The Biggest Pranksters in Formula 1

On the race track, Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger were fierce teammates. But off the track, their rivalry looked a little different. Ayrton was one of the most serious drivers in Formula 1, and when Gerhard joined McLaren, he made it his mission to break down this stone-cold exterior. His weapon of choice? Practical jokes.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's late October nineteen ninety, a few days before the
Australian Formula One Grand Prix. McLaren's Airton Center is enjoying
some well earned downtime in Port Douglas. It's early morning
and Aton wakes up in his hotel room. Immediately he
realizes that he's not alone. There's something moving around his room.

(00:26):
They're toads, cane toads hopping all around the place. Ayrton
is a little rattle by the surprise guests and quickly
begins rounding up the toads. He has a pretty good
idea about how they got there. Ayrton heads across the
hallway for a word with his McLaren team mate Gerhard Berger.

(00:51):
I've spent the last hour catching twelve frogs in my room.
Berger has a huge grin on his face. Did you
find the snake? Hi? I'm Tony Armstrong and this is
the pool room where we celebrate the winners, losers and

(01:12):
the weird stuff between. Gerhard Berger joined the McLaren team
in nineteen ninety, coming from Ferrari. He'd already proven himself

(01:34):
to be an accomplished driver. Now teaming up with Airton
Center was a move that could give Berger a genuine
shot at the championship. The two drivers were competitors as
much as they were teammates. On the track, it was
all business, but off it, Gerhard and Anton were racing's
biggest pranksters. The practical joke started almost as soon as

(01:57):
Gerhard had arrived while at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.
He and Aedton were taking a helicopter right Ayrton had
just bought a new carbon fiber briefcase and was bragging
about how it was supposedly indestructible. Well, Gerhard thought he'd
put that theory to the test. While the helicopter was midflight,
he took the briefcase and threw it out the window.

(02:20):
Sur fast to say, Ayrton was not impressed for the record.
A briefcase was found later and was very much intact,
So I guess that's one all Ayrton center was stern
and focused. He was the last person in Formula One
you'd expect to see joking around. This stone cold exterior

(02:41):
was what Gerhard Berger attempted to break down. Maybe Ayton
realized he didn't have much choice but to play along,
and so he decided to fight back f On team
spent most of the year traveling wherever Gerhard and It
and happened to be was fair game. Initially, the pranks

(03:01):
started small. On a train ride in Japan, Airton philled
Gerhard's dress shoes with shaving cream. The two drivers were
due to attend a formal dinner that evening. Gerhard didn't
have time to clean the shoes and had to wear
runners with his tuxedo. On other occasions, Gerhard would attempt
to push it and into hotel swimming pools while fully clothed.

(03:30):
The practical jokes even extended to the racetrack, with the
pit crew and mechanics joining in. Team boss Ron Dennis
didn't try to stop the pranks. In fact, he encouraged them.
This is what Dennis said, Gerhard gave me the perfect
weapon to deal with Airton because he brought humor to
the team. The concept of telling a joke andon laughing

(03:51):
at it was not even possible before Gerhard joined the team.
One time, mcle I remember running some tests at a
practice circuit. It was a small, unusual track without a
proper bit laane. The mechanics sent it and out for
some laps, directing him to turn left at the track entrance.

(04:12):
Three laps in Aton realized he was driving in the
wrong direction. Gradually the pranks began to escalate. On a
trip to Argentina, Airton presented his passport for inspection, but
it wasn't Airton's face looking back at the officer. His
photo had been replaced with a pornographic image. It was

(04:33):
another Gerhard Burger joke. Border protection officers didn't think it
was too funny, though they detained Aton for twenty four hours.
Don't worry. Aton retaliated. He superglued Gerhard's credit cards together.
It didn't come naturally to Ayton center, but he came

(04:55):
to dish out the jokes as much as he learned
to take them. As payback for the cane toads in
his Douglas hotel room, Eton placed a potent smelly cheese
in the air conditioning in Gerhard's room. Erton and Gerhard
were teammates for three years, and at the height of
their highjinks, they were teaming up to play pranks on

(05:17):
other McLaren staff. One night, a mechanic arrived back at
their hotel room to find it was completely empty. All
the furniture had been removed, even their clothes were missing.
In nineteen ninety three, Gerhard left McLaren and returned to Ferrari,
where his practical jokes continued. Tragically, Aton Senter died in

(05:43):
a race the following year. He was just thirty four
years old and at the height of his career. Reflecting
on their friendship years later, Gerhard said, I taught him
how to laugh, He taught me how to drive. Thanks

(06:19):
so much for listening to the poolroom. I'm Tony Armstrong
and this has been an iHeart production. I'll speak to
you next time.