F1 Donington 1993
Discussion
I was reading the other day a book about Senna's career and the guy who wrote it singled out his first lap at Donington GP in 1993 as the all-time masterpiece in F1 history.
The Williams domination made F1 boring those days so I was not very keen on it but, as it was pouring, I decided to watch it as in those conditions Senna's legendary abilities in the wet could balance things. I still remember it as if it was today: the guy was 5th in the grid, started badly and lost some places and then ... IN HALF LAP... overtook everybody!
At the end of first lap he was 3 sec. in front of everybody else! The rest of the GP was exciting with a mix of rain and dry (Senna using slicks in the wet, everybody else constantly changing tyres, Prost alone must have changed a dozen of times!) but that first lap will stick in my mind forever.
Anyone here remembers it or even was there watching it?
Nuno
The Williams domination made F1 boring those days so I was not very keen on it but, as it was pouring, I decided to watch it as in those conditions Senna's legendary abilities in the wet could balance things. I still remember it as if it was today: the guy was 5th in the grid, started badly and lost some places and then ... IN HALF LAP... overtook everybody!
At the end of first lap he was 3 sec. in front of everybody else! The rest of the GP was exciting with a mix of rain and dry (Senna using slicks in the wet, everybody else constantly changing tyres, Prost alone must have changed a dozen of times!) but that first lap will stick in my mind forever.
Anyone here remembers it or even was there watching it?
Nuno
I would have been 8 at the time. I was at my grandparents house for Sunday lunch, becuase it was Easter Sunday. It's one of my earliest motor-racing memories, and the finest piece of driving I've ever seen. If you get hold of a copy of the 1993 F1 season review video you can watch it whenever you want 
Can't remember where I downloaded the vid from before but I think this should work:
www.gvde.yucom.be/senna-eng93.mpg
www.gvde.yucom.be/senna-eng93.mpg
I was there! I was working with a F3000 team at the time, i was only 17! Remember it really well, the guy was out of this world!
One thing i do remember is at the end while going up to the podium, Jo Rameriz ( spelling? ) of McLaren gave him a Nacional cap to wear, he put it on his head not relising that he alreay was wearing a Good Year cap! Walked around for ages with 2 caps on! Maybe just high on the 'win' or maybe earning more money for the sponsers!
He set the standard, THE END
Well Senna I will forever
to you,
RIP dude!
One thing i do remember is at the end while going up to the podium, Jo Rameriz ( spelling? ) of McLaren gave him a Nacional cap to wear, he put it on his head not relising that he alreay was wearing a Good Year cap! Walked around for ages with 2 caps on! Maybe just high on the 'win' or maybe earning more money for the sponsers!
He set the standard, THE END
Well Senna I will forever
to you, RIP dude!
I was there sitting at the top of the Craner Curves. That lap will live with me for the rest of my life. One of, if not the greatest lap of all time. Listening to the commentary on my radio I stood in total disbelief as to what was unfolding . When he came round on lap two everyone just stood in total amazement.
Frostie
>> Edited by frostie on Sunday 29th February 19:23
Frostie
>> Edited by frostie on Sunday 29th February 19:23
Was there between Mcleans and Coppice, could see him down the Craner, lost sight at the ld Hairpin but could see him all the way upto the Esses. While never a Senna fan, his skill was evident.
Also Senna took the Lap Record because he pulled into the pits and then drove through as his crew wern't ready so he continued. The record still stands (rightly or not).
Also Senna took the Lap Record because he pulled into the pits and then drove through as his crew wern't ready so he continued. The record still stands (rightly or not).
Frik said:
www.gvde.yucom.be/senna-eng93.mpg
Big Thanks Richard
Don't now how I did get the idea that he had lost some positions in the start. F355GTS said:
...fantastic race but miserable conditions to be out in it!
Gosh! How I envy you guys who were there, rain and all.
Worth seeing despite Mr Woss's " wunning wide at wedgate" commentary
I would try to get hold of "a start named Ayrton Senna" on video on Dvd this has a lot of Senna track footage, the Donnington lap has a lot of in car sequences which makes it even more spectacular as some of the slowing inro corners by other cars makes it look as if they have selected reverse in comparison to Senna....quite possibly the greatest lap of a motor race by in my opinion the greatest driver...|Period.
I would try to get hold of "a start named Ayrton Senna" on video on Dvd this has a lot of Senna track footage, the Donnington lap has a lot of in car sequences which makes it even more spectacular as some of the slowing inro corners by other cars makes it look as if they have selected reverse in comparison to Senna....quite possibly the greatest lap of a motor race by in my opinion the greatest driver...|Period.
Schumacher got alongside Senna at the start, and Wendinger passed both of them, so he briefly lost two places.
Schumacher, having got on Sennas inside, pushed him across to the outside of the track, in a way we have come to see him do often. Senna simply backed off the throttle and dived around the back of Schumachers car, and nipped straight past on the inside. I can imagine Schumacher was still looking in his left mirror as Senna passed to his right.
Senna then passed Wendlinger round the outside as they went down the Craner Curves. Then passed the two Williams, and then opened a good gap. All on one damp drizzly opening lap of a Grand Prix.
But back to the Scumacher thing. Isn't it an insight into how quickly Senna dicked Schumacher? I mean, ever since, how many drivers have whinged about Schumacher not playing fair, etc, as he pushes them around, pushes them into accidents, etc?
No whinging from Senna, just immediate and decisive action, like taking candy from a baby.
Schumacher, having got on Sennas inside, pushed him across to the outside of the track, in a way we have come to see him do often. Senna simply backed off the throttle and dived around the back of Schumachers car, and nipped straight past on the inside. I can imagine Schumacher was still looking in his left mirror as Senna passed to his right.
Senna then passed Wendlinger round the outside as they went down the Craner Curves. Then passed the two Williams, and then opened a good gap. All on one damp drizzly opening lap of a Grand Prix.
But back to the Scumacher thing. Isn't it an insight into how quickly Senna dicked Schumacher? I mean, ever since, how many drivers have whinged about Schumacher not playing fair, etc, as he pushes them around, pushes them into accidents, etc?
No whinging from Senna, just immediate and decisive action, like taking candy from a baby.
I was there, I think that lap, I mean THE lap looks better on TV than it did on the day. He really was on fire and Williams were all over the place, from memory I think Prost made seven stops ?. But Senna was like this in the wet, mind you he wasn't too bad in the dry either. I saw another of his famous wins against the whinging Nige at Monaco in '92 and I met the great man in the paddock (open then) afterwards - now that was a race !
Rob.
Rob.
And apparently, the McLaren's traction control system (which Senna HATED, incidentally) was working brilliantly - unlike the Williams' which gave Senna a huge grip advantage that day. Of course, being Senna, he made the absolute best of the situation.
What a pity that was the only F1 GP ever held at Donnington.
What a pity that was the only F1 GP ever held at Donnington.
Heebeegeetee said:
Schumacher got alongside Senna at the start, and Wendinger passed both of them, so he briefly lost two places.
Yeah what I meant was that I was under the impression that he started 5th, not 4th. Memory tricks I guess.
Edited to finally put the grid right.
>> Edited by raftom on Friday 12th March 17:03
I was in one of the boxes at the Melbourne Loop and we had a TV on at the same time. Some of the former Jim Russell instructors were in there as they were giving Ford circuit rides that weekend and one of them (a Brazilian funnily enough) that Senna had done about half a dozen more sighting laps before the pit lane closed before the start of the race. He knew EXACTLY how much grip there was on each corner while everyone else on the grid was pndering whether to soften up the suspension settings for the conditions.
He was class, pure class, nothing less. A friend of mine was spectator marshalling at the grandstand on the inside of Craner and he watched him overtaker and he said to e afterwards that it was just surreal, he said, 'He just pulled out from behind Wendlinger, and did it!' No thinking about it, just did it.
Good to know that Murray Walker and myself will take the same single lap to our graves (he said so on an interview once) Although Senna's pole lap at Monaco (was it 86?) of the in-car fooage in the Honda era, was just out of this world.
He was class, pure class, nothing less. A friend of mine was spectator marshalling at the grandstand on the inside of Craner and he watched him overtaker and he said to e afterwards that it was just surreal, he said, 'He just pulled out from behind Wendlinger, and did it!' No thinking about it, just did it.
Good to know that Murray Walker and myself will take the same single lap to our graves (he said so on an interview once) Although Senna's pole lap at Monaco (was it 86?) of the in-car fooage in the Honda era, was just out of this world.
If I remember correctly - it wasn't all skill but alot of luck and clever setup.
Williams had got there setup totally wrong - thought they were at Watkins Glen or something !
But still bloody good - reminds me of my opening lap at Donington in 2001 Think I did 12 cars though on the first lap
Williams had got there setup totally wrong - thought they were at Watkins Glen or something !
But still bloody good - reminds me of my opening lap at Donington in 2001
Think I did 12 cars though on the first lap the senna lap at monaco - is truly amazing - does it more for me than Donington.
Monaco is just an awesome track - never raced it (I wish) but been round it in the 911 at 4am on the Saturday morning - and the tunnel is alot tighter than it looks on TV or the playstation !
My neighbour, Matt Grist is racing at 1930's Alfa in the vintage Monaco GP the week before - how jealous am I !!
Monaco is just an awesome track - never raced it (I wish) but been round it in the 911 at 4am on the Saturday morning - and the tunnel is alot tighter than it looks on TV or the playstation !
My neighbour, Matt Grist is racing at 1930's Alfa in the vintage Monaco GP the week before - how jealous am I !!
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