Senna Can’t Race Until He Retracts Allegations

Ayrton Senna of Brazil, the 1988 Formula One world champion, will not be allowed to race on the Grand Prix circuit this year unless he retracts his criticism of the International Automobile Federation, the federation’s president said today.

Senna has charged that he was manipulated out of any shot at the 1989 world driving championship so that Frenchman Alain Prost would win it. Senna’s hopes for the title ended when he was disqualified in the Japanese Grand Prix, the next-to-last race of the season.

“The council will not grant a 1990 super license for the season so long as he doesn’t change his statements or alter the lies and detriment he caused to FISA,” federation President Jean-Marie Balestre said. FISA is the International Federation of Auto Sports, the governing body of Formula One racing.

Balestre cited a code of conduct regulation requiring all drivers to respect the decisions of the sport’s governing body.

Senna finished first in the Japanese race but was disqualified for taking a short cut after a collision. He bitterly disputed the ruling.

“It is clear that political and economic pressure groups manipulated behind the scenes to make Prost this year’s champion,” Senna said at news conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on Nov. 10.

He charged that the manipulation was orchestrated by “Jean-Marie Balestre, who out of patriotism, friendship or for other reasons I prefer not to mention, wanted to see Prost as champion.”

Balestre said that he met Senna in December in an effort to make peace but that his bid for “reconciliation with Mr. Senna was to no avail.”

Senna and his lawyer presented their case in a session with the World Motor Council the next day “to explain his slander and his statements,” Balestre said.

He said he and members of the world council are very upset by Senna’s refusal to back down from his statements.

“The international federation showed Mr. Senna there was no manipulation in the event,” Balestre said. He said the race stewards were correct in disqualifying Senna from the Japanese race.

Senna’s McLaren team appealed the disqualification, but the decision was upheld by the international tribunal. FISA presented a report labeling Senna as a dangerous driver and listed past incidents in support of its charge.