Monaco Grand Prix 

Even though his Lotus didn’t look very reliable for the 78 laps in Monaco, Senna knew that, besides the track in Monaco was narrow, he could outdo other strong teams such as Williams, Ferrari, and McLaren with his talent in the fight for pole position. 
During the qualifying sessions, Senna ran 16 laps and had a best time of 1min20s450, just 0s066 ahead of Nigel Mansell. Senna understood the significance of securing a pole position, especially considering the narrow track in Monaco that provided limited chances for overtaking. With Williams, Ferrari, McLaren, and even Lotus performing strongly throughout the season, he knew that starting at the front would greatly benefit his chances of success.
American driver Eddie Cheever would start alongside Alboreto, with Prost and Boutsen right behind them, in the third row.
On that Saturday night, after the Formula 3 race, Ayrton Senna went on a long walk through the streets of Monte Carlo. He walked anonymously through the sinuous circuit of the Principality.
He relished in the third consecutive pole position of the season – the first of five he would get in Monaco. He carefully examined every corner of the urban track like someone wishing to trace a path to victory. He had come so close with Toleman the previous year. Would his luck change this time? 

Senna’s euphoria would only last for 18 minutes. On the 13th lap, his Renault engine started smoking. Ayrton slowed down at the straight, and Alboreto took the lead.
As his Renault EF15 engine threatened to blow up, the Brazilian driver completed another lap and took the car to the garage. Despite the mechanics’ best efforts, he had to retire.
Three laps after that, another incident changed the course of the race. Nelson Piquet tried to pass Riccardo Patrese while fighting for ninth place, but both cars crashed at the Saint Devote exit, the track’s first corner. Still in the lead, Alboreto lost traction on the oil spill from the accident and hit the brakes too late, handing the top spot to Prost, who won the race.
The Italian driver even had to drive in reverse, something unusual in Formula 1, to get back to the track and climb on the podium in second place, with Elio de Angelis, Ayrton Senna’s Lotus teammate, in third.
At the overall standings, Elio de Angelis had 20 points, Prost and Alboreto had 18, Patrick Tambay had 10, and Ayrton Senna had 9, after Monaco’s results.
Disappointed with his performance, Ayrton Senna promised himself that he would win in Monaco one day, unaware he would fulfill this promise many times over the following years.
“I will still secure a win here.”