the grand tour ayrton senna

• Formula One

Ayrton Senna's ten defining moments

TG pays tribute to the Brazilian icon

162 Grand Prix entries, 41 wins, 65 pole positions, 80 podiums and three world championships. Staggering statistics for any F1 driver, but these extraordinary numbers aren't even half the Ayrton Senna story.

The Brazilian legend tragically passed away following an accident at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, his legacy cut cruelly short. Perhaps the most charismatic, complicated, absurdly talented driver ever to grace Formula One, Senna died far too young.

But what memories. Dazzling pole-to-chequered-flag victories; storming drives in catastrophic weather conditions; that duel with Alain Prost and the rivalry that shaped both men's lives. Senna's racing career was the ultimate Hollywood story (and indeed, has been turned into one of the best documentaries of all time).

Here, we've picked out the ten defining moments of an incredible life. Here's to Ayrton Senna. 

Monaco Grand Prix, 1984

Very few of F1's greats tug around at the back of the field for season after season before finally getting a break. Perhaps they score big in a mediocre car, or defy the weather Gods in eye-popping style. Both, in Senna's case. He'd tested for Williams at Donington, McLaren at Silverstone, and Brabham at Brands during 1983, but chose minnow Toleman because he figured he'd get the acclaim if he aced a race, and could blame the car if he didn't.

In only his sixth Grand Prix, in Monaco, the rookie Senna qualified 13th, then set about making the rest look silly as the heavens opened on Monte Carlo. Senna's reputation for finding grip where there seemingly was none was forged on this day in May '84. He was reeling in future nemesis and race leader Alain Prost by three seconds per lap when it was red-flagged. Job done.

You might like

The seven biggest talking points from the Australian Grand Prix

Celebrating some of the fastest women in motorsport

Here are our 20 favourite fictional road tracks from Gran Turismo

Three excellent reasons to watch the Chinese Grand Prix

Portuguese grand prix, 1985.

His 17th GP, and only his second for Lotus. In conditions he later described as worse than Monaco, Senna again conjured grip and poise from the thin, cold and damp air around Estoril. He was more than 17 seconds clear at the end of lap 10, and 55 seconds ahead by lap 31, but it was Senna's silky, sublime car control and economy of motion at the wheel of the Lotus 97T that really grabbed the eye.

"I was lucky to stay on the road," he said afterwards. You'd never have known. "He had a God-given talent I haven't witnessed anywhere else, a sixth sense for where the grip was before he turned into a corner," Martin Brundle once said.

Monaco Grand Prix, 1988

"He approached qualifying like it was a religious experience," McLaren's team manager Jo Ramirez said. Only three races into his McLaren career, his skill and determination to outpace Prost raised Senna's driving and commitment to an almost transcendental level, around the track in which his artistry would be most evident.

Lapping two seconds quicker than Prost, even he was spooked. "I realised I was well beyond my conscious understanding... I was way over the limit but still able to find more." Senna's form in the race was equally majestic, until lap 67 when he slithered wide into the barriers at Portier and crashed out, handing Prost the victory. Senna hid in his apartment, while his cleaning lady fended off McLaren personnel.

Japanese Grand Prix, 1989

Scene of the infamous lap 46 collision, in which McLaren team-mates Senna and Prost tangled on the entry to the final chicane, providing the denouement to a competitive relationship that had plundered new depths of acrimony. Senna restarted his engine, and continued the race once a new nosecone had been fitted.

He won, but was subsequently disqualified, then handed a huge fine and suspended six-month ban. Now Prost was world champion. Senna came close to quitting F1, but when he returned to the circus he would add a streak of vengefulness to his other attributes...

Spanish Grand Prix, 1990

Manish Pandey, writer and producer, Senna: 

"If you want the essence of Senna - the psychological, emotional and mental make-up of the man - then his response to Martin Donnelly's accident at Jerez in 1990 tells you everything. Martin's crash was huge, a 170mph impact that split his Lotus in two and left him lying unconscious and still strapped to his seat in the middle of the track [Donnelly's car had suffered a front suspension failure].

"Senna watched it all unfold on his monitor, and it affected him profoundly. What he did next demonstrates the purity of his position. He already had pole, but he went out again and beat his own time. He had nothing to gain, and he certainly wasn't taking advantage of the situation. He was setting his own targets in his own mind. He went out there and basically told the track, ‘you can't do that to one of us. F**k you!' It was just something he had to do."

Japanese Grand Prix, 1990

Senna and Prost, now a Ferrari driver, collided again. Though on pole, Senna complained that it was on the dirtier side of the track, and lobbied for it to be moved to the cleaner one. The stewards initially agreed, but the cantankerous president of F1's governing body, Jean-Marie Balestre, overturned it.

"Senna wanted to change sides, and because he could not he was blaming me and Balestre," Prost said. "It was always his rules." Senna determined to be in front by the first corner, by any means necessary, leading to the inevitable. With Prost out, Senna's unassailable points lead saw him win his second world title. "There are people winning the championship in a chicane, now I won it in a corner," he told Gazzetta dello Sport's  Pino Allievi. Unrepentant, you might say.

Brazilian Grand Prix, 1991

With seven laps to go, and with his gearbox falling apart beneath him, Senna had no option but to finish the race using only sixth gear, in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.

He won - just - ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Gerhard Berger, but had to be helped out of his car, and almost collapsed on the podium. A win for Brazil, as much as for Senna, with more emotion than any man could bear.

European Grand Prix, 1993

His McLaren was firmly eclipsed by the Williams, and rain was hardly unusual in the Donington area. But once again Senna had to combine his talent with a feel for the machinery and the conditions to produce an opening lap that's become the stuff of legend.

Having dropped to sixth at the start, he still ended lap one in first place, having overhauled Prost, Hill, and Schumacher. Watch the footage on the BBC website and marvel at a beautiful powerslide out of Redgate early in the second lap... Sega sponsored the race, and Senna won a Sonic the Hedgehog-topped trophy for his trouble.

San Marino Grand Prix, 1994

Arguably the most haunted - and haunting - weekend in F1 history.

November 1994

Senna's sister, Viviane, launches the Instituto Ayrton Senna, initially to help under-privileged children in Brazil, as per her brother's wishes. Now one of the most respected NGOs in the world.

Here are 12 electric pickups you need to know about

Tesla Cybertruck

These are the 12 best hot hatches of all time

Top Gear's top 20 electric cars

More from top gear, trending this week, behold, the fastest-accelerating mercedes-amg ever: the new amg gt hybrid, the very orange and very fast new aston dbx707 gets a brand new interior, subaru adds ‘x’ trim to its coolest car (by default), the outback touring, heavy metal: dodge challenger black ghost vs ford mustang dark horse, subscribe to the top gear newsletter.

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy .

Sorry, something went wrong

Try BBC Top Gear Magazine

Adrian Newey Reflects on Ayrton Senna’s Impact and the Turbulent Legacy of the Williams FW16

A legendary f1 designer's candid confessions and the intricate dynamics of 1994 formula 1 names included in the headline: adrian newey, ayrton senna, damon hill, patrick head teams included in the headline: williams fw16.

In a recent interview, celebrated F1 designer Adrian Newey shared poignant insights into the profound impact Ayrton Senna’s 1994 tragic accident had on him, revealing contemplations of stepping back from the sport. The unexpected instability of the Williams FW16, which Newey designed, intermingled with the heartbreak of the accident, brought forth moments of doubt and self-reckoning for the accomplished designer.

Newey, candidly addressing the concerns with the 1994 cars, admitted to significantly misjudging the aerodynamics following a regulation change, rendering the car “aerodynamically unstable” and especially difficult to navigate on bumpier circuits like Imola.

Senna’s extraordinary car control and concentration allowed him to extract remarkable performance from the challenging FW16, contrasting with Damon Hill’s more cautious approach, recognizing the vehicle’s inherent instability.

Post-Senna’s tragic death at Imola, Newey contemplated departing from F1 but acknowledged that doing so, particularly in tandem with Patrick Head, Williams engineering director, would have left the team in chaos.

“We’d had two years with active suspension and, it’s my fault, I completely messed up the aerodynamics of going back to passive suspension and the much bigger ride height range that that has to cope with. “It was a very, very difficult car to drive and the bumpier the circuit, the worse that became. And of course, Imola was quite a bumpy circuit, so what he did with that car was quite extraordinary, and he could do that in qualifying.”

The regret stemmed not only from the fatal accident but from acknowledging the palpable instability of the vehicle following a transition back to passive suspension — a complexity that Senna managed to navigate with unparalleled skill in qualifying and during the races.

“In Brazil, he managed to carry it but spun at the last corner near the end of the race, extracting that performance from it. “Damon [Hill] didn’t try to extract that level of performance from it, and so he finished the race, but he knew it was unstable. “Ayrton’s self-confidence and self-belief in his car control, he would always try it. His car control and his concentration was quite extraordinary.”

The difficulty of the FW16, exacerbated on bumpier circuits like Imola, presented a substantial challenge for drivers. Newey recalled Senna’s extraordinary capability in maneuvering the unstable vehicle, particularly noting the Brazil race where, despite managing to extract high performance, Senna spun at the last corner.

Post the heart-wrenching incident at Imola, Newey found himself at a crossroads, candidly sharing:

“I thought about it [leaving], I have to say, you’d be a fool or there would be something wrong if you didn’t question yourself and question what you’re doing. “First of all, it would have been quite selfish because if Patrick [Head, Williams engineering director] or I or both of us had decided we’re stopping, we’d have left the team in complete disarray. “Like all mistakes, regardless of what did cause the accident, you have to learn from the possibilities of what might have caused the accident and make sure that you react to that, and make sure that you try to take appropriate measures to stop that ever happening again.”

Steven Douglas

Lando norris shatters notion of red bull's car customization for verstappen, lewis hamilton unveils insights into intense mercedes contract talks, related articles.

James May Is Selling The “Nicest Car” He’s Ever Owned For Just One Reason

Who wants to be a millionaire is back with jeremy clarkson at the helm.

Ferrari’s Qatar GP Challenges: Carlos Sainz Exits Early, Team Faces Performance Hurdles

Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Faces Delays Amidst Disrupted Opening Day

• Formula 1 All Series Formula 1 MotoGP NASCAR Cup WEC IndyCar WRC IMSA FIA F2 Supercars DTM

Sign up for free

Get quick access to your favorite articles

Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Why senna felt unstoppable at donington in 1993, ayrton senna’s victory in the 1993 european grand prix at donington park is quite rightly lauded as one of the finest of his glittering career, and the opening lap in particular is held up as perhaps the best-ever in formula 1 history..

“It was a race like old times – going hard, from the heart. I had to be smart over when to press the rhythm, and when to hold back. It was a fantastic race. I am happy for all of us. Not just for me, but for the team and staff. It was a dream. God knows, and when he wants something, then nothing can stop it.”

The quote above was given to Brazilian television, delivered in Senna’s native tongue which gives an extra dimension to his personal makeup – he was not only driven by an utter self-belief, but a spiritual element for good measure.

Ranged against the technically superior Williams-Renault FW15C V10s of Prost and Hill, Senna produced a devastating first lap and scored victory by an incredible 1m23s in his V8-powered McLaren-Ford MP4-8.

Ayrton Senna, McLaren

Photo by: Sutton Images

Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8

Before the race, Senna had warned of “some controversy on overtaking” given Donington’s relatively short lap, lack of straights and narrow confines, but raceday’s torrential rain – which had just about abated before the start time – not only opened his opportunities, but took away some of the Williams’ advantage.

Having qualified fourth in the dry, 1.649s off Alain Prost’s pole-sitting Williams, Senna sensed this was a race that should be taken by the scruff of the neck – but he’d require his wet-weather skills, superb feel for ever-changing grip levels and all his guile to do so.

Start action

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8 Ford, Alain Prost, Williams FW15C Renault

Alain Prost, Williams FW15C Renault leads Damon Hill, Williams FW15C Renault, Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8 Ford

Alain Prost leads teammate Damon Hill, Williams FW15C, Karl Wendlinger, Sauber C12, Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8, Michael Schumacher, Benetton B193B, Michael Andretti, McLaren MP4/8

Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8, leads Damon Hill, Williams FW15C

Elbowed aside by Michael Schumacher’s fast-starting Benetton, Senna briefly fell to fifth into Redgate, the first corner, but then began his charge. He passed Schumacher on the exit of Redgate, swept around the outside of Karl Wendlinger’s Sauber down the fearsomely rapid Craner Curves, then dived underneath Hill at McLean’s – skirting the white line as ducked out from behind the ball of spray in front of him. [I know, because that’s where I’d chosen to watch from, and clicked the shutter on my dad’s borrowed Olympus camera just as he did so! – Ed]

• The day Senna enraged an unknowing Schumacher
• Ten of Ayrton Senna's greatest McLaren F1 wins

Prost, who later claimed to be suffering from gearbox problems from the start, was several lengths ahead, but Senna was on him quickly. The McLaren outbraked the Williams into the Melbourne hairpin and took the lead. [From my vantage point, the roar of the crowd over the engines told me as much, and Senna was well clear of Prost as he whistled past me on Lap 2 at a rate of knots that seemed to be in a different league to those following, quite literally, in his wake – Ed]

“The opening minute had been breathtaking, but somehow you felt that the race was already over,” wrote Nigel Roebuck in Autosport’s race report.

After four laps, Senna was 7s clear of Prost but, as the track dried, that started to creep down. Senna came in for slicks after 18 of the 76 laps and had a lead of 5.1s after Prost came in the next time around. Then it started to rain again and Prost, then Senna, came in, only for the track to soon dry and force both back in again! Senna’s third stop was slow and so, at half-distance, it was Prost who led by nearly 6s. Nobody else was in the same zipcode by now.

The rain returned and both Williams drivers came in for wets. This time Senna stayed out and he extended his lead as the track quickly started to dry once more. On lap 48, Prost came in from second to switch to slicks, but this time stalled and the FW15C got stuck in gear. This dropped Prost to fourth and he pitted again just five laps later, believing he had a puncture.

Senna had his one piece of good fortune on lap 57, when he came in with the intention of changing to wets but the team wasn't ready and waved him through. “I think they told me to come and I didn’t come,” recalled Senna later. “Then I told them I was coming, and they weren’t ready. So I had to go through!”

Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill

Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4/8 Ford

The entry to pits at Donington essentially shortcuts the final corner, so the outcome was a fastest lap – and an outright circuit track record – of 1m18.029s. His next-best tour was 1m20.413s, slower than both Prost and Hill!

On returning to the track, Senna changed his mind and stayed out until the rain really returned with 10 laps to go and he made his fourth actual stop. Hill and Prost came in shortly afterwards, meaning that Prost had now stopped seven times.

Senna came home to take his 38th F1 victory. Everyone except Hill had been lapped…

“This was Senna at his most majestic,” enthused Roebuck. “His drive I thought mesmeric, beginning to end, for it seemed to contain every card to which a racing driver's hand can aspire. It was a victory as consummate as they get. While the Williams drivers never got the dry conditions in which to assert their car's superiority, their cause was scarcely aided by a run of tyre stops which proved uncannily out of sync with what the weather gods had in mind.”

Ayrton Senna, McLaren Ford MP4/8 celebrates his win

Senna said: “I am speechless, really over the moon! Conditions like this is gambling, and it’s taking chances that pays off. I think we gambled good and we got the result. 

“At the start I decided to really go for it, before Williams had the time to settle down. They do have technical superiority and we felt this was the best tactic. And then so many things happened that I find it hard to remember. On the slow pit stop something went wrong on the right rear wheel [when the nut became cross-threaded], but those guys are really under pressure. It's motor racing.

“I don’t know how many times we stopped for tyres, it was surely the record in any race for pitstops. Driving with slicks in damp and really slippery conditions was tremendous effort, you just don’t get the feeling from the car and you just have to commit yourself to certain corners, and you just can be off.”

During the post-race press conference, Prost regaled his woeful race: “I stalled the engine at one stage, I lost maybe 13 or 14s. I made some good [pit strategy] decisions at the beginning, to stop at the right time. But then, as soon as I put the slicks on, the car was absolutely undriveable.”

Senna, who was sat next to him, made Prost’s day even worse when he suggested: “Perhaps you should change cars with me?”

Race winner Ayrton Senna, McLaren, third place Alain Prost, Williams

Be part of Motorsport community

Share or save this story, top comments.

Herta admits he “misjudged” Newgarden IndyCar clash at Long Beach

2024 F1 Chinese GP results: Max Verstappen wins for Red Bull

How a Brazilian F1 pioneer lifted Lotus after Rindt's tragic loss

Latest news

Inside the strategy that won and lost the IndyCar race at Long Beach

Ford remains winless in Cup after McDowell's 'bad move'

McDowell gets turned, Reddick escapes chaos with Talladega Cup win

Erik Jones transported to local hospital after head-on crash

How the pursuit of marginal F1 gains caused Sauber's pitstop stumbles

The short-term pain that hides a very real Williams improvement

How a Shanghai to Sheffield journey paved the way for China’s F1 hero

Why F1 2026 worst-case fears could be key to new rules success

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

• Become a subscriber.
• Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive exciting Motorsport news, updates, and special offers straight to your inbox.

Get the app

Social media.

• Motorsport.tv
• Motorsportjobs.com
• Autosport.com
• Motorsportstats.com
• Advertise with Motorsport.com
• Contact the team
• [email protected]
• 650 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA
• Terms & Conditions
• Cookie policy
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Settings

Visit motorsport.com as usual with advertising and tracking. You can revoke your consent at any time via the data protection page. 1

Use motorsport.com without any advertising banners, personalized tracking and commercials for a small fee.

More information about advertising and tracking in our Data protection notice , the List of our partners and in Data protection information center .

Already a subscriber? Log in here

• Terms of Use
• Data Protection

Popular series

Other NASCAR

• Go to all series listing
• About Edition
• Membership agreement
• Privacy policy

Select edition

Current edition, other editions.

• Deutschland
• Magyarország
• الشرق الأوسط
• Latinoamérica
• Switzerland de fr it

New on RaceFans

• “Painful” tyre performance was caused by high minimum pressures – Albon
• Dixon sips fuel to win as Newgarden and Herta collide in his mirrors
• Toyota’s Kobayashi keeps his nerve to deny Porsche Penske Imola win
• Alonso and Hamilton used unconventional strategies, but one worked better
• McLaren were ‘simply stronger’ than Ferrari in China – Sainz
• Ricciardo given three-place grid drop for overtaking under Safety Car
• Sargeant on eight penalty points after sanction for Safety Car error
• Norris “surprised” with second after betting Ferrari would be 35s ahead
• Stroll claims “someone else” was to blame for Ricciardo collision
• Hamilton takes responsibility for “bad set-up change” after poor race

RaceFans > Essential F1 information > F1 drivers and others > Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna’s extraordinary feats at the wheel of a racing car yielded three world championship titles and 41 grand prix victories. He was probably the greatest exponent of the flat-out qualifying lap the sport has ever seen, taking 65 pole positions in 162 races.

These achievements alone ensured his name would be forever writ large in the history books long before the tragic circumstances of his death while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix .

Senna first came to the attention of Formula One teams in 1983 as he was on his way to winning the British Formula Three championship. Williams were first to test the 23-year-old, and McLaren and Brabham also put him in their cars.

Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free

That changed soon after Senna’s arrival. In dreadful conditions at Monaco he guided his TG184 between the barriers on a near-flooded track whole seconds faster than the front runners. He was gaining on race leader – and future arch-rival – Alain Prost when the race was controversially red-flagged.

To that second place he added two more podium finishes before the end of the season. But he also incurred the wrath of Toleman boss Alex Hawkridge, who barred Senna from racing at Monza after his driver broke their contract to sign a deal with Lotus.

Again the results came quickly. Just two races into his Lotus career Senna became a race winner. Again he prevailed in dire conditions, this time at Estoril in Portugal, finishing a minute clear of his rivals. Seven pole positions that year underlined his status as the sport’s foremost qualifier.

But on race days the reliability of the Lotus and the fuel consumption of its Renault engine was often found wanting. Nonetheless he led the 1986 championship in its early stages and remained in the hunt until late in the year.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Lotus pulled out all the stops to keep him in the team for 1987, securing a supply of Honda’s class-leading engines and signing a lucrative new sponsorship deal with RHR tobacco. They also acceded to Senna’s urging that they race their new active suspension car. Over the bumps and twists of Monaco and Detroit he won as he pleased, but the power it sapped from the Honda engine left the Lotus out-gunned on power tracks like Silverstone, where he was lapped.

Long before the season was over, McLaren made their move to capture both Senna and Honda’s engines. Allied to Prost, now a two-times world champion, and a formidable design team headed by Gordon Murray and Steve Nichols, the team were almost unstoppable.

Senna’s season got off to a disappointing start at home in Brazil, where he was disqualified on a technicality. And although he won second time out at Imola , he threw his car into the barriers at Monaco while leading.

But he had laid down a marker in qualifying for F1’s most prestigious race, shocking Prost with a lap time 1.4 seconds than his team mate could manage. They finished one-two in the next four races, the order swapping each time, but from the British Grand Prix Senna seized the initiative.

At Silverstone, in wretched conditions, Senna’s wet weather verve saw him win again. But Prost withdrew, saying the conditions were too dangerous. This Senna win was the first of four in a row.

Prost fought back, winning in Portugal despite Senna squeezing him to the pit wall while the pair were contesting the lead. It was the first visible sign of the coming breakdown in relations between the pair.

The title seemed to be slipping from Senna’s grasp when he stalled on the grid at Suzuka and he was engulfed by the field. But the MP4-4 made light work of the traffic and as rain began to fall he caught Prost and passed him to win the race and with it the world championship.

Senna’s 1989 title defence began well – he won three races in a row early in the season. But the animus between him and Prost deepened at Imola, where his team mate accused Senna of reneging on a pre-race agreement. The MP4-5 was not as bulletproof as its predecessor, and technical problems halted Senna in the next four races, three of which he had been leading.

It happened again at Monza, handing a vital win to Prost, who had already announced an imminent move to Ferrari. They arrived at Suzuka with Senna needing to win, and when he moved to pass Prost at the chicane the two McLarens collided .

Prost had undoubtedly made the calculation that both cars failing to finish the race would make him world champion. But Senna was more incensed that, having disentangled his car from Prost’s rejoined the track, replaced his front wing and won the race, he was excluded. He believed FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre had played a role in securing Prost’s title.

The 1990 world championship was an action replay but this time Prost was in a Ferrari and Senna arrived at Suzuka leading the points standings. Senna’s ire was tweaked once again when, as pole sitter, he was refused to be allowed to start from the cleaner left-hand side of the track. As the race began Prost took the lead and Senna wasted no time in smashing the Ferrari out of the race at 160mph .

Senna was pilloried for his tactics but the governing body was powerless to take action – even when, 12 months later at the same circuit, he admitted his actions had been deliberate, and laid blame for what had transpired at the feet of Balestre, who had since lost the FIA presidency to Max Mosley.

Mansell enjoyed the kind of performance advantage in 1992 that Senna had four years earlier and won the title at a canter. Senna picked up a handful of wins, including a fifth consecutive Monaco Grand Prix victory thanks to a late drama for his rival. But the season ended in acrimony when Senna ran into the back of his rival at Adelaide.

At the time it was unclear whether Senna would return to drive in 1993. McLaren had lost its Honda engine deal and Prost’s arrival at Williams meant the door was closed for him to join the team which had by far the quickest cars.

He eventually agreed on a race-by-race deal to drive McLaren’s Cosworth-powered cars. Against all expectations Senna matched Prost win-for-win over the first six races and led the drivers’ standings. Among his victories was one of his sweetest triumphs, a dazzling performance in slippery conditions at Donington Park where he all-but lapped the field .

But the class of the Williams cars told over the season. After Prost won his fourth world title and headed for retirement, Senna lost no time in finally rejoining the team which had given him his first taste of Formula One machinery.

Then the unthinkable happened. On the sixth lap of the third race of the season at Imola, Senna’s Williams speared off the track at Tamburello and gouged the concrete retaining wall. A suspension fragment pierced his helmet, inflicting fatal injuries.

The sport went into shock following the loss of one of its greatest drivers. Senna’s death came just 24 hours after another driver, Roland Ratzenberger , died at the same track – the first fatalities at an F1 race weekend in 12 years.

Brazil came to a standstill when his body was returned to the country and buried at the Morumbi cemetery in Sao Paulo, a short distance from Senna’s neighbourhood and the Interlagos track where his victories brought joy to a nation.

Ayrton Senna featured articles

• 1994 San Marino Grand Prix: The crash seen around the world
• Watch F1 rookie Ayrton Senna beat ten world champions in identical cars
• “It was hard to distinguish one bit of awesome from another”: Ron Dennis on Ayrton Senna
• Senna – the Ayrton Senna movie reviewed

Books on Ayrton Senna

• “The Death of Ayrton Senna” (Richard Williams, 1999)
• “The Life of Senna” (Tom Rubython, 2004)
• “Ayrton Senna: As time goes by” (Christopher Hilton, 1999)
• “Ayrton Senna: The whole story” (Christopher Hilton, 2003)
• Dark Mode Toggle

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

When Ayrton Senna proved only too human at 1988 Monaco Grand Prix

N o Formula One race rewards bravery and commitment quite like threading the needle on the streets of Monaco with its looming walls that can bite even the best. For Ayrton Senna it was the scene of perhaps his finest ever lap and then, a day later, his nadir as the streets of Monte Carlo proved he was only too human.

Senna won in Monaco six times, the most successful driver at the race which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. He won in 1987 for Lotus before taking five consecutive victories between 1989 and 1993, all for McLaren . The one that got away was 1988, and it was in his hands, not least because their car that year was the all-conquering MP4-4, technical director Gordon Murray’s remarkable feat of engineering that would win 15 of 16 races that season.

Senna took pole in 1988 with a sublime lap he later described as almost not driving consciously, operating wholly on instinct. He was 1.427sec in front of his teammate Alain Prost, a startling differential. On race day, he flew into the lead and had a 55sec advantage on Prost on lap 67 when a momentary lapse of concentration saw him spin into the wall at Portier. He climbed from the car and walked straight back to his home in Monaco, not contacting the team until that evening.

Murray remembers the weekend well and just what Senna had done to put in that breathtaking lap. “Everybody was stunned at his qualifying,” he says. “Everybody. Even the team who were used to him. Success at Monaco in particular is absolutely proportional to the courage. It’s precision and courage. Commitment on the braking points and placing the car on the apex. Qualifying was a combination of those two things.”

Murray, who grow up in South Africa and came to the UK to work in car design, made his name at Brabham in the 1970s and early 80s with his innovative and advanced, often revolutionary cars. In the team run by Bernie Ecclestone and on a shoestring budget Murray returned wonders, with Nelson Piquet taking two titles for them in 1981 and 1983. Then, persuaded by McLaren to become their technical director in 1987, he had the resources to make an indelible mark. He was in charge for three drivers’ and constructors’ titles in a row before stepping away from Formula One at the end of the 1990 season. McLaren and Senna made it four in 1991.

Murray tells his story in great detail in One Formula – 50 Years Of Car Design, which has just been published by Porter Press. Remembering his time at McLaren before this weekend’s Monaco GP he recalls the relationship he developed with Senna.

“We became good friends,” he says. “Although he was very intense about his racing, he was relatively quiet and almost religious sometimes outside the racing. We trusted each other and worked together very well. He loved setting the car up for qualifying. I would manage the session. We had a very simple system of me standing up on the wall with a stopwatch and watching for gaps to send him out.”

In 1988 at Monaco it worked to perfection and Senna was untouchable that weekend until that single lapse during the race. The mistake shocked Murray but Senna’s reaction did not.

“I knew Ayrton well and he would have been so angry with himself because his concentration and his precision and dedication was so intense,” he says. “To do something like that would have destroyed him completely. He didn’t want to face the team but not through embarrassment. I have told drivers: ‘If you do crash the car don’t come back to the pits because I don’t want to see you.’ Drivers who do that a lot don’t want to face the team but not Ayrton. He would have been so upset with himself he would have wanted to contemplate that. He was that sort of guy.”

It is 25 years since Senna was killed at Imola in 1994 and this week the sport had to deal with another great loss when Niki Lauda died on Monday at the age of 70. Lauda won at Monaco twice during his career and more than understood what an achievement it was. He said his qualifying lap for pole here in 1975 left him trembling at its conclusion. Lauda will be honoured in tributes before Sunday’s race and with a minute’s silence on the grid. He drove for Brabham in 1978 and 1979 and Murray mourned the loss of “a good friend, a remarkable individual and a talented driver”. He was, like Senna, a driver Murray says was able to extract more from a car than seemed possible.

“I have worked with several drivers that are so calculating they can see in their mind how much quicker they can go,” he says. “Niki was one. He went out in one qualifying session and did a good time, came back in and said: ‘That’s as quick as I can go.’ Then he sat in the car and after 15 minutes told me he thought he could find another half a second. He put another set of tyres on and did it. He had gone through the lap in his head and found the time. Ayrton could do that, the guys who are that good can do that.”

The remarkable career of Murray, who is now 72, reached extraordinary heights of technical and engineering achievement but when he considers Monaco 1988, his relationship with Senna and his untimely death, it is the man at the heart of the machine he remembers. “Ayrton wasn’t just a sporting loss,” he says. “I had lost a friend; it really, really hurt.”

• Formula One
• Ayrton Senna
• Formula One 2019
• Motor sport

Most viewed

Records - Ayrton Senna

Records of Ayrton Senna in the race and qualifying by seasons, teams, constructors, grands prix, and circuits.

Constructors

Grands prix.

StarsInsider

Ayrton Senna: 30 years since tragedy struck

Posted: April 19, 2024 | Last updated: April 20, 2024

Nearly 30 years ago on May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna died after crashing at the San Marino Grand Prix. The death of the Brazilian F1 legend shocked the sport and provoked an outpouring of grief around the world. During an illustrious career, Senna clinched 41 Grand Prix wins and three Drivers' Championships. Three decades on since that fateful day at Imola, he is still considered one of the best F1 racing drivers of all time.

To celebrate his extraordinary achievements behind the wheel, click through this gallery and take a commemorative look back at the life and times of Ayrton Senna.

You may also like: Unveiling the shadows: America's infamous killers who haunt history

Ayrton Senna da Silva

Ayrton Senna da Silva was born on March 21, 1960, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Follow us and access great exclusive content every day

Early years

Senna discovered his love of racing at the age of four when his father introduced him to the world of go-karting. The budding driver began racing as soon as he was legally allowed, at age 13. He went on to win the South American Kart Championship in 1977, and contested the Karting World Championship each year from 1978 to 1982, finishing runner-up in 1979 and 1980. He's pictured here in 1993 taking part in the Masters Karting event at Bercy, Paris.

You may also like: The world's scariest animals

Move to England

In 1981, Senna moved to England to begin single-seater racing. By 1983, he was competing in Formula Three. He's pictured at the wheel of a Ralt RT3 at Thruxton on March 3, 1983.

Winning formula

In fact, 1983 proved to be a watershed for Senna. He won the British Formula Three Championship and later triumphed at the inaugural Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix (pictured). By the end of the year, he was testing for Formula One.

You may also like: Down under from up above: Amazing aerial shots of Australia

Grand Prix debut

Senna began driving F1 in 1984, for Toleman-Hart. Suitably, he made his F1 debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro (pictured). The Brazilian's meteoric career in F1 was in gear and ready to accelerate.

Season best

Senna's best result of the season was second place at the rain-lashed Monaco Grand Prix. In fact, the race was stopped on lap 13 for safety reasons. Alain Prost took first place, with René Arnoux third.

You may also like: Celebrities who became mothers after 40

First F1 pole position

Seeking change and a better car, Senna moved to Lotus in 1985. It proved a wise move. At the second round of the season, at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Senna took the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, doing so in dire conditions.

Fast lane to success

Besides converting his pole position in Portugal into his first F1 win, Senna clocked the fastest lap of the race. The Brazilian is pictured on the podium celebrating his historic victory.

You may also like: Reality TV secrets that producers won't tell you

F1's foremost qualifier

Seven pole positions in 1985 cemented his reputation as F1's foremost qualifier. He's pictured leading the cars at the Grand Prix of Europe at Imola on May 5, 1985.

More pole positions

Senna remained with Lotus throughout 1986 and 1987. In '86, he clinched eight pole positions and eight podiums.

You may also like: Normandy beyond the beaches

Last season with Lotus

The 1987 season was Senna's last with Lotus. McLaren had already expressed interest in poaching the Brazilian—and Honda's class-leading engines. Throughout the year, Senna had built a deep relationship with Honda, which paid big dividends, as McClaren ultimately secured Honda's V6 turbo engines for 1988.

First F1 championship

Senna, now driving for McLaren in the impressive McLaren MP4/4, began the 1988 season by being disqualified on a technicality at home in Brazil. It was an ignominious start. But in his first season with his new team, Senna won a then record eight races and captured his first Formula One championship.

You may also like: Celebrities who go by their middle names

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost

But 1988 would ultimately be remembered for the intense rivalry between Senna and McLaren teammate and already two-time world champion Alain Prost, a personal competition between the two that would endure for the next five years.

Great rivalry

Tensions between Senna and Prost boiled over on several occasions during the 1988 season. But the experienced pair realized that, despite their personal rivalry, they had to work together, especially in testing, to keep ahead of their main opposition from Ferrari, Williams, Benetton, and Lotus. Rarely looking over their shoulders at rivals, the pair claimed 15 wins out of 16.

You may also like: The pros and cons of buying an electric car

The animosity grows

The 1989 world championship saw the animosity between the Brazilian and the Frenchman deepen.

More subterfuge

During the penultimate race of the 1989 season at Suzuka in Japan, which Senna had to win in order to retain his title, Prost provoked a collision that sent both men sliding to a standstill. While the Frenchman decided to abandon the race, Senna urged marshals for a push-start, which he received. The Brazilian went on to win the race, only to be disqualified, thus handing the championship to his rival.

You may also like: Must-try street food for travelers

Collison course

The incident at Suzuka marked a new low in relations between the two former teammates. In 1990, Prost, the world champion and now driving for Ferrari, was eager to retain his title. Senna, however, had different ideas and, demonstrating typical determination, resilience, and passion, took a commanding lead in the championship with six wins. But in a replay of the previous year's shenanigans—and ironically at the same circuit in Japan—Senna deliberately crashed into Prost. The pair are pictured walking towards their pit after the collision.

Second F1 championship

Senna, now aged 30, won his second Drivers' Championship in 1990, taking the title from Prost.

You may also like: The most anticipated movies of 2021

The 1991 season

Senna won the 1991 season-opening United States Grand Prix with the new Honda V12-powered McLaren MP4/6.

New teammate, new challenges

Senna, seen here with teammate Gerhard Berger and the McLaren team, won seven of the 16 races; his main challenger for the title was Nigel Mansell. Prost, meanwhile, failed to win a race with Ferrari.

You may also like: What a vasectomy is exactly, and why it might be a good idea

Third F1 championship

Ayrton Senna crowned the 1991 season by winning his third and last Drivers' Championship.

Running on empty

The 1992 season saw Nigel Mansell emerge as a serious threat to Ayrton Senna, compounded by the fact that Mansell was driving the Williams' all-conquering FW14B car, a machine McLaren simply couldn't match in terms of power and performance. Senna is pictured being given a lift back to the pits by Mansell after he had run out of fuel during the British Grand Prix on July 14, 1991.

You may also like: Actors who didn't live to see their final films

War of words

And 1992 was also the year German rising star Michael Schumacher began to make his mark. Senna saw Schumacher as a threat to his supremacy in Formula One, and the relationship between the two was never good. In fact, at a test session for the German Grand Prix, Senna and Schumacher had a confrontation in the pits (pictured), with Senna grabbing Schumacher by the collar and accusing him of endangering him by blocking him on the track.

Uncertain future

Despite scoring wins in Monaco, Hungary, and Italy that year, Senna failed to retain his F1 crown, with Mansell ultimately winning the 1992 Drivers' Championship. Furthermore, Senna didn't have a contract with any team by the end of that year, and speculation was rife about the Brazilian's future.

You may also like: Celebrities who hate Marvel and DC superheroes! comic book movies

A race-by-race deal

Senna eventually agreed to a race-by-race deal to drive McLaren's Cosworth-powered cars, his old rival Alain Prost having already secured a place at Williams.

Old rivalry rekindled

With Prost in the more powerful car, most commentators were expecting the Frenchman to gear up and motor ahead of the Brazilian. But against all expectations, Senna matched Prost win-for-win over the first six races and led the drivers' standings. One outstanding victory was at the Grand Prix of Europe at Donington Park in England, when Senna took the checkered flag under a rain-lashed circuit. Senna and Prost are pictured battling it out on the day.

You may also like: Celebs living with sleep disorders

Last podium appearance

The 1993 season concluded in Australia, with Senna winning his 41st F1 career win, but Prost crowned world champion for the fourth time. No one realized at the time, but this would be the Brazilian legend's last appearance on the podium.

A premonition?

For 1994, Senna was able to finally join the Williams team after Prost retired. Speaking on the eve of the season, Senna eerily predicted the events of May 1, 1994. "The cars are very fast and difficult to drive. It's going to be a season with lots accidents and I'll risk saying we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen."

You may also like: Actors you didn't realize may never act again

Underperforming

The 1994 world championship commenced in Brazil. Senna quickly expressed dissatisfaction with his car's performance and found himself in close running with the Benetton B194 of Michael Schumacher. Senna, Jean Alesi, Damon Hill, and Michael Schumacher are pictured at the start of the Grand Prix of Brazil at Interlagos on March 27, 1994.

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

On the eve of the race at Imola, Senna reported, "My car reacts a bit nervously on this kind of surface. It stems from the special aerodynamics but it's also got to do with a difficulty in the suspension." Then after being advised to withdraw from the race after Roland Ratzenberger's fatal crash during qualifying, he said: "There are certain things over which we have no control. I cannot quit. I have to go on."

On May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna was fatally injured after his car crashed into a concrete barrier while he was leading the San Marino Grand Prix. He later died at the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna. On speaking previously about fear, Senna mused: "To survive in Grand Prix racing, you need to be afraid. Fear is an important feeling. It helps you to race longer and live longer."

Sources: (Formula 1) (Britannica) (RaceFans) (Medium) (Senna) (ESPN) 

See also: A drive through the evolution of the F1 car

More for You

A psychology expert shares 5 toxic phrases 'highly selfish, entitled' people always use—and how to deal with them

Kyrie Irving Makes NBA History Following Game 1 vs. Clippers

We Ordered 7 Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwiches to Find the Best One

Over thousand trucks wait at Polish border: Border situation update

I'm abrosexual - it took me 30 years to realise

'CSI' Cast: Then & Now

Best Movies Now on Netflix

The most successful people never use these 5 toxic phrases when talking to themselves, says psychologist at Yale

Alvin Kamara wins fishing tournament in Florida

Lindsey Graham Crediting Trump for Ukraine Aid Passing Raises Eyebrows

Rising to Stardom: 30 Young Actors Who Became Movie Stars

16 Popular Pizza Chains, Ranked Worst to Best

The 37 Most Stunning Wedding Dresses in American History

How to 'quiet quit,' from a former teacher who did it for 2 years so she could enjoy a better life while still getting a paycheck

Israeli drone that fell in Lebanon was hit by surface-to-air missile

I Lost White Friends When I Finally Spoke Out

Nowhere for the water to go: Dubai flooding shows the world is failing a big climate change drainage test

Movie Miscasts: 15 Times the Wrong Actor Was Chosen for a Role

The Food City Anthony Bourdain Considered One Of His All-Time Favorites

Why haven’t blue states rushed to join Newsom’s call for constitutional amendment on guns?

6 Hour Ayrton Senna Tour – the Greatest Formula 1 Drivers of All Time

As the roaring engines of Formula 1 machines echoed through the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, Ayrton Senna’s finesse on the track was akin to a maestro orchestrating a symphony.

The 6 Hour Ayrton Senna Tour invites enthusiasts to explore the world of this legendary driver, exploring his unrivaled skills and enduring legacy.

With exclusive access to key moments of Senna’s career, participants are treated to a journey that not only celebrates his greatness but also offers a profound understanding of what truly sets him apart from the pantheon of Formula 1 icons.

• Explore Senna’s charitable work, intense rivalries , and record-breaking career.
• Experience the precision driving and strategic prowess of Formula 1 legends.
• Gain exclusive behind-the-scenes access to untold stories and technical aspects.
• Set out on an unforgettable racing adventure, exploring Senna’s skills and iconic Formula 1 cars.

Here's some more nearby activities we've reviewed

• Sao Paulo, Brazil Full-Day Highlights and More City Tour (Mar )
• Double Parachute Jump in São Paulo With 50 Seconds of Free Fall (Mar )
• 6-Hour Classic Half-Day Private Tour of São Paulo – Optional Airport Pickup
• Casa Do Povo: Guided Tour of Neo Química Arena

Tour Overview

Set out on an unforgettable journey with the Ayrton Senna Tour, where enthusiasts can explore the world of one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.

The tour highlights key moments from Ayrton Senna’s illustrious racing career , offering a comprehensive insight into his life both on and off the track.

Participants can explore iconic race tracks where Senna showcased his exceptional skills, gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges he faced and the victories he achieved.

From his debut to his championship triumphs, the tour provides a detailed narrative of Senna’s rise to fame in the world of motorsport.

It’s a must-visit for anyone passionate about Formula 1 and the legendary legacy of Ayrton Senna.

Ayrton Senna Tribute

Exploring the enduring legacy of Ayrton Senna, the Ayrton Senna Tribute offers a poignant reflection on the remarkable career and impact of the Formula 1 legend. Senna’s legacy transcends his exceptional racing achievements , with his passion for the sport and unwavering determination still inspiring generations of racing enthusiasts. The table below highlights key aspects of Senna’s enduring legacy and racing feats:

Senna’s influence on Formula 1 and his lasting impact on the racing world solidify his place as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history.

Formula 1 Legends Highlight

Highlighting the unparalleled skills and enduring legacies of Formula 1 legends showcases their impact on the sport’s history and inspires racing enthusiasts worldwide. These legends not only mastered intricate racing techniques but also left behind personal anecdotes that resonate with fans.

• Precision Driving: Legends like Ayrton Senna were known for their precise and calculated driving styles, pushing the limits of what was thought possible on the track.
• Strategic Prowess: Their ability to strategize and adapt to ever-changing race conditions set them apart from the competition, showing the importance of quick thinking in Formula 1.
• Emotional Resilience: Through personal anecdotes, fans learn about the emotional resilience required to succeed in such a high-pressure sport, inspiring admiration and respect.
• Innovation: Formula 1 legends often introduced innovative techniques that revolutionized the sport, leaving a lasting impact on future generations of racers.

Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access

Exclusive behind-the-scenes access unveils the untold stories and hidden workings of Formula 1 legends, providing a rare glimpse into the world of high-stakes racing. VIP access grants exclusive interviews with key figures in the racing world, offering insights into their experiences and perspectives.

Explore track secrets, learning about the intricate strategies and technical aspects that contribute to a driver’s success. Discover captivating racing anecdotes that showcase the challenges and triumphs faced by these iconic drivers.

This behind-the-scenes experience goes beyond what meets the eye during races, shedding light on the dedication, skill , and passion that drive these Formula 1 legends to greatness.

Unforgettable Racing Experience

For an adrenaline-fueled adventure unlike any other, learn about the unforgettable thrill of a high-speed racing experience with Ayrton Senna Tour. The legacy of Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers, is encapsulated in every moment of this racing adrenaline -packed journey.

Expert Guidance: Professional instructors provide insights into Senna’s racing techniques.

State-of-the-Art Facilities: Experience the rush of speed in cutting-edge racing simulators.

Exclusive Access: Get behind the wheel of iconic Formula 1 cars for a truly immersive experience.

Personalized Experience: Tailored sessions cater to individual skill levels, ensuring an unforgettable and challenging adventure.

Embark on this thrilling adventure to not only feel the excitement of racing but also to honor the memory of the legendary Ayrton Senna.

Tour Booking Information

Embarking on the Ayrton Senna Tour journey not only guarantees an adrenaline-fueled racing experience but also offers a seamless booking process that ensures convenience and satisfaction for all travelers.

The tour availability is indicated to be high, with a likelihood of selling out due to its popularity. The booking process is straightforward, and travelers can access assistance through the Viator Help Center if needed. Prices vary based on group size, with inclusions such as VAT, taxes , handling charges , parking fees , entrance fees , meals , drinks , and optional tips.

The tour includes transport by fully-equipped vehicles, pick-up and drop-off at specified locations, a licensed bilingual private tour guide, and a private driver for larger groups, enhancing the overall experience for Formula 1 enthusiasts.

Here's a few more nearby tours and experiences we have reviewed.

• Classic Massage 1h by Aura Spa
• 4-hour Sum-up Private Tour Of São Paulo Including Its Major Attractions
• 5-hour Private Tour Of São Paulo With Its Main Sights – Optional Airport Pickup
• Private São Paulo Tour With Ibirapuera Park, Paulista Av and Downtown Visit
• 7-hour Private Tour Overview Of São Paulo – Optional For GRU Airport Pickup
• Amazing São Paulo Overview in 4 or 5 Hours With a Private Guide

Common questions

Can guests request specific formula 1 tracks to visit during the tour.

Guests can request specific Formula 1 tracks to visit during the tour. Special requests for track preferences allow racing memories and enhance the Formula excitement . The tour accommodates personalized experiences to create unforgettable moments for fans.

Are There Any Restrictions on Age or Physical Fitness Level for Participating in the Tour?

Age restrictions or fitness requirements are not mandatory for participation in the tour. Guests of all ages and physical fitness levels can enjoy the experience. It’s an inclusive journey that caters to a diverse range of individuals.

Is There a Souvenir Shop or Merchandise Available for Purchase During the Tour?

During the tour, visitors can explore a dedicated gift shop filled with memorabilia, collectibles , and merchandise related to Formula 1. This offers a chance to purchase souvenirs that capture the essence of the experience.

Are There Any Interactive Activities or Simulations Related to Formula 1 Racing Included in the Tour?

While the tour doesn’t include interactive activities or simulations directly related to Formula 1 racing, visitors can enhance their experience by engaging in virtual reality racing simulations , offering a thrilling and immersive racing experience.

Can Guests Bring Their Own Cameras or Recording Devices to Capture the Experience?

Guests are welcome to bring their cameras or recording devices to capture the experience. The camera policy allows visitors to document tour highlights and create lasting memories. It enhances the overall journey and provides a personalized touch.

Here's more of our most recent tour reviews happening neaby

• São Paulo Bustling Nightlife & Hottest Touristic Points – 5-hour Private Tour
• 4WD One Day Tour Visiting Water Fall and the Big Stone From Sao Paulo
• Walk to the Big Rock in Cantareira State Park: Optional Airport Pick-Up
• Private Half-Day Tour of São Paulo Highlights
• Santos and Guarujá Beaches, 70 Kilometers From São Paulo – 8 to 10 Hours
• Gift Voucher DaySpa 4h by Aura Spa
• Sao Paulo Sightseeing Layover Tour With Round-Trip Transfers
• Private São Paulo Layover Tour From GRU Int. Airport and CGH Airport
• Sao Paulo Top Highlights Tour With Market Visit (4h)
• Guarani Tribe Experience: Experience in Indigenous Villages
• Night Walking Tour Through the Bars of São Paulo

Experience the thrill of the Hour Ayrton Senna Tour and dive into the world of one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. With exclusive access, behind-the-scenes insights , and top-notch amenities , this tour offers a unique and unforgettable journey through the legacy of Ayrton Senna.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore the magic of Formula 1 and uncover the legend of Ayrton Senna in a way like never before. Book your tour now and embark on an adventure of a lifetime!

Similar Posts

Self-Guided Food Tour of Amsterdams De Jordaan District

As the sun sets over the picturesque canals of De Jordaan District, a tantalizing aroma wafts through the cobblestone streets,…

Mallorca Hot Air Balloon Ride

Over the tranquil landscapes of Mallorca, where the golden sun kisses the earth, a hot-air balloon ride beckons adventurers seeking…

Miami: The Best Private 50-Min Flight Tour

Set out on a journey through the skies and witness Miami’s splendor unfold beneath you on the best private 50-minute…

Boat Trip to Blue Lagoon

Intriguingly, over 90% of travelers who embark on a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon describe it as a transformative…

Tandem Skydive 18,000ft From Franz Josef

From the majestic heights of 18,000 feet, a Tandem Skydive from Franz Josef offers a breathtaking plunge into the extraordinary…

6-Day Taiwanese Island Excursion (Sun Moon Lake and South& Eastern Taiwan)

Traveler Emily, an avid nature enthusiast, found herself captivated by the lush greenery and tranquil waters of Sun Moon Lake…

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Welcome to GPFans

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY

• Leaderboard

F1 Standings

• Race Calendar

Are you a F1 Fan? Follow GP Fans

• Privacy and Terms

F1 Driver of the Day: McLaren star clinched top spot after superb drive in Shanghai

F1 Driver of the Day is back in 2024 to provide a sub-plot to the latter stages of every single race as fans get the chance to vote on the award.

Your next chance to play a part on race day is Sunday, May 5 at the Miami Grand Prix!

READ MORE: F1 Results Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 times – Verstappen takes CHAOTIC victory

Launched back in 2016, Driver of the Day is an official F1 award, which creates much debate.

Remember, this is not about who wins the race or who has the fastest car. It’s the driver who has performed the best given the challenges he has faced on any given Sunday.

Who won F1 Driver of the Day at the Chinese GP?

Lando Norris was voted Driver of the Day in China with 26.4% of the vote. Starting from fourth, the McLaren star displayed an impressive performance that propelled him to a well-deserved second-place finish.

Lewis Hamilton clawed his way from a lowly 18th place start all the way to ninth, earning him 13.9% of the vote for second place.

Fernando Alonso wasn't far behind in third with 13.6% of the vote after the Spaniard salvaged a seventh-place finish.

Rounding out the top five were Charles Leclerc , who brought his Ferrari home in fourth with 9% of the vote, and race winner Max Verstappen , who garnered 6.3%.

READ MORE: F1 on TV: The definitive guide to how to watch the 2024 season live

Here is the full 2024 roll of honour:

How is F1 Driver of the Day chosen?

As we said, this is all about the F1 fans getting a chance to decide the award during every single race.

Voting opens during the latter stages of each race and closes when the race ends.

How to vote for Driver of the Day

It’s incredibly simple to get involved. You just need to go to the voting page on the official F1 website and cast your vote once the window opens.

Your next opportunity is Sunday, May 5 at the Miami Grand Prix.

What is the prize for Driver of the Day?

Drivers do not receive a trophy, and there is no financial incentive. It is simply a recognition of a driver's performance from the viewing public.

READ MORE: F1 Schedule 2024: Full calendar with all you need to know about every grand prix

F1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 results: Final classification after penalty CHAOS

• Yesterday 16:57

'Red Bull monster cannot be stopped' - GPFans Chinese GP Hot Takes

• Yesterday 15:57

Change your timezone:

Latest news.

Horner admits Perez 'change' as F1 star left in tears after Chinese Grand Prix - GPFans F1 Recap

• Yesterday 23:57

F1 star left in TEARS after Chinese Grand Prix

• Yesterday 22:57

F*** that guy! Ricciardo BLASTS F1 rival after controversial Chinese GP incident

• Yesterday 21:57

Red Bull pair spotted meeting RIVAL team boss at Chinese GP

• Yesterday 20:57

Horner admits Red Bull 'change' with Perez

• Yesterday 19:57

Verstappen admits deliberately DRIFTING in Chinese GP after radio message

• Yesterday 18:57

F1 Race Calendar

• F1 News 24/7

Related news

Channel 4 F1 highlights today: How to watch the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix FREE

F1 Race Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start time & TV channel

• Constructors

Driver Standings 2024

Constructor Standings 2024

• Oliver Bearman
• Charles Leclerc
• Carlos Sainz
• Lando Norris
• Oscar Piastri
• Pierre Gasly
• Esteban Ocon
• Sergio Pérez
• Max Verstappen
• Alexander Albon
• Logan Sargeant
• Lewis Hamilton
• George Russell
• Nico Hülkenberg
• Kevin Magnussen
• Fernando Alonso
• Lance Stroll
• Valtteri Bottas
• Zhou Guanyu
• Daniel Ricciardo
• Yuki Tsunoda
• Aston Martin
• Haas F1 Team
• Red Bull Racing
• Stake F1 Team
• Visa Cash App RB

About GPFans

Follow us on your favorite social media channel.

• /formula1fanpage
• @gpfansglobal
• /GPFansGlobal

Corporate & Media

Realtimes | Publishing Network

• FootballTransfers.com
• FootballCritic.com
• FCUpdate.nl
• Fightfans.co.uk
• MovieMeter.nl
• MusicMeter.nl
• WijWedden.net
• Kelderklasse
• Anfieldwatch
• MeeMetOranje.nl

• Russia Tourism
• Russia Hotels
• Russia Bed and Breakfast
• Russia Vacation Rentals
• Flights to Russia
• Russia Restaurants
• Things to Do in Russia
• Russia Travel Forum
• Russia Photos
• All Russia Hotels
• Russia Hotel Deals
• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

Moscow metro tour - Russia Forum

• Europe    
• Russia    

Moscow metro tour

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Europe forums
• Russia forum

What is the difference between these 2 Moscow metro tours on the same tour group page? One is less expensive than the other but both have positive reviews.

https://www.getyourguide.com/moscow-l181/moscow-2-hour-metro-tour-t92409/

https://www.getyourguide.com/moscow-l181/moscow-metro-tour-t19283/

We would like to go on this tour but could not decide which one to book. Thank you.

I see the only difference - one mentioned Spanish-speaking guide, the other not-presumably English...

I've seen one more - for 60+ euro!

Looks a bit unreal :)))

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

• Russia - Belarus - Russia 3:42 pm
• Sergiev Posad to Pereslavl Zalessky yesterday
• Train Booking Moscow to St. Peter Apr 18, 2024
• Crossing the border from Narva to Ovanograd by bus Apr 14, 2024
• Current best way to send dollars to Russia? Apr 14, 2024
• Flights into Russia Apr 12, 2024
• Migration Registration Apr 12, 2024
• Gold (bars, sovereigns, krugerands?) Apr 11, 2024
• Traveling to Russia in January 2024 Apr 11, 2024
• Are there direct flights from Moscow to central/southamerica Apr 10, 2024
• Russian 90/180 visa question Apr 10, 2024
• Travelling to Russia having been to Ukraine for aid. Apr 10, 2024
• Planning trip to Russia Apr 09, 2024
• SIM card. Russian SIM cards, do they still work in the UK? Apr 09, 2024
• Transaero Airlines 5 replies
• American Movies set in Russia 5 replies
• Moscow Airport transfer (SVO to DME) 4 replies
• Travel All Russia travel compnay 48 replies
• Russian River Cruise 10 replies
• Suggested Russia Tour - East West Tours 6 replies
• Do I need a visa if my flight has a connection in Russia? 4 replies
• Insight Vacations 24 replies
• Asian Grocery Store in Moscow 4 replies
• "Tourist Confirmation Letter and Travel Voucher" for a visa. 5 replies
• Where can I get initial answers to ANY question?

Moscow Metro Tour

• Page active

Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review