Friday 26th July 2013

Senna at Suzuka: Time For Tea?

Watch Senna 'lap' Suzuka courtesy of some telemetry and speakers

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Of all the ghosts of Grand Prix racing it's arguable Ayrton Senna's looms largest, at least in recent memory. And ghostly is the only real way to describe this tribute to the great man by Honda, based on the eery combination of some archived Senna telemetry from a lap of Suzuka and a load of lights and speakers laid around the same.

Now, whether they actually did this or not, the illusion of Senna's ghost driving around Suzuka at night, relayed through a chain of speakers and lights and using revs and gear changes matched to his real telemetry is a fantastically bold idea and a fabulous tribute to his enduring legend.

Suspend your disbelief, immerse yourself fully in the experience and look forward to the return of Honda-powered McLarens in the not too distant future. And if this has whetted your appetite and there's enough tea in the pot for a top-up you can revisit our previous Senna-based Time For Tea? offerings here and here. Go on, it's Friday.

[Source: Honda, with a tip of the hat to AxisOfOversteer, Photo: LAT Photographic]

 

[Motorrad]

Well that sounded better than today's food blenders.

[MissChief]

Sigh, I posted that yesterday and it sank without a trace.

[Motorrad]

MissChief said:

Sigh, I posted that yesterday and it sank without a trace.

I didn't see it, typical of PH hacks to go and search the back catalogue for an easy article. Friday afternoon journalists.......;)

[soad]

Motorrad said:

Well that sounded better than today's food blenders.

A rather nice photo too.

[stew-S160]

That was cool!

[cnut]

That gave me goosebumps

[T.K]

Wonderful!

[NGK210]

I'd love to see the 'live' telemetry in sync with a marker thingy moving round a circuit map

[Republik1980]

Inspired and moving IMO. Props to the Honda marketing department

[extremekiter]

Senna used to live in a flat near me. A plaque on the wall of the building in Attlebrough in Norfolk. Just a small flat right back in early career years.

[Rumblestripe]

We are not worthy

[Krikkit]

Would've been better if it was a full lap, but still fantastic.

[zeduffman]

Testing the technology to make the cars sound decent from next year

[BlimeyCharlie]

I was expecting old footage of Senna lapping Suzuka, which is always worth a look.
This was rubbish.

[Tommo13]

Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up !

[fatboy69]

Beautiful. Eerie. The noise. Made me think back to those halcyon days of F1.

Senna. The Best. Gone but his legacy will never be forgotten.

[NNH]

Cool, slightly creepy. Just like the best Japanese films...

[carl_w]

With stationary speakers, how do they deal with the Doppler shift that a real racing car would produce?

[wfarrell]

that was a bit emotional !

the sound of that Honda engine, an incredible symphony articulating the aggression and precision of the driver

You could almost see a yellow helmeted Senna piloting his iconic Mclaren around Suzuka. That incredible era.


Gold bless 3.5 litre V10 F1 engine -- epic machines !

[davepoth]

carl_w said:

With stationary speakers, how do they deal with the Doppler shift that a real racing car would produce?

Presumably one speaker in the direction of travel, one speaker opposite to that, and then adjust the volume between the two accordingly.