Ayrton Senna

Brazil's federal police have broken up a plot by a Rio de Janeiro-based gang to kidnap two-time Formula One driving champion Ayrton Senna, officials said Saturday. The kidnapers planned to abduct Senna within the next month as he traveled the 93 miles from his summer home in the coastal resort of Angra dos Reis to Rio, federal police inspector Jorge Mario Gomes said.

Driver Ayrton Senna collided with Alain Prost on the first turn of the first lap of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, knocking both Prost's Ferrari and Senna's McLaren-Honda out of the race. That clinched the world driving championship for Senna. In Milan, Gazetto dello Sport, Italy's largest sports daily, ran a front-page headline: "Senna, world champion pirate." And continued: "The Brazilian rams Prost and makes his title dirty."

Victory for race driver Ayrton Senna came suddenly Sunday at Suzuka, Japan. Even before he turned the first corner, he was the Formula One driving champion. The Brazilian's rival, Alain Prost of France, crashed his red Ferrari into Senna's McLaren-Honda, sending parts flying only seconds after the start of the Japanese Grand Prix. Because neither driver could finish, Senna walked away with the title.

Brazil's Ayrton Senna gained the provisional pole position for the Portuguese Grand Prix today with a last-minute qualifying record. Senna, in a McLaren-Honda, raced around the 2.703-mile Autodrome circuit in 1 minute, 14.246 seconds--an average of 131.06 m.p.h. He did his lap as time was running out in the one-hour session. He had the previous best time, 1:15.468, which gained him the pole last year. Alain Prost of France, the three-time world champion now in a Ferrari, followed Senna at 1:14.

Gerhard Berger of Austria had a fast qualifying lap of 134.173 m.p.h. in edging McLaren-Honda teammate Ayrton Senna for the provisional pole of the Grand Prix of San Marino at Imola, Italy.

Alain Prost won his third Formula One world championship last year for McLaren, but there were no smiles from the little Frenchman. Ayrton Senna, who finished second, rarely smiles for any reason. Last year, he had reason not to smile after being disqualified, fined, suspended and threatened with expulsion at the Japanese Grand Prix for a transgression that contributed to his losing the world championship he had won in 1988. But that was last year.

Former world champion driver Ayrton Senna will be able to race on the Formula One circuit this year after being granted a license today by the International Auto Sports Federation. The Brazilian was one of two McLaren-Honda drivers among 35 competitors named on a revised federation list as having been granted the special license required for the circuit. The original list did not include Senna's name.