Ayrton Senna's Top Five Drives

As I am writing this, it has been 23 years since Ayrton Senna lost his life in a horrific accident at the San Morino Grand Prix. This surely is a better time than any to look back and reflect on some of the drives which listed Senna as one of the all time greats.

5: Senna’s 1988 Monaco Pole Lap.

A lap, ranked as arguably the best qualifying lap in F1 history, was accomplished at the glitz and glamor of the Monaco street circuit by none other than Ayrton Senna. Ayrton wrestled his McLaren round the circuit 1.4 seconds quicker than his team-mate Alain Prost, an already 2 time world champion. The lap that Ayrton accomplished took the car past the point of what should have mechanically been able to do, and further so. Although in the race, Ayrton would crash into the barriers on lap 66 from a huge lead to Alain Prost, the lap he completed in qualifying would go down in history.

4: Ayrton’s First World Championship

The 1988 season was the first big chance that Ayrton had to be crowned world champion, piloting the famously quick McLaren-Honda MP4/4. 1988 was also the year which sparked possibly the most famous rivalry of all time: Senna v Prost. Driving the same cars, the championship came to the penultimate race of the season, at Suzuka. In order to be crowned world champion for the first time, Ayrton needed to win at this race, whereas Prost needed to finish ahead of Senna to keep the championship race alive until the final round at Australia.

Senna would line up on pole, alongside his championship rival, seemingly having the advantage for when the lights were to go green. This was not the case however, Senna would stall off the line and drop to 14th, whereas Prost would lead Berger into turn one. Ayrton did not give up, and with nothing to lose and everything to gain Ayrton would quickly find his way back up the field. On lap 14 the rain started to fall, aiding Senna in making his way up through the field. By lap 27, thanks to a malfunctioning gearbox and back markers slowing Prost down, Senna made a move for the lead and pulled it off. Once this happened Senna pulled away, setting fastest laps and a lap record too. He then went on to win the race and would therefore won his first Formula One World Championship.

3: 1993 European Grand Prix Opening Lap

1993 is described, by many, to be Ayrton’s best season, with stand-out drives such as the Brazilian and Monaco Grand Prix in the underpowered Ford driven McLaren. These two races, however, would be shadowed by Senna’s amazing performance at the European Grand Prix being hosted at Donnington Park.

Qualifying 4th, behind the Benentton of Micheal Schumacher and the two Williams’ of Prost and Hill, Senna would get off to a poor start on the wet track and loose a position to Karl Wendlinger, in the Sauber. 4th, from Micheal, would be quickly retaken and then Ayrton would make an amazing move around the outside of Wendlinger through the first part of the fast Craner Curves. He then would make a move on Damon Hill for second and then an overtake for the lead on Prost into the Melbourne Hairpin. Senna, however, would loose the lead to Prost later in the race, due to issues with his pitstop, but this would not last with Ayrton winning the race over a minute ahead of second place driver Damon Hill and lapping everyone else on the track.

The opening lap which Senna performed would go down in history as F1’s greatest opening lap.

2: 1984 Monaco Grand Prix

1984 marked Senna’s start to his Formula One career, and showed great promise throughout the entirety of the season in the Toleman. His outstanding performance of the year, though, would be at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, with Ayrton showing fantastic ability to drive in the torrential conditions of the unforgiving street circuit.

The race was held in heavy rain and Ayrton, starting from 13th, would make his way up the field showing stunning ability to overtake round a river which slightly resembled the layout of the Monaco circuit. Ayrton, would soon enough find himself in second position and showed spectacular pace still, and was gaining on the race leader, Alain Prost, at a phenomenal rate. Ayrton, however, would not be able to take race victory, as the race was red flagged, because the conditions had become too dangerous for the race to continue safely, before he had the chance to challenge for victory. Even though Ayrton would not be the first to see the chequered flag, he was the prominent driver of the race, showing levels of ability that was expected of an experienced driver, not a rookie to the sport.

Who knows what could have happened if the race had not been red flagged; maybe Ayrton would have won his first race then, round the Principality instead of Portugal, or maybe he would have crashed out before he had the chance to cross the line. We will never know, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Ayrton had driven one of the greatest drives F1 was to see.

1: 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix

Ayrton had never won at home before 1991, but it was something of which he had always wanted to accomplish in his career.

Senna would line up on pole position at the São Paulo race circuit, ahead of Ricardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell. Ayrton would get off to a perfect start and Mansell would overtake Patrese into turn one. By lap 8, Senna had extended his lead to a comfortable 3 seconds from Mansell and would seemingly win the race. However, the Williams of Nigel Mansell soon started closing the gap to the McLaren of Senna and by lap 20 the margin was less than a second. Mansell would then come in for a new set of tires on lap 24 but would have an awful stop, lasting around fourteen seconds and meant that he would be seven seconds behind the leading McLaren of Senna, after he had made his stop. Mansell once more was on the charge, but once more a strike of bad luck would hinder Nigel, as he would pick up a puncture on lap 50 and would need a new set of tires.

Un-knowning to observers, however, Ayrton’s gearbox would begin to fail, having lost fourth gear. By lap 60 the Brazilian’s lead to the Brit of Mansell was halved because of this issue, but yet, ironically Mansell would have to retire by the next lap, thanks to gearbox issues of his own. With just a couple of laps left though, gears three and five gave up on Senna’s McLaren meaning that it was not to be an easy drive to the flag. Having to maintain sixth through the slow speed corners, Ayrton almost stalled a few times, and immense strain was going through his entire body, considerable tiring him. It should not have been possible to drive the car like so, but Ayrton still continued, for his want to win at home was too much to give up after so many years of trying. Senna would cross the line to win the race that he had always wanted to win, and he began to scream in celebration for achieving his dream of winning at home. Senna would then pass out thanks to the immense struggle of wrestling the broken McLaren round the track and was almost unable to move on his own.

The 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix showed the determination that Ayrton had to win, even if it was to be seemingly impossible. That determination to win was what made Ayrton so great and what made him who he was. On the first of May 1994, the entirety of motorsport had lost an amazing talent who deserved to do so much more with his life, whether it be winning more championships or helping those in need in Brazil. Ayrton Senna was a truly inspiring person. RIP.