OUR TRIBUTE TO
AYRTON SENNA
This summer, we were proud to be honouring the motorsport career of the late, great Ayrton Senna and his incredible 30-year legacy as we paid special tribute over the Festival weekend.
Image above, credit: NORIO KOIKE©️ASE2024
We had a stunning line-up of almost 30 cars representing Senna's career in motorsport, from teenage karting right up to his FIA Formula One World Championship titles...
One of only two 102 cm wheelbase karts made for testing the 1979 World Championship, where team drivers Peter Koene and Ayrton Senna came 1st and 2nd. Although no 102 cm karts were used at the championship, this kart, restored in Senna’s unique livery, was likely used by him in preparation for the title.
The car that launched Ayrton Senna’s F1 career in the 1984 FIA World Championship and in which he collected his first World Championship points. In this car, Senna competed in the ‘84 season opener, his home Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internacional do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He finished an impressive ninth overall in the 1984 season with Toleman.
C240 HVW is one of six prototypes built to launch the Sierra Cosworth. At the end of 1986, Car and Car Conversions magazine invited Ayrton Senna to drive this and five other rally cars on a special stage in mid-Wales. Read more about what happened when recently reunited these rally cars here.
It was Sunday, 21 April 1985, and the Portuguese Grand Prix. Behind the wheel of a Lotus 97T was Ayrton Senna, just turned 25 years old. In just his second race for Lotus, Senna took the first of 41 career F1 victories – six for Lotus – and a legend was born.
Ayrton Senna helped Honda to hone the NSX prior to its launch improving the chassis making it a more balanced car. This particular NSX driven by Ayrton Senna during visits to the country, as well as by his nephew Bruno, whose signature is featured in the engine bay.
The MP4/6-6, was first used at the 1991 Monaco GP where it became the T-car for Ayrton Senna’s use. Ayrton set pole position in his normal race car, but preferred the balance and feel of the T-car, but the stronger engine in the race car, so it was decided to use T-car in the race but swap the engines between the two cars. Senna subsequently led the race from start to finish, comfortably winning by 18 seconds. In total, a magnificent seven Marlboro-liveried McLaren MP4s will be joining us.
