Collector Senna – McLaren period (1988-1993): Agreements and disagreements

This article can be found in our Ayrton Senna Collector. 100 pages retracing the career of the Brazilian legend who died 30 years ago, still available in our online store paper format or  numerical format.

In 1982, Ayrton Senna flew to Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, to compete in a round of the 2000 Formula Ford European Championship, which he won that season with insolent ease, thanks to five victories in eight. departures. By chance of the recording, the Brazilian finds himself sitting next to the boss of one of the biggest teams in F1, Ron Dennis (see Great Witness). And will not stop, throughout the flight, asking him to try one of his Grand Prix single-seaters. It will ultimately take more than a year, but the boss of McLaren will end up offering him a test, at Silverstone. At the wheel of an MP4/1 E. Senna will not disappoint him, since he will set a better time than John Watson, then driver of the Woking team. “ He was clearly impressive, recalls Ron Dennis, but full of himself. He had demands, like wanting a set of new tires. He was fast, but still too young to