Zeltweg, in Austria, was a very fast track, where the winner could speed up to an average speed of 252 km/h (156 mph).
Therefore, it would the perfect race for Senna, who had a powerful engine, despite its poorer gas mileage and greater instability.
But it didn’t go quite that way. It was already known that the Renault and it’s turbo would no longer be at Formula 1 and was only fulfilling it’s supplier contract, without worrying about competition.
Proof of this lack of interest was the engine’s failure in this Grand Prix. Lotus did not allow Senna to secure anything more than the eighth position on the grid. During the race, the engine failed on lap 13.
As he was in Austria, a country known for it’s contributions to music, Ayrton Senna couldn’t contain himself and commented on the performance of his Renault engine:
“It is dancing to The Goodbye Waltz.”
Austrian gp
1º
T. Fabi
2º
G. Berger
3º
K. Rosberg
4º
R. Patrese
5º
A. Prost
6º
N. Mansell
7º
N. Piquet
8º
Ayrton Senna
9º
M. Alboreto
10º
D. Warwick
11º
P. Alliot
12º
R. Arnoux
13º
P. Tambay
14º
S. Johansson
15º
J. Drumfries
16º
A. Jones
17º
M. Brundle
18º
T. Boutsen
19º
A. Nannini
20º
P. Streiff
21º
J. Palmer
22º
C. Danner
23º
A. de Cesaris
24º
H. Rothengatter
25º
P. Ghinzani
26º
A. Berg
52
laps
26
cars
14
Retirements
1’29”444
fastest lap
1º
sunny weather
podium
1º
A. Prost
2º
M. Alboreto
3º
S. Johansson
–
final position (retired on lap 13)
3º
position in championship following the race
8º
starting place
0
championship points accumulated
1’33”437
best lap
It (the Renault engine) is dancing to The Goodbye Waltz.