Alain Prost's fated Ferrari 641/2 F1 car under the hammer at Maranello auction

Think this year's F1 season has been exciting? Truth be told it's been a refreshing change-up from the domination of the giants. But if anything, that just makes us more nostalgic for the clash of the titans that characterized past seasons. And none were as fierce as the rivalry between Ayrton Senna at McLaren and Alain Prost at Ferrari.

After a highly competitive 1989 season with both drivers at McLaren and Prost crowned champion, the Frenchman switched to Ferrari for 1990 to team up with Nigel Mansell. It was a dream team in Maranello, and the rivalry between Prost and Senna was intensified. By the penultimate round in Japan, all Senna needed was for Prost not to finish the race and the title would be his, even if Senna himself didn't finish either. Senna was on pole, Prost right next to him. The lights flashed green, both drivers sped into the first corner where Senna closed the door on Prost and the two collided. Their race was over, and the title was handed to Senna. It was a highly controversial way to decide the championship, both drivers insisting the other was at fault. And this is the car it happened in.

In 1990, Prost drove Ferrari 641/2 chassis #121 to two third-place finishes, two second places and one victory. And it was in the car he was driving when Senna knocked him out of the running. Since that fateful season, it has resided in several prominent collections in the U.S. and Japan, before undergoing a €110,000 restoration at the Ferrari factory, where the car will be up for sale next month as part of the Leggenda e Passione auction event that will also feature the '67 330 P4 and '57 250 Testa Rossa we reported on earlier. Chassis 121 is expected to fetch €300.000-€400.000. Follow the link for more information, and check out the images in the gallery below.

[Source: RM Auctions | Images: Tom Wood/RM Auctions]