11 Climax
Photo by: David Phipps / Sutton Images via Getty Images
It is extraordinary to imagine a driver of Clark’s gifts making an error – if he did, his peerless car control was sure to swiftly catch and correct it before the human eye could discern it – and yet there is one documented example of him blundering during his pomp. 1965 was the year he won the world championship and the Indy 500, but he also had a clumsy-looking shunt in the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.
Clark won the first heat after a spirited dice with Dan Gurney’s Brabham in the usual damp conditions one would expect of mid-March in the garden of England. In the second he was duking it out with Gurney once more when he slid wide at what is now known as Graham Hill Bend, putting a wheel on the grass before smiting an earth bank. Clark’s team-mate Mike Spence, third in the first heat, came through to win.
Later Clark would claim via his regular column in the Daily Telegraph that he had been driving well within himself to get a read on how well Gurney’s Goodyears compared with his Dunlops in the slippery conditions, but still couldn’t understand why the accident happened.
Jack Brabham – 1970 Monaco Grand Prix
Jack Brabham, Brabham BT33 Ford
Photo by: Rainer Schlegelmilch / Getty Images
For all that ‘Black Jack’ Brabham brought an edgy and aggressive style born from his formative experiences racing ‘Midget’ cars on dirt, he rarely met the scenery. Even a dramatic off early in his grand prix career, Portugal 1959, came as a consequence of lapping a wayward backmarker.
Jack always blamed mobile chicane Mario de Araujo Cabral for the shunt which involved him somersaulting into a trackside telegraph pole and being thrown from his car into the path of Cooper team-mate Masten Gregory. His only other serious accidents during his frontline racing career came as a consequence of tyre failures.
Brabham had hoped to retire at the end of 1969 and have Jochen Rindt as his lead driver, but Rindt – guided by manager Bernie Eccclestone – succumbed to the temptation of more money and what was likely a faster car at Lotus. As it panned out, the new Lotus 72’s anti-dive, anti-squat suspension geometry was an ill-sorted mess in the 1970 season opener while Jack’s new BT33, engineer Ron Tauranac’s first monocoque, was handily quick.
In Monaco a disgruntled Rindt reverted to the ageing 49C and was in an unmotivated funk all weekend, even kicking an overly officious policeman who demanded to see his pass on the way to the grid. That all changed in the closing laps of the race as he found himself in second place with Brabham up front.
With three laps to go, Brabham was badly baulked on the run up the hill by Jo Siffert, who was weaving to cure a fuel-feed problem and paying inadequate attention to his mirrors. Now Jack could see Jochen in his mirrors – and what an unnerving sight the newly remotivated Rindt must have been, even to a three-time world champion. The Lotus was now on the giddy edge of adhesion as its driver closed in.
On the last lap, with the final corner approaching, Brabham had to lap Piers Courage’s limping De Tomaso and his trajectory took him off the racing line. His left-front wheel locked up first, then the other, and he slid into the barrier.
Some kind soul has uploaded footage of the final lap onto YouTube, where you can witness those final moments – including Rindt’s disbelieving shake of the head as he passes the scene to inherit the win.
Jody Scheckter – 1973 British Grand Prix
Jody Scheckter, McLaren M23 Ford
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Six years later he would be crowned world champion but, in 1973, Jody Scheckter was an altogether rawer talent. His performances in a McLaren in Formula 2 led to a handful of appearances in a third McLaren in grands prix, and it was during the fourth of these, only his second championship outing in the new M23, that he attained a degree of infamy which would dog him for several seasons.
Scheckter qualified sixth – team-mates Denny Hulme and Peter Revson were second and third. The South African rookie made a great start to annex fourth and was impetuously challenging Hulme around the outside at Woodcote when he spun, rebounding off the outside barrier back across the track.
As a consequence the multi-car accident increased in magnitude as those behind took evasive action. By the time the dust settled, nine cars had been eliminated and the race was red-flagged.
McLaren team manager Phil Kerr then had to smuggle Scheckter out of the circuit to avoid a furious John Surtees, who had lost all three of his works cars in the accident.
Ayrton Senna – 1988 Monaco Grand Prix
Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/4
Photo by: Sutton Images
We’ll overlook Ayrton Senna’s mishap in Dallas in 1984 because, famously, it was the wall which moved. At Monaco in 1988 Senna delivered the qualifying lap to end of all qualifying laps, seemingly entering a fugue state.
“I was already on pole and I was going faster and faster,” he would say later. “One lap after the other – quicker, and quicker, and quicker.
“I was at one stage just on pole, then by half a second, and then one second. And I kept going. Suddenly, I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team-mate with the same car. And I suddenly realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously.”
It is a moment which lives in F1’s collective mythology even though there is, sadly, no TV footage of it. Just as extraordinary were the events of the following day, where Senna swept away from the field and commanded the race with imperious hauteur – right up until the moment team boss Ron Dennis radioed him to slow down.
With fewer than 12 laps to go, Senna enjoyed a lead of nearly a minute to team-mate Alain Prost but had begun to push again, to Dennis’s chagrin. At Portier Senna slewed into the outside barrier and took both left-hand wheels off; frustrated, he stalked back to his apartment and stewed.
The TV coverage was once again wanting so no footage exists of the crash, but Senna later admitted that he had lost concentration and rhythm after the instruction to slow down, clipping the inside barrier.
Alain Prost – 1991 San Marino Grand Prix
Nigel Mansell, Williams FW14 Renault, Alain Prost, Ferrari 642, Gerhard Berger, McLaren MP4/6 Honda
Photo by: Motorsport Images
In hindsight this was the beginning of the end of the professor’s relationship with the Scuderia. Despite Prost’s podium finish in the 1991 season opener at the unloved Phoenix street circuit, Ferrari’s 642 quickly proved to be a dud – to the extent that it would be replaced by an extensively reworked car mid-season.
Even this does not explain Prost’s peculiar exit from the San Marino Grand Prix, where on the formation lap he slithered off the wet track on the right-hand kink leading up to the Rivazza corner. McLaren’s Gerhard Berger also went over the grass but managed to rejoin, while Prost beached and stalled while facing the wrong way, failing to make the start.
Despite his status as a three-time world champion, he would be fired before season’s end, returning only after a season’s hiatus to claim his fourth crown in a Williams in 1993.
Mika Hakkinen, McLaren
Photo by: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images
If the second of Mika Hakkinen’s world championships seems as inevitable as the first when viewed through the rose-tinted prism of hindsight, it was anything but – despite his nemesis Michael Schumacher being absent for much of the second half of the season after breaking his leg at Silverstone.
Michael’s team-mate Eddie Irvine pulled himself into title contention with a strong showing in Austria, followed by a gifted win (from stand-in team-mate Mika Salo) at Hockenheim. Hakkinen, in contrast, seemed discombobulated as his lead evaporated – not helped by his own team-mate, David Coulthard, nerfing him out of the way to win at Spa.
They arrived at Monza with Mika on 60 points and Eddie on 59 – these were the days, you see, before points were distributed like wedding confetti. Hakkinen set pole ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Mugen-powered Jordan, and now it was Irvine’s turn to stamp his feet in frustration as he qualified eighth, over a second off Hakkinen’s pole time.
In the race Hakkinen blasted away into a lead which grew and grew, to the point where the gap to Irvine could have been better measured with an egg timer rather than a stopwatch. Then on lap 30 Hakkinen locked his rear wheels mid-way through the first chicane – then a slightly faster configuration than it is now – and spun off into the gravel.
In a momentary lapse of concentration he had downshifted one gear too many, into first rather than second. Mika departed the cockpit as if the car were aflame, threw his gloves down in frustration, sat down behind a tree and wept. But even this was not destined to be a private moment, for it was caught by the prowling TV helicopter…