Top 10 Racing Cars Of Ayrton Senna's Legend

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Ayrton Senna was arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver of his generation, maybe even ever. His command over the car, huge ambition, and spirited driving made him one of the most popular racers to spectate. However, his talent was prematurely extinguished after a fatal crash in Italy on 1 May 1994. The world of motorsport and his home nation of Brazil mourned his loss.

25 years since his death, Senna’s achievements are still celebrated. Here are his top 10 racing cars in memory of this motorsport icon.

"And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." — Ayrton Senna.

Toleman TG184

After a series of tests for various F1 teams, Senna had proven himself to be faster than many already established drivers. However, vacancies were scarce, and so he made his debut in 1984 driving this Toleman TG184.

The car wasn’t all that competitive, in fact he retired from his race debut due to engine issues, but the man later proved he could outperform the machine he was given. Senna scored his first podium in F1 at the Monaco Grand Prix — an impressive second place finish.

Mercedes-Benz 190E

One of Senna’s greatest shows of force behind the wheel wasn’t even in an F1 car. Driving in a one-make race to celebrate the opening of the new Nurburgring circuit, the Brazilian took on his fellow drivers on a totally level playing field.

Vanquishing some of F1’s biggest names such as Lauda, Prost, Hunt, Scheckter, and Watson, Senna drove the Mercedes on the limit. This was the moment Senna’s name earned serious kudos.

Lotus 97T

Senna’s second season in F1, now with the legendary Team Lotus, started with another retirement. However, at the very next race in Portugal he qualified his 97T on pole position and convincingly won his first F1 grand prix.

Lotus 99T

This Lotus allowed Ayrton Senna to finish third in the 1987 championship, however, it is more significant because it is where his relationship with Honda began. McLaren would make the switch to Honda power the following year as Senna joined the team — a paring that would result in a spectacular season.

McLaren MP4/4

Simply one of the most famous racing cars of all time, the McLaren MP4/4 and Ayrton Senna was a championship winning combination — not bad for his debut season with McLaren. It was a spectacular series of races with Ayrton truly proving himself against his teammate Alain Prost.

To this day, the McLaren MP4/4 remains the most successful F1 car of all time winning all but one race of the 1988 season.

McLaren MP4/5

In 1989 Honda created its first V10 engine for Formula 1 to be installed in the MP4/5. Successor to the legendary MP4/4, this car had big shoes to fill.

The Senna - Prost rivalry was strong, however, a string of retirements and a disqualification in Japan left the Brazilian second overall to his teammate. From a spectators point of view, the MP4/5 was a spectacular car to watch when driven in anger.

McLaren MP4/5B

McLaren knew what a dominant package the MP4/5 was throughout 1989, and so the 1990 car was more of an evolution model. After the disappointing second place finish to Prost in the MP4/5, the MP4/5B was to be Senna’s opportunity to assert his dominance once again.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Senna had qualified on pole, but protested that first position on the grid was at a disadvantage. Nothing was changed for the start of the race, with Senna controversially colliding with Prost (debatably as a mark of protest) on the first corner. This crash gifted Senna his second championship.

McLaren MP4/6

The MP4/6 was the first Honda V12 engined McLaren, and the machine that delivered Senna his third world title. The magnificent sound of this machine was only outdone by the talent behind the wheel. However, with Prost’s move from McLaren, Senna faced less pressure from his new teammate.

McLaren MP4/8

After a disappointing fourth place finish in the 1992 championship, the new Ford-powered 3.5-liter MP4/8 mustered a respectable second place in the standings for Senna. However, hungry for victory and tempted by Williams’ technology, this was the final McLaren the Brazilian ever raced.

He won his last race with the MP4-8 with McLaren team principle Ron Dennis famously saying that Senna was very welcome to stay.

Williams FW16

Easily the most controversial car on this list. Ayrton Senna died on 1 May 1994 after a crash in his FW16. There is still strong debate over the exact circumstances of the crash, but it was most likely caused by a low ride hight induced by an excessively slow safety car. Footage appears to show the Williams car bottoming out before the crash as a result of cold low pressure tires.

Why is it on the list? While Senna didn’t finish the previous races due to retirement, he had proven that this car had championship winning potential by qualifying on pole for both races — the tragic race at Imola was no different.

Had Senna not lost his life that day, the FW16 had the potential to deliver on the promise of a fourth world championship title.

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