Senna's best year

[Adam43]

Here is a nice and vague poll to get us all talking about some decent Senna memories.

Which was Senna's best season (in F1). All of them brought victories and poll positions, except 1984 his first year. All of them brought drama. The criteria is set by you, chose...

[ASCII Man]

I'm doubting between 1988 and 1993...
I think i'll choose 1993 for his sheer brilliance in an inferior package.

[Damon]

I'd have to go for 1993. While he was staggering on numerous occasions in every other season, it really was 1993 when he showed what he was trully all about. The things he managed to do with that McLaren were almost unbelievable, he made the rest look silly multiple times in unworthy machinary and that gets my utmost respect and admiration.

[graves]

Got to agree with you here. His last race win in Adelaide, for me, was sheer brilliance. 1993 always.

[grumpy1]

93 for me as well.This year showed just how good he was when given underpowered equipment he still left them standing.I see the same quailities in 3 of the current crop of drivers.

The Grumpy1

[Teretonga]

I was going to say 1988 but then 1993 was an awesome year when he managed so many wins in an inferior package, the drives at Donnington,and Adelaide being absolutely superb.

[RWC]

Now this would be one of the toughest questions ever!
Senna was ALLWAYS trying.One could honestly say that he was going for it just as much when in the lead of a race in '88 as he was when pushing that lotus or getting the best out of the inferior '93 mac.It's the quality that made us all love (or at least respect)him



Once again i'll state the obvious that most miss - donington in '93 was with a car far superior in setup.Senna was the only driver at the front of the grid,AFAIK that had full wet settings
Same for shuey in spain '96

[jj2728]

93...he truly showed that he was among the all-time elite of the sport...

[freud]

1988.
Phenomenal racing in both dry and wet. His pole lap at Monaco was simply shocking. I remember it vividly standing approximately 7 feet behind the barrier at the Casino sipping a Margarita. I will never forget how he took that corner... lightingly quick and perfectly accurate, throttle and brakes perfectly synchronized with tyres squeeking and turning, just the perfect limit.

[climb]

Voted for 1984, because I'm strongly attracted by those drivers who do excellebt things with weak cars.
But I want to make it clear that I don't reckon his whole F1 career a descending curve.
Honestly it's hard to find a worse year about him.
Sometimes he was penalised by un underperforming car, like 1992 or 1993, but he always found a way to leave a mark on those seasons.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by RWC
Now this would be one of the toughest questions ever!
Senna was ALLWAYS trying.One could honestly say that he was going for it just as much when in the lead of a race in '88 as he was when pushing that lotus or getting the best out of the inferior '93 mac.It's the quality that made us all love (or at least respect)him



Once again i'll state the obvious that most miss - donington in '93 was with a car far superior in setup.Senna was the only driver at the front of the grid,AFAIK that had full wet settings
Same for shuey in spain '96

All the more kudos to him in reading the conditions, utlising his intellect and intuition to bring him yet another win.

[Mattracer]

This is the meaty topic on Senna's legacy in the sport.

Each year he left some mark, even in 1984 he showed awesome ability and sounded a warning at Monaco.

I voted 1993 as his best season. 5 wins in varying conditions in a car generally accepted as inferior to Williams-Renault's juggernaut against the skill and experience of Prost and his faithfull sidekick, Hill. Remember too, that Senna had no quick team mate that figured enough in any of the races to provie technical cross-checking or a lap time yardstick, apart from qual at Estoril with Hakkinen. It was all Senna, even with a lower-spec Ford engine until he could convince the powers that be of the obvious. At the absolute peak oh his powers.

Recently I have read variously tht Senna missed Prost after he had retired. I would imagine that he would have found F1 a very different place after Prost had gone, almost a black hole. Even in Prost's "sabbatical year", Senna's main adversary was Mansell who was a tough customer and certanly no pushover, as his WDC in 1992 attests. But I believe Senna was lost without Prost, almost like a warrior without a battle. Certain evidence comes to light ten years on, that Senna lived in F1 to battle with Prost, and when this was gone, one may surmise he felt empty and alone.

1993 was the greatest without a doubt- Senna was David and Prost was Goliath. Only now do we discover the depth of their real respect.

[Shoe-maker]

I voted for 1988. The pole at Monaco, where he blew Prost away, in an equal package, and Prost was DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION, and Senna hadn't even won a title. Then of course his title-clinching drive at Suzuka.

[Shoe-maker]

I voted for 1988. The pole at Monaco, where he blew Prost away, in an equal package, and Prost was DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION, and Senna hadn't even won a title. Then of course his title-clinching drive at Suzuka.

[Shoe-maker]

Sorry double post! Problem with the server.

[ralf fan]

93..... how he finished 2nd in that package compared to the williams is still a mystery!

[Mr V]

Looks like i went with the majority. 1993 was, imo, his best season ever.

[krt917]

I thought most would go for 1993! Funnily enough, I've been going over many of the seasons during Senna's career and observed thus:
- 1993 saw some great perfromances, but also some odd pieces of driving, such as when he simply drove into the back of Brundle's Ligier at Monza or weaved all over the place to keep Prost back at Silverstone. I'm not saying 1993 wasn't a great season for Senna, but I think he had better. And remember, he always said his '85 Estoril win was better than his '93 Donington win because he didn't have the safety net of traction control in the former.

- 1985 was incredible, and not just in qualifying. He led - or was near the front - in most of the races and usually lost out to mechanical failure.

- 1989 was very impressive in terms of pace (no surprise there then!), though the odd error did creep in, such as at Silverstone.

For me, it's between 1988 and 1991. In the former he drove brilliantly against Prost and scored some great wins, most notably at Suzuka. There was, however, the race at Monaco which I think revealed one of his mental flaws (at that stage of his career, anyway). So, that leaves 1991; I don't think that there would be many drivers who could have held Nige off in a superior car, despite Mansell's problems and Senna's headstart.

Having said that, I might come back and change that tomorrow!....

[Aysedasi]

I understand the desire to pick 93 and I almost went for it myself. But I actually go for 88. First WDC but I pick it for the way in which he established himself at McLaren, in the face of it having been Prost's team up to that point. The psychological effects on Alain were there for all to see.... I just rue the intervention of Mr. Schlesser......

[Adam43]

Originally posted by krt917
- 1985 was incredible, and not just in qualifying. He led - or was near the front - in most of the races and usually lost out to mechanical failure.

A similar thing can be said about '86 too. Wasn't it something like 15 poles over those two years. The car was unreliable, but Senna's speed was awesome. Perhaps he had more of a free hand because there was less expectation due to car issues, but I think it matters not.

And the street circuits (where are these tracks nowadays?) seemed to highlight this raw speed. Unbelievable. Full boost on those tight circuits - it scare the willies out of me!

[krt917]

Ah, yes, that was the other reason I didn't pick 1988! Reckon Ayrton could have given Schlesser a bit more room for that one, but I don't want to deflect the point of this thread!

Another problem with 1993 is that it is difficult to get a handle on just how good/bad the McLaren was because Andretti had a terrible year and Mika only did a handful of races. No such problems when we look at the Prost-and-Berger-as-team-mate years!

Adam - yes, 1986 might well prove similar to 1985!

[Adam43]

Senna always said his Portugal '85 win was better than his Donington '93 win.

[Aysedasi]

Mika was impressive though, right from the start, wasn't he? Michael though, seemed completely out of his depth. It was a shame, I would have liked to see him do well - but coming to McLaren from the States as team-mate to Ayrton, and at the same time being somewhat unwilling to spend more time in Europe instead of back home in the US, it left him at a very considerable disadvantage.

[krt917]

Yes, absolutely. I've always thought that Michael was a better driver than 1993 suggested. Not a Prost or Berger though!

[Mr V]

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
Senna always said his Portugal '85 win was better than his Donington '93 win.

Imo, it's such a shame that Senna put such a "downer" on his brilliant victory at Donington in 1993. Yes, he had traction control, but so did everyother top car/driver combo out there that day.