Senna's racers among eighties F1 cars at Goodwood
F1 pictures
28th June 2014, 11:11 27th June 2014, 22:27 | Written by Keith Collantine
Formula One cars from the 1980s at the Goodwood Festival of Speed include several machines which were famously associated with Ayrton Senna.
They include cars of the type he won his first championship and scored his first podium with – and another non-F1 car which Senna made a big impression in during his first F1 season.
A McLaren-Honda MP4/4 of the type Senna took his first title with is present in the full original livery as used by the team in 1988. Senna won seven times in the car.
Four years earlier Senna campaigned the Toleman-Hart TG184 for much of the season, scoring a remarkable second-place in that year's rain-shortened Monaco Grand Prix.
Also that year Senna was invited to participate in a race to mark the opening of the new, shortened Nurburgring. Mercedes supplied a fleet of identical 190E saloon cars for several world champions and top drivers, as well as the then-rookie Senna.
The young driver stunned his rivals by winning the race, giving further signal that this was a talent to keep a close eye on in the future.
That year's championship was won in dominant fashion by McLaren. Although they would raise the bar to a new high just a few year's later, the TAG-Porsche powered MP4/2's record of 12 wins from 16 starts was one of the crushing seasons seen for many years at the time.
It took Niki Lauda to his third and final world championship title by the narrowest-ever margin of half a point over Alain Prost.
Eighties F1 cars at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Ayrton Senna Mercedes 190E, Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
Toleman TG184 (1), Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
Toleman TG184, Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
McLaren MP4-4, Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
McLaren MP4-2 (1), Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
Renault RE40 (1), Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014
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Image © F1 Fanatic | f1fanatic.co.uk
Posted on 28th June 2014, 11:11 27th June 2014, 22:27 Author Keith CollantineCategories F1 Pictures, Goodwood Festival of SpeedTags 2013 goodwood festival of speed, F1, f1 high resolution pictures, f1 images, f1 photographs, f1 pictures, f1 wallpapers, formula one, goodwood festival of speed
9 comments on "Senna's racers among eighties F1 cars at Goodwood"
Nick (@npf1)
Does anyone know why McLaren are so strict about running/showing their old cars without any tobacco sponsors? I'm surprised they didn't stop Honda from running that MP4/4 with Marlboro stickers. Or have removed the red from their Marlboro sponsored cars.
DK (@seijakessen)
Ron Dennis thinks it is a bad influence on kids…
Which is ironic since he had no problem taking the Marlboro money, as well as the West Money for 3 decades almost, and still would be taking it if there was no ban.
There has to be an element of self-interest, though. The pictures on Twitter often have Marlboro lettering removed from the McLaren drivers and cars, but during Senna week, they did tweet a picture of Brundle (I think) with Senna in Williams colors, with Rothmans logos in place. The same if there's a Ferrari or 90s Benetton in a picture they tweet.
Mark McDonald
29th June 2014, 1:25
The McLaren MP4-4 has to be the second-most beautiful racing car ever. I still maintain that the MP4-5 is the most beautiful. Great to see it with full Marlboro branding!
I think that the car used by McLaren in the season of 1984 was MP4/2B.
Sorry, my mistake. MP4/2 – 1984, MP4/2B – 1985.
However, looking at these beautiful cars made me think how the 'wisdom' of FIA forced some ingenious people to move away from F1. I think of John Barnard, Gordon Murray and now we see Adrian Newey doing the same for the very same reason. Sad indeed.
MattDS
I'm probably going to sound pedantic over this one, but still: the early MP4-designated McLarens had slashes in the model number, not dashes. So above it should read "MP4/2" and "MP4/4".
This numbering scheme went on to at least the MP4/8.
Nowadays they're indeed ushing dashes, so this year it's the MP4-29.
Peter Hunter (@holdenv8)
One day I would love to see McLaren trot out the Lamborghini (Chrysler) V12 powered MP4/8B…the McLambo. From all accounts that car was actually faster than the Ford V8 powered MP4/8's that Senna, Andretti and Hakkinen raced in 1993.
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