Watch: Onboard with Ayrton Senna as he qualifies on pole for the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix, beating McLaren teammate Alain Prost by 1.7 seconds

A video clip of Ayrton Senna's incredible 1989 Japanese Grand Prix pole position lap has surfaced on Instagram. The Brazilian dominated the session, beating rival and teammate Alain Prost by 1.7 seconds. Watch the clip below:

Many believe Senna was in a league of his own on the Suzuka circuit in Japan. His performances that year proved his sheer pace during qualifying sessions. His rival Alain Prost qualified in P2, 1.7s behind the Brazilian, despite having equal machinery. Prost, however, later revealed that he had his car set up for race-pace instead of qualifying. McLaren's cars were so dominant at the time that the Frenchman could comfortably qualify in second place despite his unusual setup.

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Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost crashed out in Suzuka

The championship battle between the two McLaren drivers was very intense. The Frenchman held only a slight advantage over the Brazilian heading into the event. Prost could afford to have a non-point finish in the race, unlike Senna, who needed to beat his rival. Prost's plan worked to perfection as he got away from Senna in the opening stages of the race the following day.

The Frenchman had prepared for a full-tank stint and held the lead in the race for the majority of the race distance. Meanwhile, Senna gained time massively to his rival by pitting for fresher tires. The Brazilian's sheer pace was brutal, enabling him to try a move on his team-mate on lap 47 of the race.

Prost closed the door on Senna and both cars came to a slow halt. The Frenchman suffered mechanical issues but reigning world champion Ayrton Senna managed to get going once again due to help from the marshals.

The FIA had an issue with the Brazilian having cut the final chicane, despite not gaining any significant advantage from the move. Senna's win was stripped by the FIA, who also slapped the driver with a six-month race ban and a hefty fine.

Ayrton Senna has since been hailed as one of the all-time greats despite not having the most number of title wins. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has since claimed that Senna is his favorite driving legend, paying tribute to the Brazilian on multiple occasions.

At the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, the Briton channeled Senna's magical overtaking skills and won the race despite starting in tenth place. He also unveiled a special helmet as a tribute to the F1 legend. Hamilton said of the Brazilian:

“My greatest inspiration. It was the way he raced, his passion for life and for the sport. But more than anything it was the way he faced alone a system that wasn’t always kind to him. May Ayrton Senna’s legacy live on forever, especially vibrant this weekend.”

Ayrton Senna's legacy lives on, not only in the F1 community, but also in Brazil — where the driver has set up multiple charities for the less fortunate. His lightning-fast lap times and fighting spirit live on in the hearts of F1 fans around the world.