33 years ago… 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix: Senna and the Interlagos masterpiece

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In 1991, Ayrton Senna began his eighth season in Formula 1. Then crowned world champion twice, the Brazilian has accomplished almost everything in the discipline... but he is missing a trophy: that of his national race, the Brazilian Grand Prix, which takes place on the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo .

Having come very close to victory in 1986 with Lotus, Ayrton Senna then had bad luck on his home soil. To break the bad spell, “Magic Senna” decides to cut himself off from the world a few days before the Grand Prix, in order to clear his mind and approach this meeting with the best possible mental preparation.

The start of the weekend started off ideally: on Friday afternoon, Ayrton Senna achieved the best time ahead of Jean Alesi during the first qualifying session which was disrupted by a downpour. The next day, under pressure from the Williams of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, the Brazilian took his 54th pole position of his career, further increasing his record.

At the start, in front of a hot crowd, Ayrton Senna retained the advantage of his pole position and escaped in front of the Williams of Nigel Mansell. The first part of the race goes off without a hitch, but in the sky, the clouds threaten... and the mechanics too. The 46th lap arrives: Senna has led the Grand Prix since the first lap, but his Brazilian bad luck still pursues him. Its third gear no longer shifts, the clutches no longer grip. The beginning of the troubles.

Six laps later, the Brazilian lost the use of his fifth gear, the gear selector showing worrying signs of weakness. Nigel Mansell took the opportunity to pounce on Ayrton Senna… Fifteen laps from the finish, the driver McLaren loses its second and fourth gears. His lever is now blocked in sixth, and the Briton is driving almost five seconds faster per lap! And as if that wasn't complicated enough, raindrops are starting to fall on Interlagos!

Luckily, Nigel Mansell will not bother Ayrton Senna any longer, the Williams driver falling victim to his mechanics with around ten laps to go. But the Brazilian must fight with his own mount. Although stuck in sixth gear, Senna drives like he has a sixth sense. Deprived of engine braking, it can only decelerate by applying the brakes, which is extremely delicate in tight turns. Riccardo Patrese catches up on Senna at the rate of four seconds per lap, and the rain increases in intensity...

Finally, the Italian – who had come back to within four seconds of Senna – had to let go, also in difficulty with his Williams. Under pouring rain, Ayrton Senna crossed the finish line and finally won the Brazilian Grand Prix, after a superhuman effort and sacrifice.

This success is an achievement. On the one hand, Ayrton Senna had until now never managed to brandish the Brazilian flag in front of his supporters. The curse had to be overcome. But above all, Brazil 1991 remained etched in memories with a piercing cry, a mixture of pain, exhaustion and deliverance.

“Imagine: falling from 300 to 70 km/h, only with the brakes, with the engine pushing and taking me off course”, will explain the winner, after being transported by a medical car to the podium. Exhausted, he will experience all the difficulty in the world to lift his own trophy! Certainly the best of his career.

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