40 years ago: Senna's first masterful victory at Estoril

A great story is a beginning, then an end. Usually, what matters most is what happens between those two moments, but for a story to become indelible, each of its stages must be memorable. Ayrton Senna's is the perfect example: if his end is the most significant event in the history of Formula 1, his debut – which we will consider here as his first victory in the discipline – is on par with the rest of his story.

Fortunately, sometimes the first time doesn't inevitably determine the rest. However, for the young Brazilian, who didn't like to do as everyone else did, this was the case. At the Estoril Autodrome, forty years ago, on April 21, 1985, Ayrton Senna opened his Formula 1 victory tally with a triumph snatched from all his talent. A success that foreshadowed a fantastic future, as the feat revealed the mastery of the Lotus 97T driver.

At the time, AUTOhebdo had a good nose for headlines: " Senna, the beginning of a legend ", on the front cover of issue 468…" Rio, Estoril, Brazil, Portugal—the language is the same, with a few minor differences. But here, the winner didn't speak French, just "Portuguese." He deserved this victory just as he deserved his pole position. narrated our late colleague Patrick Camus at the time. He took command from the outset, never relinquishing it. He managed to avoid all the traps set by the sometimes torrential rain. We knew he was extremely professional, very fast, and razor-sharp. We now know he is reliable and self-possessed.

Certainly, a Grand Prix contested in the rain is not a dream for either drivers or spectators, but it has that certain something, those spices, that allow you to judge with a different perspective. On these occasions, the machine loses its influence to the man. Both gratuitous and important. In Monaco, in 84, Senna had achieved a magnificent second place behind Cheers that he would have overtaken a lap later. This time, there was no doubt. The race was over two hours old and the winner needed no outside help to prevail. Those who doubted it are all edified. »

First step of a masterpiece

For his first victory, Ayrton Senna did not do things by halves by carrying out a Grand Slam : pole position, fastest lap in the race, and victory by leading from the first to the last lap. This was a total hegemony by a driver over a Formula 1 weekend. At the wheel of his Lotus 97T—described as inferior to the competition at the time—the Brazilian not only revealed the talent he had already glimpsed in Monaco in 1984, he also confirmed it in a dazzling manner. In the pouring rain, he revealed to the world what kind of virtuoso he was.

The deluge was such that the 69 laps initially planned could not be covered in the two hours prescribed: only 67 were completed and the carnage was impressive since, of the 26 single-seaters on the starting grid, 16 retired. While many drivers called for the end of the race to limit the damage, Ayrton Senna dominated the exercise and had the nerve to inflict the snub of a lap lead on almost the entire field. Only the Ferrari 156/85 from Michele Alboreto, second a minute behind the Brazilian, escaped the penalty.

Thus, the Estoril weekend was the first stone in the Ayrton Senna edifice in Formula 1. An edifice composed of three world championships, 41 race wins, 65 pole positions, and everything else that is immeasurable. If his beginnings were marvelous, his end was heartbreaking. On May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna died following an accident during the Imola Grand Prix. He was 34 years old.

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