On October 20, 1991 Ayrton Senna won his third Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren. Almost 30 years later, the Brazilian racing legend’s MP4 / 6 McLaren returned to the racetrack. While the return wasn’t on an F1 circuit, it made its way back to the iconic Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, UK.
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Ayrton’s nephew Bruno Senna had the honor of bringing the legendary master car back to life.
Nephew Bruno brings back the MP4 / 6 driven by Ayrton Senna
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Bruno competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Rebellion Racing and finished third last year. In his three-year career from 2010 to 2012, he drove a full season each in F1 for HRT, Renault and Williams.
The 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting was scheduled to take place last year. However, due to COVID-19, the meeting was postponed until this year, with the meeting taking place last weekend. In the midst of the racing cars that graced the Goodwood Motor Circuit, Bruno took to the track in his uncle’s last championship car.
The 38-year-old completed a couple of unrestricted laps on the track. With his Honda V12 engine producing sounds that delight the sport’s oldest fans, he has handled the car gracefully, though its technology lags far behind today’s racing cars.
After his final lap, Bruno waved to the Goodwood fans, who applauded him for his drive.
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Senna won the 1991 World Cup with 24 points
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The Brazilian started the 1991 Formula 1 season after two impressive title-winning seasons in 1988 and 1990. He faced tough competition from Williams’ Nigel Mansell, who remained competitive until the penultimate race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix.
On the way to Suzuka this year, Mansell needed a win to lead the championship to the final race in Australia. However, McLaren achieved an impressive 1-2 result in qualifying, with Senna’s teammate Gerhard Berger taking pole and Mansell finishing third in qualifying.
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Although he tried to apply pressure early on, he was unable to finish the race due to problems with his brakes. This gave Senna his third world title and the last of his glorious career.
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