The F1 Historian

The F1 circus arrived in Rio de Janerio to much fanfare. The teams had already been at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet circuit for testing during the winter, and as a result their cars were well adjusted to the Brazilian track. Testing had been dominated by Scuderia Ferrari, leading many to believe that the team had kept the advantage it had gained at the end of the previous season. Ferrari's testing times were faster than times set during the 1987 Grand Prix, despite regulations meant to limit the power of the turbocharged engines, causing speculation on the legality of Ferrari's 1988 challenger. Speculation also existed around the Honda powered cars, for they were the only teams to build an entirely new car, complete with a brand new Honda engine. The general consensus leading up to the Grand Prix was that Ferrari was the team to beat, with Mclaren and Lotus close behind. 

In qualifying Senna took a sensational pole in his first race for Mclaren. Senna was over hal…