On This Day: Ayrton Senna Secures His Most Iconic and Emotional F1 Race Victory
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With regular racing action suspended we decided to take a look at some of the most memorable events in Formula 1 history. The 24th of March will always be remembered as the day when Ayrton Senna achieved one of his career’s ultimate goals.
Senna wins in Brazil
The Brazilian Senna had won World Championships (88′ and 90′) and numerous races all over the globe. However, he always came up short at home. His podium finishes in 86′ and 90′ the closest he came to a win on Brazilian soil. Senna agonizingly failed to convert pole positions to wins on 4 different occasions. One of them was the aforementioned race in 1986 and further such instances were in 88′, 89′ and 90′. He took his 5th pole in Brazil on the 23rd of March. One day later he drove a race for the ages to hold on to the lead and achieve a career goal.
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A herculean effort by Ayrton Senna
Senna had gearbox issues and lost his fourth gear on lap 60. The Brazilian looked set to be caught by Nigel Mansell. However, luck seemed to be on the Brazilian side as Mansell spun and retired on the following lap. Senna still had to finish the last 9 laps. In this time he lost gears 3 and 5 too. He was being rapidly caught by Mansell’s Williams teammate Riccardo Patrese.
The McLaren driver eventually crossed the line for his 22nd Grand Prix victory by a 2.9-second margin. The win caused him to scream in celebration. Based on his post-race celebration fans all over the world came to know that it was his dearest.
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Senna’s herculean effort drained him. His efforts to keep the car in control resulted in him having fever and muscle cramps. The McLaren driver had to be assisted out of the car and onto the podium to soak in the adulation of the adoring home fans. He had to be supported as he lifted his trophy.
Senna went on to win the next 2 races in San Marino and Monaco which saw him take a 29 point lead in the Drivers standings after just 4 races. This was a lead Senna never relinquished as he won his 3rd and final driver’s title before his untimely death in 1994.
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