Senna 1500 BHP - Monaco

[superkartracer]

Starts at 6.50 - Wonderful

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=BplWPco6REg&feat...

Love to see Lewis drive that monster

Edited by superkartracer on Saturday 29th March 21:01

[sniff petrol]

superkartracer said:

Starts at 6.50 - Wonderful

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=BplWPco6REg&feat...

Love to see Lewis drive that monster

Edited by superkartracer on Saturday 29th March 21:01

Maybe he will - at Goodwood FOS

[Eric Mc]

Would Senna's Lotus (Renault/Honda) or McLaren(Honda) turbo engines have been producing 1,500 bhp?

I always thought that was the output claimed for the BMW engines in the Brabhams and then only in qualifying at the "flat out" circuits like Silverstone (as was) and Hockenheim (as was).

I would have thought that qualifying in Monaco they would have been boosted to 1,000 bhp max (still pretty impressive all the same).

[skinny]

1000+bhp, slicks, clean surfaces & low downforce = good

Edited by skinny on Saturday 29th March 23:19

[NeilBeforeZod]

I thought it was going to be this clip, but I think this one was the normally aspirated McLaren. Still, worth a watch. Had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up more than once...

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=TUkv6P-2SAw&feat...

Amazing to see Prost's face at the end. "How the hell did he do THAT?"

Ayrton the magician.

[skeggysteve]

Eric Mc said:

....

I always thought that was the output claimed for the BMW engines in the Brabhams and then only in qualifying at the "flat out" circuits like Silverstone (as was) and Hockenheim (as was)....

My memory is that it was Monza that BMW ran the grenade engines.
tBolt the waste gate down, out lap, one fast lap and it just got you back to the pits - then it was scrap!

1500cc and 1500bhp = no throttle just an on/off switch

One other thing I remember from the time was a quote from someone that TAG spent more on their electronics than Brian Harts did on his whole engine.

[superkartracer]

Better version
You can hear him modulating the throttle, magic.

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=1XoKLWUn1Z0&feat...


And another fav

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc6k1v_lkaY&feat...

Edited by superkartracer on Sunday 30th March 08:28

[kusee pee]

Great clips guys. IMO Senna was just on a different plain, both mentally and technically. In that Suzuka clip check the speed of his heel-and-toes going into Turn 1 (the second in the middle of Turn 1!). Simply awesome.

My favourite clip is below - great for hearing the throttle modulation. It's also my favourite because I was there and watched it live. The funny thing is I was underwhelmed - he looked slower than the rest; I learnt a thing or two about the importance of smoothness and balance when I heard that the lap had put him on pole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPR2U8yI0ek

[Eric Mc]

He would have hated traction comntrol (he did before it was banned at the end of 1993)

[Saied]

Check out Superkartracer's 2nd clip of Senna at Suzuka. The exit speed from 130R is spine chilling; then how he didn't completely lock up braking for the chicaine, i'll never know.

Kusee pee clip from Spa - he sounded absolutely flat stap through blanchimont, then through the dust cloud on the exit.

Marvellous stuff.

[thewave]

Saied said:

Check out Superkartracer's 2nd clip of Senna at Suzuka.


Marvellous stuff.

Look at the cockpit

no buttons on the steering wheel

no paddle shift (I know i'd much rather have two hands on the steering wheel!)

flimsy bit of plastic for a windshield

all looks very archaic!

[Simes205]

Reading about Paul Rosche of Msport (engine guru) designed the 4 pot BMW Turbo, they never knew how much actual power those units made as the dyno only went up to 1200bhp.
Certainly in qualifying trim they were powerful!!
The Renault and Tag Porsche units were only making around 1000bhp - alledgedly

[Welshbeef]

IIRC in Monaco the current N/A cars hit 130mph at the top of the first hill yet those turbo cars again on quali were hitting 165-170mph....

[pugster]

Welshbeef said:

IIRC in Monaco the current N/A cars hit 130mph at the top of the first hill yet those turbo cars again on quali were hitting 165-170mph....

Sounds about right Welshbeef.

Patrick Head was quoted in Motor sport a few months back that the 86 / 87 Williams Honda on qualifying boost was exiting the tunnel at Monaco at approx 195mph (in comparison to 160 - 170mph for todays cars?)

Would guess that even made "our Nige's" moustache ends curl up a bit!!

[Gashmaster]

The best book to get about the Turbo Era is the "1000bhp formula one cars" awesome read lots of info.

I know the Lotus 98T ran 5.5 bar boost late in the 86 session which was around 1400bhp in qualifing.

http://www.gurneyflap.com/lotus98t.html

http://www.dtperformanceltd.co.uk/page21.html

Spoke to Patrick Morgan at race retro they are running the 98T at 4 bar now, and the rev limiter is set at 10,000rpm which is around 900bhp!!

[MM2200]

I am envious of those of you who witnessed this era firsthand.

[Gashmaster]

MM2200 said:

I am envious of those of you who witnessed this era firsthand.

Me to, loved to have gone to Silverstone in 87

[Gazzab]

I used to go to a lot of motorsport stuff in the late 80s. My dad was MD of a large co that owned Goodwood securities that owned Brands Hatch and other tracks and so got free tickets (all seats and beer and food and champagne!). I think it was back in 86 that I went to Brands for the last Grand Prix there. NEver went to the Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The cars, the sound, the smell, the drivers - they were all awesome.

[Gashmaster]

Was at brands yesterday was trying to imagine Senna in the 98T going down the pit straight

[Gashmaster]

Brands Hatch 1986