The Senna Factor

The Best Of The Senna Factor

2008-02-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

This blog is dedicated for the greatest driver in Formula 1 of all time and you will find a lot of compelling articles about Ayrton Senna. Listed below were some of the best articles in this site written by me so its as original as it can be.

- The Greatness Factor
- Moment of Greatness
- Schumacher vs Senna
- The Classic of All Wet Wheather Race
- 1984 Monaco GP
- The Qualifying Master
- What If Ayrton Senna Had Lived
- Legendary Rain Master
- Senna vs Schumacher Part 2
- The Mclaren Honda Years

Deja Vu, Lewis vs Alonso

2008-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Last season of Formula 1, we had an exciting season filled with anticipation, drama, rivalry, and spy scandal. The 2007 season marked the end of the Schumahcer era, and on to the newcomers of Formula 1. Newcomers like Lewis Hamilton, Sutil, Heiki and also Vettel. The rookie who made the most impact in 07 season was no doubt it was Lewis Hamilton.

I can attest 100% that he deserved to be crowned the rookie of the year award if anything. Lewis is only 22 years old, but he drove like he belong in Formula 1 in recents years. He had the speed, and consistency of a veteran world champion. He stormed in the Formula 1 community like a category 5 huricanne. He just got in to a car even if it was the best car and he drove it flawlessly. He drove with consistenly speed that it upset the balance in the team.

Alonso was suppose to be given the world championship treatment when he got to the team, but in reality it was not the case. Ron Dennis allowed a rookie to compete against the supreme driver in Formula 1 at the moment and the rookie held his ground firmly. Lewis battled his team mate with ferocity of a lion, and they fought tooth and nail right at the bitter end. The competition was so intense inside the team that one was provoked enough to go out to the media and slander the other driver and the team.

That was Alonso who ranted and raved about the favoritism about Lewis was getting the better treatment. I do sort of feel for Alonso because he was supposed to be the leader who would take his Mclaren team to the top again because in 2006 season, Mclaren suffered their 2nd win less season. So for Alonso his job was to get the team up to speed and start winning races again. Alonso did just that, he came in with a lot of knowledge of how to set a car for the optimum performance for every race track in the F1 calendar.

This was the one of the many skill that Schumacher had and that's why he won so many races. What Lewis Hamilton did was absorbed all of this and made it one of his own skill set. Alonso was dismayed at having to compete with a shadow because once Hamilton knew about the set up for his car; then it was just a matter of driving fast and consistenly. The team allowed Lewis and Alonso to share telemetry so that the Hamilton could learn from the master. When Schumacher was racing he didn't allow his teammate to see his telemetry or even steal his set up for his car.
Obviously the point I'm trying to make here is this nostalgic rivalry between great drivers. This was not the first time Mclaren had the very best driver occupying both cars. Ayrton Senna and Prost were the best drivers in 1980's and they were driving for the same team. Obviously Mclaren made the same mistake to have the 2 best drivers in F1 in 07. Having the best drivers in your team is very detrimental because one will say the team favors the other if he can't win and same can be said vice versa.
Winners are ego maniacs and they deserved to have the greatest car at their disposal. If the car was sub par then he will obviously not tolerate mediocrity. Just like when Alain was the world champion at the time of Senna's arrival. Surely they will favor the champion but no, Mclaren went ahead and put their faith in Senna. Alain was distraught over the fact that he gave the team a lot and in return he gets nothing for it. Just like Alonso giving the knowledge and experience he had for the team and it all went to the dumpster because the team chose Hamilton.

At the end of the day Mclaren can't keep both drivers, so Alonso is off to Renault where he has the number one status and the Hamilton stays at Mclaren. Same with Alain Prost when he decided to leave Mclaren for Ferrari and Senna stayed at Mclaren. Only time will tell if we get more of those reminiscent duels that all the fans longed for in Formula 1.

Ayrton Senna BBC Tribute

2008-02-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

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Ayrton Senna Cart Race Part 2

2008-02-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

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Ayrton Senna Cart Race

2008-02-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

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Ayrton Senna Tribute Last Part

2008-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

A great tribute to Ayrton Senna and also a good song that accompanied the video.

Last Lap of Ayrton Senna

2008-02-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

This was Ayrton's last lap before the inevitable happend.

The Death of Ayrton Senna

2008-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

At Imola San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994 it was a dark day for Formula 1. Prior to the race there were many accidents that occured. First it was Barrichello who nearly died in Friday practice session. It was a worst case scenario for the Formula 1 community. Then it got worst, as Roland Ratzenberger crashed heavily in the Villeneuve corner of the track and died.

It was a terrifying scene because the car bounced off the wall, and you can see Roland's head was just hanging off the left side part of the cockpit as the car skidded back on to the track. It was one of the major fatality in F1 in a long time. It schocked the drivers as well as the fans. Senna predicted after the 1993 season that there will be a lot of crashes because the FIA banned all the drivers aid. Drivers aids a like traction control, active suspension, and other equipment that helped improved safety.

As it happened on that faithfull day in San Marino Grand Prix when Senna's FW16 plunged into the Tamburello corner. At first glanced it look like any other accidents in any motor racing. You would have thought that after the crash Senna would just have walked away from the huge crash, but unfortunately it was not to be. A piece of suspension turned into a dangerous shraphnel and it pierced through Ayrton's helmet. It's amazing when you're a racing driver it seems that every race there is a probability that you might die.

Ayrton Senna lived to race and he never back down from it. It was as if it was the only thing that mattered to him, winning and racing. It was an apocalyptic schocked to everyone from the Formula 1 drivers to the media and the fans as well. Ayrton's death brought about the safety level of the F1 car to a higher level. His death also brought about the change in the Tamburello corner. Today its a chicane rather than a fast left hander corner. This incident left many in a somber state and Formula 1 will never be the same again.

Why Ayrton Senna was the Greatest Racing Driver

2008-01-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Best F1racingdriver Ever this is a link to an article that portrays why Senna was the greatest driver in F1 history. Many key points and explanation that was covered in this article; so check it out and see for yourself.

Tribute To The Greatest F1 Driver Part 2

2008-01-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

Ayrton Senna From Prost's Perspective

2008-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

These two drivers shared a lot of glory, and pain. These two drivers were the best in the chosen era that they had raced. The problem was that there can only be one champion, so in order to be champion one of them has to lose. Senna was a man of extreme, a very complicated man yet very enlightening to others when he talks about his beliefs.

Ayrton Senna always tried to be the best even if his equipment was not on par with the other drivers. He strived for excellence so when it comes to teaming up with Prost; it was he who said that he is supposed to be number 1 in the team not Prost. Prost was the team leader at the time when he had to choose between Senna or Piquet. Prost chosed Senna and from that point on forward; Prost knew he made a big mistake.

If you want to read more about this article, read this article from a Prost fan. The article is called Ayrton Senna - by Alain Prost this is a great article to read about Prost whom Senna raced a whole lot. He explained in detail about how Senna was as a person and as a racer.

Tribute To The Greatest F1 Driver Part 1

2008-01-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

The 1993 Season

2008-01-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

In 1993 F1 season, it was in this year that Senna proved to the world that he was still a top contender without the having the best car. It was in this season that showed the world that he hasn't lost any of his driving prowess. Even with the unstoppable Williams and the mighty Benneton, Senna still battled and won many races in 1993 despite his car's lack of pace compare to the other 2 teams.

Many thought that Senna was not going to race because he couldn't accept the fact that his nemesis was driving the best car. Not only that but Prost won't allow Senna in the Williams team. So Senna felt that he will only race if his team was competitive but the Mclaren team fell off from the top of the food chain. It was hard for Senna to accept that he will only place 2nd or 3rd even if he drove at his limits. Then finally Senna made up his mind and decided that he will race for the team, but the catch was that he will get paid everytime he races. Rumor has it that Mclaren paid Senna a million dollars or more per race.

As soon as the deal was settled, Senna buckled down and went for it. He was fighting again and in his first race at Kyalami circuit, and he managed to snatch 2nd by fending off Schumacher. Prost and Senna was at it again battling it out on the track.
Then in Brazil where Senna pulled off a magnificent drive when he stayed 2nd place for most of the time and capitalized Prost's misfortune. That does not discredit Ayrton's skills in the wet and his superb concentration to go 100% on every lap of the race. Along with good strategies with the team, Senna was on top again in only two races.

The 3rd race was at Donnington where Ayrton pulled off the greatest overtaking maneuvers in the history of F1. Senna can only put his car at 5th place in qualifying and that was not enough to reassure his victory, but he refused to admit defeat. As the race got off to a start, it was chaos because the track was damp and normally in a wet track the possibility of overtaking and winning was impossible. Yet, Senna was overtaking everybody at the start of the race. As soon as Senna finished the first lap of the race, he was first. That race was one of the most memorable and epic race of the entire season.

In only 3 races Senna was the leading the championship, but his luck was about to run out soon. In San Marino GP Senna failed to finish because of hydraulic problems and his team mate Andretti spun off track. It was a bad day for Mclaren and they go to the next race expecting a mountain to climb because of the Williams car was just blisteringly fast. Next up was circuit de catalunya in Spain, and as usual the Williams cars were on pole. Even with Hill's retirement Senna could only managed a 2nd place behind Prost. Then in Monaco GP Ayrton fought back and claimed first place by driving superbly and avoiding any mistakes.

In Canada where Senna could only muster an 8th place in qualifying, and that was an unsual place for Senna to be at that position. Considering his car was not par with the Benettons and the Williams, I think he did an outstanding job transcending his car's limitation. After the race ended in dismay because of an engine failure. There was more mechanical glitches to come later races. Only in Japan where Senna finally won again and proved that he hasn't given up winning. Even after the close altercation with Eddy Irvine, Senna lap almost everybody when he won in Suzuka. At the last race of the season in Australia at Adelaide circuit; finally for the first time Ayrton took pole position. He won that race and he accumulated 5 wins in a season where his car was not the fastest and reliable. He managed to place second in the championship standing as well.

Despite the Mclarens cars pace was off and could not rival the might of the Williams. Senna managed to carry the team to the front in certain occasion where he performed and delivered the impossible. Even the Benettons were faster than the Mclaren because they have a better and stronger engine. Imagine if you were driving for Mclaren and you were 80 horsepower down against the Bennetons and at least 120 horsepower down against the Williams. That was a big gap in performance and it was at least 2 to 5 second difference if you put the power figures in perspective.

So it was a lot to make up and oppressing to bear because you know that you won't win the championship despite your efforts. This was obviously one of the best season for Senna and he is rightfully the greatest driver of all time.

Senna vs Schumacher Part 2

2008-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

In the Senna vs Schumacher article that I've written months ago. I explained a lot about the qualities of these two drivers and also their similarities and differences. Yet there is some of the aspect of the qualities of a great that needs clarity.

The BBC publish an article about Senna v Schumacher and it illustrated some of the points I have not mentioned in the previous Senna vs Schumacher. It covers a lot of the technical portion, ultimate speed, race craft, and many other topics. I won't spoil it for you so check out the article and see for yourself that Senna was the best of both drivers.

The Classic battle Collection

2008-01-04T11:29:00.001-08:00

This is great video to watch the classic duels of Senna and Prost.

Brazil's Hero

2008-01-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Ayrton Senna was more than just a great driver and a competitor. He was the hero of Brazil. When his untimely death came about; it was as if the Brazilian people lost someone dear. Senna deeply cared about his people and he helped many impoverish people by donating some of his fortune.

He kept this to himself and never revealed it to the media. This was discovered after his death. It was rumored to be at least 400 million dollars that he invested towards helping people. It was his sister and he who thought about helping their native people. A foundation was established to create a organization to help people in Brazil. This was the impact Senna had to the world before and after his death.

He was truly a blessed man and he was willing to share some of his blessing towards helping people. In every country there was at least a hero that stood for their side, and in Brazil it was Senna who stood tall and mighty to represent his people and also to help them as well.

Monaco Master

2008-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Monaco GP was something of a special circuit for Ayrton Senna. This is where he made his mark as a great contender by driving his underpowered Toleman all the way up to 2ND place. He also was known for as the Monaco master because he won the race as many times as he could. Monaco is the jewel of Formula 1 where all the rich and celebrities flock to see the grand prix.

So it makes winning in Monaco GP a bit more of a plus for the driver and team because they can attract some of the rich sponsors. The Monaco master was obviously Ayrton Senna because he won it six times. Graham Hill gets close to it by winning 5 wins in Monaco and so as Schumacher, but Senna stays on top this time. Schumacher owns all the record but not this one.

Senna came close winning 7 or 8 times in Monaco if his luck had not deserted him. Just like in the year 1984 when he was closing in on Prost and all of a sudden they terminated the race. Then in 1988 where I have to admit it was his fault, but regardless that race was all on him because he was on pole. Normally if your on pole in Monaco, then you have a greater chance of winning. You see unlike any other grand prix in the calendar, Monaco is a street circuit and the road is narrow. So in other words its hard to pass and the only way to win comfortably is to attain pole position.

So this is one of the legendary tracks worth to recon with, and if you win in this track many times. Then this shows that you have plenty of luck, speed, and talent because this is one of the most difficult race track in the calendar.

The Senna Factor Review In 2007

2007-12-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

This blog is been running for 3 months now and I do hope the readers or should I say Ayrton's fans out there are still active and in this blog is a tribute to the best Formula 1 racing driver ever. I've been a Ayrton Senna fan for a long time and I still feel that void in me whenever I watch Formula 1.

We know if he lived, we all would know who would be the greatest in Formula 1 right now. This blog is a tribute to the best F1 driver so sit back and read more articles written by me and I will take you back to the best years in Formula 1, where the drivers were the best in their class not the car, and intense competition.

Here are some of my best post that you should read, and see for yourself on who was the greatest F1 Driver.

- The Greatness Factor My first post and I think this will outline how Senna was the best driver that there was in Formula 1
- Moment of Greatness This is a classic case of Senna, how he was just unstoppable at one point, and he continues to produce an outstanding performance.
- Schumacher vs Senna The best of the best battles it on this blog, this post will analyze the good and the bad about both drivers. Only your opinion will count because I've already said mine, now it's your turn.
- The Classic of All Wet Weather Race This is classic of all classic in the wet weather races.
- What If Ayrton Senna Had Lived If Senna had lived... Fill in the blank or you should read my point of view of it.

I hope you enjoyed my previous posts and I will continue to deliver the goods to you, the Senna fans.

The Mclaren Honda Years

2007-12-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

At last, Senna moved to Mclaren to finally have a chance of winning the World Drivers Championship. This moved brought about the most compelling combination of drivers and the engine manufacturer. When Senna moved to Mclaren so did Honda; therefore, creating the best combination of chassis and engine. Honda at the time had the best engine and who ever uses the Honda engines will surely be competitive. While the Honda supplied the best engine, the Mclaren team was good at building a world beater chassis, aerodynamics, and everything else that is included in the Formula 1 car. So the combination of the Honda and Mclaren resulted in a team that was invincible.

Mclaren got the best combination of engine and chassis, but also the drivers. Prost was already established himself in Mclaren as the team leader. Senna's skills were in the same calibre if not better than Prost. So the best drivers in Formula 1 in the same team, the battle for supremecy will wage on until one succumbs to the better driver.

The battle begins in 1988 season as the first Grand Prix in Brazil was well underway. At first Senna got the pole, but the car had problems so he had to use the spare car. The highlight of the race in Brazil was of course Senna scything his way up from the back of the grid to 2nd place. His great drive was in vain though because he was blacked flag for using the spare car. Nonetheless Senna showed how good he was by beating almost everybody except for Prost. Then at the San Marino GP he left Prost by a long shot. As the season progressed, the battle was intensified and the Mclaren drivers were getting pressured amongs themselves. The cars that they were both driving was invincible and this shows by the wins they were getting. The Mclaren team almost recorded a perfect record for the whole season. They dominated all the races except in Monza where Senna had a collision with Jean Louis.

Despite that predicament the team was able to pull an outstanding record of 15 of 16 races victory. This record still stands today, unbeaten and probably will stay that way for a very long time. Now in order to for Senna to win, he had to have more victories than Prost in order for him to clinch the title. So he did by beating Prost in Suzuka. This was an exciting race because Senna had to catch up to Prost in 14th place. Senna's immense concentration and consistent fast laps enabled him to catch up to Prost and overtake him before the end of the race

The domination of Mclaren Honda still continued in 1989, even though the turbo's had gone away. Mclaren still managed to create another car which dominated the entire field. The bond between Mclaren and Honda was strengthened and they continued to produce an outstanding results. It's hard to keep two great drivers in one team and this showed in the way Prost was accusing the Mclaren of favoring Senna. Thus, in the end of the season Prost will opt to move to another team.

The clash of the titans rage on in the 1989 season and both drivers were fighting all out in the track. Sometimes Prost beats Senna and sometimes Senna beats Prost, the decider of the championship was again held in Suzuka. There was a lot of controversy that went on after the collision of both Mclaren drivers. Senna was trying to overtake Prost before entering the chicane, but Prost shut the door on Senna. While Senna continued to race because of the help the marshalls, however; Prost went on to retire. Meanwhile, when Senna went to the pit to change his nose cone, he only loss the position to Alessandro Nanini. With stupendous drive by Senna, he caught up with Nanini and gracefully passed him in the corner where Senna and Prost had their altercation.

Yet despite of Senna's effort, he was disqualified after the race because he was cutting the corners in the chicane. That and other politics that came along, to deny Senna the glory he deserved. Balestre, a good friend of Prost was the president of the FIA, so in favor for Prost. Balestre launched an attack to Senna to completely render Senna's achievement in 1989 useless. Senna continued to race despite this hardship, he had to endure this season.

Now for 1990, after the departure of Prost to go to the Ferrari. Gerhard Berger was there to replace him. Although Berger was no threat against Senna, they both got along just fine. As usual the combination of Mclaren Honda was a strong package. Senna went on to win a lot of races in 1990 and he was closing in on a 2nd world title. Only his nemesis Prost can detract the title from him and he came quite close doing it in a Ferrari. Down to the wire again in Suzuka where the two collided last year. In 1990 same the same thing happen, but it was Senna that did the ramming. He exacted his revenge by plowing on Prost's Ferrari. Senna took the World Drivers Championship in 1990.

In 1991 there arose a challenger for Mclaren Honda, and it was the Williams Renault. Renault was supplying the engines for the Williams and they both produce such an outstanding results. Senna was not intimidated by this and he went on to claim poles and win races early on to leverage his chances on winning the title again. As the season progressed the Williams car were getting faster and faster. The Mclaren Honda team was having a hard team dealing with the supreme power of the Williams Renault. It was up to Senna to stop this rampaging force.

Nigel Mansell was driving for Williams in 1991, so he was the one that led the team to win races in 1991. Nigel was so close to winning the title in 1991 that Senna was desperately trying to keep up to Mansell car's blistering pace when they were racing for the title. One of the highlights of the season was when Senna won in Brazil GP. He was exhausted and injured after the race, yet he still won the race. His car's gearbox was stuck and he had to drive the car like that for the whole entire race. He won but with his arm was severly injured. This conveys to you that Senna's determination and persistence to win a race was burning in himself . The decisive race was again in Suzuka where Senna had won most of his championship from. Senna took the championship again because Mansell made an error in which he tried desperately to overtake Senna but he ovedid it and he slid off the gravel.
Senna now joins the elite 3 time world championship club and he still have a lot of races in him. But From 1992 to 1993, Williams dominated the race and Mclaren was on the declining point. Also Honda pulled out of the Formula 1 after 1992, so that left Mclaren searching for an engine the can match the Renault. Mclaren did choose the lower spec Ford engine in 1993. Senna was not in the mood to race after failing in 1992. And his nemesis Prost was in the seat of the best car in the grid, this was a sign for Senna that he didn't have a hope of winning the title in 1993.

Although Senna drove for Mclaren in 1993, it was a race by race basis. He didn't fully commit to the whole season in the beginning of the season, but as time goes by he saw the car was improving bit by bit, so he commited to finish the whole season. Senna won 5 races in a car which was nowhere near the Williams performance, this showed his ability to trancend the cars limitation. After Prost claimed his 4th title, he decided that it was finally time to quit. Senna saw this opportunity and quickly decided that he will race for Williams in 1994.

After 6 season of driving for Mclaren, Senna went on to Williams to better his chances of winning another title. Senna had the most success with the Mclaren team and after his departure, the team will miss him badly.

4 Reasons Why the Turbo Era was the Best

2007-12-18T16:04:00.000-08:00

The turbo era in Formula 1 was the one that is etched in every one's mind. The 1980's era were the years when they used turbo's and it was just a thrill to watch the 80's Formula cars tearing up the track. Turbo cars had so much power, sometimes the drivers couldn't even control their cars.

Here are the reason why turbo era was the best:

-Cars in the turbo era were fast and unruly. Other backmarker teams have plenty of chance to win if they have a driver capable of delivering such feat. One evidence of this was when Senna drove for Toleman. He showed the team what he can do with a car that has a turbo and a mediocre chassis. Nonetheless in race day, a driver given a good all around package can certainly win even if he wasn't in the best team.

-There were more actions and overtaking in the turbo era than the current Formula 1. Many cars were being overtaken, passing and re passing in almost every lap. That was the pure joy that we miss today in the current Formula 1. From 2000 through 2007, the races were predictable. Whoever takes pole, then the driver will surely win. There's hardly any overtaking. In the turbo era, it was very close competition among the top teams and also the backmarkers. The thrill, the suspense, and the overtaking were days long gone and only remembered when we take a look at the 1980's decade when the real racing were happening.

-Driving skills were heavily involved in the turbo era because they didn't have a semi automatic flappy paddle. They had a manual gearbox, slick tires, and hardly any downforce in their cars. Which means that it was a hard labor driving Formula 1 back in those days. Controlling these cars that had over 1000 horsepower and no electronic aids were no joke; that just tells you how skill full the drivers in those days have to be.

-A lot of great drivers also came from the turbo era. The likes of Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Nelson Piquet. These were the greats that came along, but there were also drivers that can match these greats on certain occasion. The level of competition in the 80's were high because a lot of drivers were very good, they just didn't have the car to follow up on their skills.

The Lotus Years

2007-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

It was in Lotus that had the most impact for Senna's career because this is where he had deep connection with the engine supplier which was Honda. In the 80's Honda was very successful in Formula 1, whenever they supplied engines for any team. That team would simply be unstoppable because Honda had the power and the reliability on their engines that they made. Ayrton Senna won his maiden victory in a Lotus car and had his series of pole positions in a Lotus as well.

When Senna finally moved to Lotus in 1985, he quickly capitalized the moment by winning the race in Estoril. It was a classic win because it was a very damp track and everybody was struggling to cope with the rain and the wet track. Senna started on pole and stayed there until he crossed the chequered flag. After that victory, he consistently beat his team mate in either qualifying or winning a race. In 1985 season the two most dominant car were Mclaren and the Williams team. Although these two were dominating the track; Senna proved to them that he can match them as well in his underpowered Lotus. He did just that when he won races in 1985 and he was consistently claiming poles and getting podiums in a car that was not meant to be a world beater. Senna won 2 races while driving for Lotus in 1985 and those two races were both in a damp track, so it says a lot about his skills as a wet weather specialist and qualifying master.
The 1986 season was a bit tricky because Williams and Mclaren again was on the hunt for the championship. Even though Senna was out of the league, he still did his best to get out there and win races. So he did in Detroit but other than that it was nearly impossible to win against the mighty Williams. The Williams Drivers' were Piquet and Mansell, both of these drivers are great drivers and they were hungry for victory. Yet, at the end of the season they both loss to Alain Prost because of the on track rivalry of Mansell and Piquet. Despite that, Senna never gave up and he went racing knowing that he had a very little chance of winning the championship. Alain Prost again took the World Drivers Championship by a mere 2 points. He was a truly great driver and I applaud his greatness.

Honda's presence in 1987 were more pronounced because they showed the world just how much power they can give in their engines. Not just power but also reliability as well. The evidence of the volcanic power in the Honda engine was depicted in the form of Williams and Lotus. Those two teams used the Honda engines; therefore, they were dominant in 1987 season. Although Lotus have the engines the Williams had a better chassis and other components in the car that was better, but same engines that the Lotus used.

Finally Senna had the car truly worthy of competing against the front runners. His car was closely match the William's car in the opening season. His consistent podiums and pole positions finally had him leading the championship. He won in Monaco and Detroit, those two victories made a real difference in the championship standings. As the season progressed Senna couldn't keep up with the Williams and ultimately the championship would be either Nelson Piquet or Nigel Mansell. Nonetheless, Senna made more acquisition in pole positions and victories in the years he was in Lotus.

After a long 3 season with the Lotus team, Senna had developed a deep rapport with Honda and the long partnership was just beginning. When Ayrton Senna moved to Mclaren, so did the engine supplier Honda. This marked the turning point of Senna's career.

The Toleman Years

2007-12-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Senna only stayed at Toleman team for just one season, yet despite that he was able to race against some of the front runners and score points. The Toleman was a backmarker team and in performance category; the Toleman team would be in the bottom of the food chain.

The Toleman group first appeared in Formula 1 in 1980. Toleman had Lancia to supply them with engines and the tires the that they used was Pirellis. The 1980's was the turbo era so most cars had turbo and the turbo that the Toleman used was manufactured by Brian Hart. Also their car designer was Rory Byrne. As with any new team just like the Toleman, they struggled throughout their first season.

The TG181 was the car Toleman ran in 1981 and it was a complete fiasco. The drivers for Toleman at this time was Dereck Warick and Henton. They both failed qualify in many qualifying session in 1981, but as the seasons went by they were getting better and better. In 1983 was a good year for Toleman because they finally scored their very first point in Holland, then scored more points 3 races later.

Senna debut in 1984 with the Toleman team and in his first season he already made his mark in Formula 1 by securing 2ND place in Monaco Grand Prix. If the raced continued Senna definitely would have won the event. That was the best result that Toleman had and it was all the done by the great Ayrton Senna. Senna scored more points for Toleman in British GP by securing 3rd.

Ayrton Senna was a very ambitious driver; therefore, he needed to get a faster car. So he signed up with Lotus for 1985 to get himself a faster and more reliable car. The boss of Toleman was infuriated because Senna broke his contract with the team. The ramification was that Senna was banned to race in Italy, but Senna could care less because he have the car next season to compete with the front runners.

What If Ayrton Senna Had Lived

2007-12-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

Senna won three world titles before his death. But what if
Senna had live after that crash in tamburello corner. What
if he survived that crash and he was still able to race after that incident.
Would you still think Schumacher have that record if Senna
had live.

Now I know this blog is about Senna but lets put the spot
light on his nemesis, Schumacher. In 1994 Senna had moved
to Williams to ensure that he had a competitive drive in which
he can try and win another world title. Schumacher did in fact
beat Senna on the 3 races that they had, but that was just the
start of the season Senna has not been all too happy with the
William's car.

Even his teammate Damon Hill find it difficult to handle the car.
If you can recall the moment that the FIA announced that the
active suspension was going to be banned in 1994 season and
teams that used it will have to cope without it. Having the best
active suspention system and the menacing Renault engine; the
Fw14 & FW15 were unstopable. When the active suspension had gone
away, the Williams team faced difficulties in the beginning of
the 1994 season.

Yet, despite that defiency Senna put the car on pole in all
4 races that he had in 1994. Let's say that Senna survived
that crash and lost that race. He would still be able to
catch Schumacher by the end of the season. Remember Schumaher
only won in 1994 by smashing Hill and winning it by one point.
Senna would have easily taken Schumacher before that race in
Adelaide.

In 1995 I would still think that Senna would have taken the title
in that season; so thats Schumacher 0 to Senna 5. Remember in
1996 to 1997 the Williams still had the best car all around
and to think that Hill or Villeneuve could take on the formidable
Senna...not a chance. Senna have at least 7 titles and counting.
Let say Senna lost to Hakkinen due to the car in 1998, then on
1999 Senna moves back again to Mclaren. Do you think Hakkinen
had a chance againts Senna, not really so there you go 8 World
Drivers Championship.

Senna would have own the record by now and Schumacher will still be
racing in 2008 to have a chance on equalling Senna's achievement,
but this is just an speculation that I made and will never happen
because Senna died and we will never see that result.

The Turbo Era

2007-12-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

When Formula 1 cars had turbos it was a monster in the track. The Formula 1 cars could easily hit 220 miles per hour or more on the straights. The Formula 1 cars in the 1980's had turbo, and those cars in that time frame perhaps had the most horsepower in any decades of Formula 1. The cars were having at least 1000 horsepower and over when they had turbos. The engines have either a 4 cylinder or 6 cylinders with 1.5 liters, but these engines produce an enormous amount of horspower due to the turbo and the boost settings.

At the same time the aerodynamics of the car were improving, so coupled that with the turbo, and the end result was chaos in race day. It was sensational to watch drivers wrestling their cars to keep it on the track and even better when you see them overtaking other drivers. The turbo era was truly one of the best in Formula 1 because this era brought about the real talent and bravery of the drivers.

Now a days we have a Formula 1 car that has electronics that can match tha most high tech airplane. Not only that but even the drivers themselves are programme to just turn, brake, and accelerate. The F1 cars of today have traction control, launch control, electronic diff, semi-automatic, a lot of electronic drivers aid that can help fine tune the cars even more. The competition is not there anymore because of these drivers aid, the team who can develop the best car and combine with all the advance technical electronics will win it all. Sometimes the drivers are more likely to just ease and cruise to victory without having to worry about racing other drivers because he has the more superior car. It's not a level field at all, so you won't see much racing going on.

It was much better back in the day when turbo cars were racing because almost any team in the grid can match any car out in the field. If a driver had plenty of talent, then he can almost certainly snatch a win. When the turbo cars were around; there was a lot of overtaking, almost every lap of the race will have a driver being overtaken by another. Even after securing pole position will not ensure you an easy victory unlike today when you take pole, you will certainly win.

It was a truly a magnificent sight when turbo cars were racing because you know that it's anybodies race. No race belong to a certain car manufacturer because like I said, anybody can certainly win with talent and bravery and a reliable car.

The Qualifying Master

2007-11-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

When Senna was actively racing, he drove againts many great drivers, and other middle field drivers who can compete with the front runners as well. Almost any car you put in the grid can win,this was due to the turbo era. It really does not matter who has the fastest car, what matters is that the drivers are the ones who are fast. This is good because the viewers can see the real talent and bravery of the drivers. Senna was the king of qualifying. Most of Senna's team mate were out paced in qualifying consistently.

When Senna was given the opportunity to drive for a competitive team, he can get the results others could not. When Senna was driving for Lotus, he proved that in a decent car with plenty of reliability he can win races, and also take pole position more often. This was a great way to proved also to the critics that he had what it takes to win in a car that was not a world beater. This shows that he can trancend the normal limitations of the car. Senna always did what others couldn't do, which was the 1 lap qualifying mastery. It was almost as if Senna was a robot when he's on a qualifying lap. He hardly made mistakes on qualifying and he always take the pole. He was almost too fast for himself sometimes. Like the time in 1988 Monaco GP, he out qualified his team mate by almost 2 seconds. That's very impressive and to top it all off, he was racing against none other than the great racing driver, Alain Prost.

Before Senna's untimely death, he had a massed a 65 pole position. That record stood there in the record book for more than a decade. Only Schumacher beaten his record by 1 more pole but Senna never had made it 15 years of racing in formula 1.

The Classic of All Wet Wheather Race

2007-11-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

The best of all wet weather race of all time was of course to me was Donnington European Grand Prix in 1993. This remarkable race was a testament to the legendary rain master, Ayrton Senna. Senna was the all time great when it came to racing in a wet weather conditions. It was a sensation just to watch Senna drive in a rain condition because he controls the car as if the car was attached to his body. His car control in a rain condition was uncanny. That's why he was called the rain master by his peers his fans and everybody else that seen him race.

It was in Donnington European Grand Prix that we all saw the greatness of Aryton Senna. Ayrton can only manage to qualify 5th position and the Williams and the Bennetons were ahead of Senna. That season for Mclaren was not good, engine supplier Honda left and they used a lower spec Ford engine which was lower horsepower than the Bennetons and Williams. Even the Bennetons were giving the Mclaren a hard time, yet despite all these problems and issues, Senna was out there showing what he can do in a car that was not fit to be in the front runner. After the qualifying, it was race day and it was a nightmare for drivers because they had to start in a damp track. Remember the optimum position to be in a wet weather race is to be in front because if your behind other drivers, you'll get blinded by the spray that comes out of the wheel of the car in front of you. Despite this handicap and a low horsepower car, Senna was fighting it out in the track.

At the beginning as the race started all ready Senna was challenging for position. He was scything through the field and he eventually passed the two Bennetons that were ahead of him. It was seems as though that Senna would stop his hunt but he kept the pressures on the William's driver as well. Senna overtook Hill coming out of the turn, then it was Prost's turn to be overtaken at the next corner. The best of all is that Senna did all this in just one lap, not half way through the race. He just did this in just one lap, now that is astonishing despite his car not being the best he still managed to pull it off win it. Now that is a complete sign of a great driver and an even better testimony for his status of legendary rain master.

Schumacher vs Senna

2007-11-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

No one would ever know which driver was better, is it Senna or Schumacher. We can only look at their achievements and try to draw a conclusion to see if one has a better edge than the other. This is only in my opinion so I will try to be impartial about this post. It is truly hard to compare two great drivers in their perspective time. Both are successful drivers both won many races and World Drivers Championship. Statistic alone is not a good indication of being the greatest, Schumacher does own all the record in the book but there's more to it than that.

Senna never had the domination that Schumacher had because in his era, Senna had to face the most formidable opponents. Great drivers such as Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, and other midfielders who can snatch couple of wins. But the four that was mentioned were world champions. It was hard to imagine that Senna could win not one but three world championship against these greats. The most obvious of the greats that really gave a hard time to Senna was of course Alain Prost. Alain was his greatest nemesis and probably the greatest competitor he had for all the years he was racing in Formula 1.

Schumacher only raced Senna in 1992, 1993, and 1994. In those days Senna did beat Schumacher and up until the 1994 Schumacher did have the upperhand on Senna. Yet, Senna claimed pole positions in those 3 races. Williams had the best car for 1994 but not at the beginning of the season because they were still trying to sort out the car without their active suspension. The Williams team benefitted from this active suspension a lot thus taking it out was a big blow in their car's performance. Anyway, after Senna's inevitable death, there were no champions left that contended with Schumacher. Now don't get me wrong Schumacher was the best driver at that time so if any great that challenge him at that time, then he would be regarded as the best of the greats. Just as when Senna had Prost in the years he had to race for Mclaren. Schumacher only had Hill and Hakkinen to compete againts, although Hakkinen could give Schumacher a run for his money he never made a serious treat to be his all time nemesis.

Both Senna and Schumacher were aggressive drivers when they raced against their opponents. Senna was regarded as a dangerous man when he ran to Prost's Ferrari in 1990, but Senna did admit it. He had pole so he was entitled to move from the dirty side of the track to the clean side (The dirty side is the right side of the track) of the track. Schumacher did more aggressive tactics when it came to winning the title. In 1994 in came down to the wire, and he had to win in Australia to clinch his first world title. He knew he won't be able to keep up with the Williams of Damon Hill on the straight so he tried to decrease the downforce on his car to be able to match the Williams speed in the straight. Although Schumacher held off the rampant Williams, he couln't keep the lead. Then Schumacher cracked under pressure and ran wide letting Hill slip by. When they were side by side, Schumacher purposely rammed Hill's Williams. Schumacher was out, but Hill was unable to go any further because of the suspension damage that Schumacher caused. So Schumacher won the world drivers champion by 1 point, if he didn't smashed Hill's Williams, Hill could have won.

Fast forward to 1997 when the Williams still had the car capable of winning races. Damon Hill no longer drives for the team, but they had another driver who had what it takes to win. He was Jacques Villeneuve and he was now the leading driver for Williams in 1997. Schumacher had a strong race in this season, but Villeneuve was there to prevent him from taking the title. Then it came down to the wire again, it was the Spanish GP in Jerez. Schumacher got overtaken by Villeneuve and he tried to get even by ramming Villeneuve, but it backfired and Schumacher's Ferrari went to the gravel and unable to get back on track. Schumacher was penalized for that horrendous move and he was thrown out of the championship standing.

Overall Senna had more competition in his era and he didn't do as much underhanded tricks as much as Schumcher. Senna will admit that he did it because he had reason while Schumacher will completely lie about it. So these are some of the factors you should look at when you decide on who you want to choose as the greatest driver between the two. Obviously I will cover more in depth of the quality these two drivers had, but that would be in a separate post.

Mclaren Honda & Senna the Ultimate Force

2007-11-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

Back in the 1980's the team that would dominate would normally be either the Williams or the Mclaren. After Honda supplied both William and Lotus in 1985 to 1987 they moved to Mclaren. It wasn't a coincidence that when Senna moved to Mclaren so did the engine supplier Honda. Back in the years when Senna raced for Lotus, the engine lotus used was obviously Honda engines. Over the years Senna developed a strong bond between Honda and himself. To put it together Honda at that time was producing an engine that is both realible and powerful, while Mclaren were good at making a great chassis. The only thing that is left was the all conquering Senna. Once all the jigsaw puzzle was complete they were unbeatable, you only need to watch the 1988 Formula 1 season to justify this claim.

In 1988 the Mclaren Honda was the dream team, and also the pairing of the two greatest drivers at that time which was Senna and Prost. Right from the first Grand Prix, the Mclaren drivers were unstoppable. It was only in San Marino GP that the Mclarens were not victorious but out of 18 races the Mclaren team dominated 17 races. Even today that record has not been surpass by any other team. That winning record was a testament to the the force that Mclaren Honda had. Coupled that with the drivers that they had at that time which was Senna and Prost, this was obviously the ultimate team at that time.

Clash of the Titans

2007-11-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

One of the most exciting racing feud was obviously between Prost and Senna. In 1988 season Senna finally had the chance to step up to the plate and claim the world championship title that has eluded him for years. The only problem was his team mate, Alain Prost who has 2 titles already in his name. So for Senna to take the title away from him was a tall order. Prost unknowingly chose a team mate whose skill was beyond of that of most racing driver. It was a match made in heaven between the two. Prost the professor against the speed king Senna, it was inevitable that they were going to have friction inside the team. Prost driving style won him plenty of races in 1988, although he had more points againts Senna. At the time the rule was that whoever had the most wins will win the title. It was 7 win for Prost and 8 wins for Senna. That year saw Senna finally take his first title and beat his nemesis also.

Racing is in my blood by Senna

2007-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

His most applauded quote was "Racing is in my blood" this truly signifies a man commited only to racing. That's it no other choice of profession can match his desire to race, to compete and win it. No other Drivers are truly committed enough as he was, he was almost possessed when it comes to perfection. A class of his own, is a title befitting to a man who made such an impact in Formula 1. In 1989 the duel between the two great drivers was in penultimate race which was in Suzuka. Prost had been fed up with opening the door on Senna, this time Prost made his move on Senna by shutting the door at the chicane. This move made both the drivers stop dead in their tracks. Although Senna got the push from the marshalls, he still had to catch up to the race leader. With the superb pit crew getting everything done in a hasty matter Senna got out to go for broke. Senna did win but with complications with the FIA. Then the FIA told Senna that he made an illegal overtaking maneuver on Prost, thus punishing him and giving Prost even more points to clinched his 3rd World Drivers Champion. After Senna was castigated by the big honcho, Balestre president of the FIA. Senna gave an outstanding remark about his punishment, that led other teams boss, managers, drivers themselves to symphatized with him. Senna wasn't just a great driver, he was also strong in mind. Other drivers would have succumb to the intense politics in Formula 1, but Senna showed that no matter what happens he would still race because that was all there is for him.

1984 Monaco GP

2007-11-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

This race was hailed for the magnificent drive of Senna. Qualifying only in the 13th place was the best he can do at that time. That time he raced for the Toleman which was nowhere near the class of Mclaren, Williams and Ferrari. But Senna refused to juse sit idly and watch as the big dogs race. When racing in Monaco it is essential that you get the pole position because of the narrow width of the track and its a street circuit so its harder to overtake. The only way to win this for Senna was to have everybody crash and he finishes first. Although that didn't happen, there was a blessing for him as the race got started. It was a downpour and most of the drivers were going off track and losing positions. This was a blessing for Senna because he was the best when racing in the wets, so he started to overtake more drivers as the race progressed. It was 4 seconds shaved off of Prost's time every lap. The rain was pouring more and more yet Senna didn't struggle and kept on the pressure on Prost until the race was terminated. It was a close victory for Prost, if the race continued Senna would have won that race

Moment of Greatness

2007-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when certain drivers showed that they are truly a class of their own. That time was when Senna was qualifying in 1988 Monaco GP. When he was driving for a winning team , he conveyed an absolute dominance when he drove for Mclaren F1. His 120% commitment was alarming because his mechanics would be overwhelm after getting the best set up for the car. He would continue to tell the mechanics that he still needs tinker and test to really go beyond the limits of the car. His dedication was more pronounce when he out qualified his team mate by almost 2 seconds in 1988 Monaco GP. Now his team mate was Alain Prost and was also one of the greatest F1 driver of all time. But Senna still succeded to beat him in qualifying by 2 second in the same car. He described his experience in qulifying has if he was a passenger in his own car. No longer was he driving the car, but he was watching the car from above. This is an insight that he was bless with natural talent. After the qualifying he was scared to death because he pushed to the limit, thereafter, he went back to the pit and never went back out again. In this qulifying session, he showed just what he was capable of doing and ultimately a true evidence of greatness within.

Legendary Rain Master

2007-10-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Senna was undeniably the supreme rain master in the history of Formula. It was astonishing to watch Senna wrestle his car to keep it under control when he was driving in a raining condition. Many would spin their cars, and others would just crash, but Senna had a mind boggling car control. It was due to his car control, speed, and driving finesse that vindicated him on being the rain master. No other driver would come close to his wet weather specialty. Senna's first team was Toleman, a team which was nowhere near against Mclaren or even Williams and Ferrari. Yet, in Monaco GP Senna showed them that he can drive beyond the car's limitation and beat most of his competitor. In 1984 Monaco GP, it was torrential downpour and it really was a nightmare for most of the drivers. Many spun and crashed but Senna drove magnificently, and he was catching up to the race leader. It was 4 second a lap slashed out of Prost's time. Finally they stop the race because the track was undrivable, but if it continued Senna would have won his 1st GP. This example was one of the many and surely there were more amazing feat he accomplish but this race made famous to the extent that he was regarded as a rain master.

The Greatness Factor

2007-10-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Aryton Senna the best F1 driver in the history, and probably in years to come. Ok, Juan Manuel Fangio was great and so was Nuvolari but in sheer intense rivalry in Senna's era and excitement it was just an amazing to watch Senna drive, it was breath taking. Senna was beyond the limit all the time, the transcended driver that surpassed the car's potential.

Many argue why he wasn't the great because of his tactics and his sheer will to win that he will sacrifice himself. Now that's a true great, going above and beyond and shedding light to the extreme which only the true great drivers would go. Others would say that Michael Schumacher because he owns all the records in the book in terms of wins world titles and much more. Now here's the kicker, Senna didn't have the dominance Era in which Schumacher had. Senna always had to contend with another great drivers such as the likes of Prost, Piquet, and Mansell. In case you didn't know these drivers are multiple world champions except Mansell; nonetheless, these were the greats that Senna had to compete against. Now that's a tall order to surmount, but Senna manage to beat all of them.

Prost was perhaps the greatest driver that he had to contend because he was also fast consistent and very intelligent. Only he could give the menacing Senna a run for his money. Now beat that Schumi! He only had Mika Hakkinen to compete against and he retired eventually due to his new born child. So any argurment? well theres hardly any just watch 1988 season all the way up to 1994 season because you would see the real race and proved once again that Senna was truly a great driver.