Senna , 20 years on
- Thread starter Mattonsea
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D
Deleted member 1258
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I've seen the crash recently and what struck me was the amount of damage to the car, same as the shunt at the start, the one that brought out the safety car.
classic33
Leg End Member
Driver safety was & is one of the lasting legacies from that weekend.
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Deleted member 1258
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As time rolls by you get used to the more modern cars and forget how fragile the cars used to be.
You just need to watch that BBC documentary about the history of F1 to realise how bad it used to be.
Mr Haematocrit
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You forget how brutal those cars were, how much more the driver was exposed, the extent of the vibration... when you compare a lap of Suzuka done by Senna and Shumi both with similar lap times the difference in how the cars get that time is incredible, you can see the raw power, the skill of changing gear quickly in Senna's car... If the Legacy of his death produced the cars we have today, i'm not sure he would have been happy... Those cars from the 80's were the pinnacle of man and machine... Really shows you as well what this years cars sound like.
Senna's pole lap from 1989 and Schumacher's pole lap from 1995.
Senna's pole lap from 1989 and Schumacher's pole lap from 1995.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Qualifying for the 94 San Marino GP was the last time I ever watched F1 live.
Mr Haematocrit
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I don't think its an unfair comparison, I think it clearly shows how exposed the drivers were in Senna's day.
When you seen Shumi's hands as he turns corners he does not seem to have the need to correct or fight the car as much as Senna imho
Senna's car from my observation seems to be more brutal and accelerate harder and faster, the suspension movement of the car also suggests a different level of compliance.
Shumi's car ran a flappy paddle gearbox in 1995 while Senna did not which is why you would never see his hands leave the wheel, even if the view was better.
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Deleted member 1258
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I've seen that documentary.
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Mattonsea
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If you look a circuit like Abu Dhabi with massive tarmac run off areas the sport has come so far from a 190 mph corner bordered by a concrete wall. The BBC made a 6 part program on McLarens 93 season. In one episode during free practice . Senna was adamant that there was a problem with the Cosworth engine, he could hear a different tone. The telemetry showed no signs of a problem, but the mechanics stripped the engine down and they found a cracked valve spring.....
RWright
Guru
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- North Carolina
That is Senna in the red, being chauffeured at Silverstone by Nigel Mansell.
I watched a lot of F1 in the late 80s. It was some great racing. Those turbo McLaren Hondas were beast. It did seem like the pinnacle of man and machine.
Edit:
I just saw this this video after seeing someone mention it earlier. Lewis Hamilton getting to drive Senna's old Turbo McLaren Honda. He is like a little kid in a candy store.
.cool stuff
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Dark46
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- Quedgeley, Gloucester
In the late 80's F1 cars were 1.5litre Turbo and a one time 1400bhp in qualifing ! Just complete animals you just can't imagine pressing the throttle with NO traction control.
Great story above about Senna and Brundle in F3 by laurance they had a great battle. Very fitting they both won their firstborn World Championship in the same year!
Senna's in F1 and Brundle in World Group C Sportscars
Great story above about Senna and Brundle in F3 by laurance they had a great battle. Very fitting they both won their firstborn World Championship in the same year!
Senna's in F1 and Brundle in World Group C Sportscars
laurence
Veteran
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- in the aeroplane over the sea
Brundle was an amazing driver, but he lacked that 'thing' that made Senna SO great. remember Martin in a Benneton at Spa, Schumacher went off in the wet and rejoined behind his team-mate (MB) and spotted how his car was working better on different tyres, so came in and switched. Also, watch Brundle at Monaco (can't recall what year - think he was in a Tyrell), one of the few drivers to overtake regularly there.
Martin did very well in Sportscars - that was an incredible era for that category - Walkinshaw's Jaguars taking on Porsche and then Mercedes joining in (Schumacher was in the squad). Again, beasts of cars, no real limits, just get to the finish on fuel allocation - turbo vs normally aspirated.
Brundle and Senna are a good comparison, in many ways. Both amazing drivers, but one had that bit extra. Martin was fast, but he was driving the car, Ayrton was driving WITH the car. He once spoke about being in an out of body state during qualifying, where he was just ahead of his actual position - already done with that corner and onto the next bit of track.
i do feel sorry for F1 fans today who never saw him drive and wonder what the big deal is. He had it all, skill, speed, looks and charisma - my, he was THE big deal.
