Neil Oatley

World Champion designer Neil Oatley discusses the intense rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren in the late 1980s. He shares insights into their clash of personalities, competition for victory, and team dominance, offering a fascinating look into the mindset and motivations of these legendary drivers.

McLaren’s prestige in Formula 1 is built on the foundations of legendary success. The team has won eight Constructor titles and produced some of the most distinguished World Champions to grace the sport. That history wouldn’t exist without the genius of people like Neil Oatley.  Neil first made a name for himself as a race engineer at Williams in the late 1970’s, but it was as McLaren’s chief designer when Neil really certified his status as one of the most influential engineers of all time. From 1989 to 1999, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Mika Hakkinen all won World Championships in cars designed by Oatley.  In a fascinating conversation with Tom Clarkson, Neil relives some of the most iconic memories from his extraordinary career. He reveals what it was like to work with some of the greatest drivers and to have a front-row seat for Senna and Prost’s fierce rivalry.  Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Related Episodes Lando Norris Oscar Piastri  Lewis Hamilton  Mika Hakkinen, two-time World Champion with McLaren  Alain Prost, won three titles at McLaren  Alan Jones, 1980 World Champion at Williams Frank Dernie, legendary F1 engineer  Sir Patrick Head, former Williams Technical Director  Steve Nichols, Head Car Designer in McLaren’s title-winning 1988 season  This episode is sponsored by:  MoneyGram: flex your finances using the only digital wallets with real cash access activated by MoneyGram. Learn more at moneygram.com/stellarwallets. Athletic Greens: get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/f1btg.