Ayrton Senna

The Senna legend begins

Sam Hall Wednesday 25 March 2020 13:25

Ayrton Senna. Three time Formula 1 world champion. The greatest of all time?

At 24-years of age, Senna made his Formula 1 debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix, held at Jacarepagua, where he raced for Toleman Motorsport in the TG184.

Out-qualifying teammate Johnny Cecotto by two seconds, although only by one position, Senna retired after just eight laps with a turbo problem.

Without a doubt, the best moment of Senna's debut season came in Monaco, where the Brazilian finished second to Alain Prost.

Ahead of making his debut for Toleman, Senna had tested for McLaren, Williams and Brabham. Indeed, Senna could well have made his debut in a Lotus, replacing British driver Nigel Mansell but their British title sponsor, Imperial Tobacco, specifically the iconic black and gold John Player & Sons brand, refused to sanction the switch.

Senna is still regarded by many, including Lewis Hamilton, as the best driver ever to sit in a Formula 1 car.

A total of 41 grands prix victories and 65 pole positions would follow from 161 starts, including two wins on home turf in Brazil, and six in Monaco, a record number that still stands to this day.

Latest News

GPFans F1 Awards

F1 AWARDS - VOTE: Hamilton and Verstappen set for 2024 fan battle

27 minutes ago

GPFans Recap

Verstappen reveals Red Bull EXIT fears as champion issues stunning 'IDIOTS' claim - GPFans F1 Recap

Yesterday 23:55

F1 Social

F1 team boss makes 'new girlfriend' plea in bold relationship advice

Yesterday 22:58

F1 Social

Retired F1 star teases RETURN in stunning reveal

Yesterday 21:55

GPFans F1 Awards

F1 AWARDS - VOTE: Who was the best non-champion driver in 2024?

Yesterday 21:40

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen confirms Red Bull future DOUBTS amid team controversies

Yesterday 20:57

More news

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY

The Senna legend begins

The Senna legend begins