Senna: "The Test"

[Jag_Warrior]

Guys and gals, here's a great video about Ayrton Senna's Penske test at Firebird Raceway in 1992. It features some rather recent interviews with some of the sport's heavy hitters, including Roger Penske, Rick Mears and Paul Tracy. It also reveals that Roger Penske has restored the car to its original specifications and settings that Ayrton used during the test. Hats off to him. Watch & enjoy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOi7p58wkI

http://images52.fotki.com/v728/photos/9/988108/4026675/92sennaphoenixPC21501-vi.jpg

[SteveF1]

Awesome, thank you!
a part of me wished he'd gone to indycars, he'd still be around today.

[Ian French]

It's just a shame that 'test' turned out to be just a red herring tactic in order to gain Senna a payrise in F1.

The world fawns all over Senna, yet nobody ever talks about how he was reluctant to race on an oval after his 'test' because he was scared of them.

[Jag_Warrior]

Not just a pay raise, but a race-by-race deal which allowed him to leave McLaren at anytime - and the next season, he did. You have to think, he wanted to be in the Williams-Renault, but was blocked by a fearful Prost. Renault wanted Senna, and once it was possible, Prost's objections had no meaning - and he left. But F1 was Ayrton's first love. At that time, he was at the top of his game. Neither Indy nor Le Mans meant anything to him. And with his $1 million per race deal, he would have been making more for a single F1 race than the overwhelming majority of CART drivers made in an entire season. So there's also that. But I like to think that, much like his friend Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton would have gone to CART and/or Indy once he retired from Formula One. Sadly, that now has to remain a wishful thought.

My memory isn't so sharp anymore, but I don't recall Senna making any mention of ovals or any particular fear of them. Now, his nephew, Bruno, did mention not wanting to race on ovals in the IRL. But Ayrton, as far as skill and adaptation, was higher up the totem pole than his contemporary, Nigel Mansell (and he was certainly no slouch). Nigel had no major issues racing on ovals... actually did quite well (even won the CART World Series championship). So I don't see that Ayrton would have either.

Ayrton Senna's faith in God seemed to provide him with a realistic take on life, knowing that as mortals, at some point, we will all die. But it's how you live up to that point that matters. I respect that view and belief, and try to follow it myself.

Senna's thoughts on fear:

Fear is exciting for me. The danger sensation is exciting. The challenge is to find new dangers.

I continuously go further and further learning about my own limitations, my body limitation, psychological limitations. It's a way of life for me.

[Ian French]

Regarding Senna's fear of ovals. It was either mentioned in a documentary clip, OR, in an extract in a book. I'll keep my eye out for it and when I find it, I will post it up here.

[gids73]

The yellow helmet always looked great with Marlboro colours...