1991 Season — Regulations

The NA V10/V12 Era began with the turbo ban in 1989, returning F1 to naturally aspirated engines with a new 3.5-liter formula. This era is defined by the titanic Prost-Senna rivalry, the emergence of active suspension technology, and ultimately, a dramatic crackdown on driver aids that culminated in the 1994 safety crisis. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost continued their fierce rivalry, now with Senna at McLaren and Prost at Ferrari (1990) then Williams (1993). Their collision at Suzuka in 1990 — Senna deliberately drove into Prost at the first corner — remains one of F1's most controversial moments. Prost won the 1989 and 1993 titles; Senna took 1990 and 1991. Active suspension, traction control, and ABS became increasingly sophisticated, with Williams' 1992 FW14B being the most technologically advanced F1 car to that date. Nigel Mansell dominated 1992 with the active-suspension Williams. In 1993, Prost won the championship in a further-developed Williams before retiring. The crackdown came in 1994: all electronic driver aids were banned, cars were simplified, and safety standards were tightened — but not in time to prevent the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola. The loss of Senna, arguably the greatest driver in F1 history, led to a revolution in safety standards that would shape the next decade of regulations. The tyre war between Goodyear and Pirelli ended with Goodyear's sole-supplier period (1992-1996). Refueling was reintroduced in 1994 to improve racing spectacle.