Ayrton Senna created several iconic moments and one of those was when he went through the pit lane to clock in the fastest lap.
Ayrton Senna passed four drivers in the first lap of the 1993 European Grand Prix and gave his fellow drivers a masterclass. The remarkable delivery by the Brazilian driver behind the wheels of a McLaren still leaves the fans in awe.
The masterclass performance by Senna became to be known as the ‘Lap of the Gods’. Senna started the race from P4 as his archrival Alain Prost clocked the fastest time in the qualifying and took P1. Prost was followed by his teammate Damon Hill in P2 and Michael Schumacher in P3.
Ayrton Senna’s “Lap of the Gods” is one that has gone down in #F1 history. After qualifying fourth at the 1993 #EuropeanGP, Donington Park, #Senna would manoeuvre his #McLaren MP4/8 through atrocious conditions to the front of the pack by the completion of Lap 1. pic.twitter.com/Pi6PkCEPvM
— McLaren F1 Nation (@McLarenF1Nation) October 17, 2019
As the lights went out at the Donnington Park circuit in 1993, Senna was taken over by Karl Wendlinger in Sauber. For a few seconds there, Senna was at P5 and then he charged through the traffic and took out each of the drivers in front of him one by one.
However, this was not the only memorable thing he did that day.
Also Read: Alain Prost reveals how he asked McLaren to bring Ayrton Senna to the team
Ayrton Senna racing in the pit lane
Rain fell over the Donnington Park circuit and therefore, the race saw plenty of tyre changes. On lap 57, Senna also went into the pit lane but did not make a stop.
This was struck off as a communication mistake between Senna and McLaren. At that time there was no speed limit in the pit lane, so this tactic gave Senna the fastest lap.
Discussing the incident after the race, Senna said: “Our radio system this year is presenting serious issues, and I don’t understand almost anything they [the team] say.
“They’ve upgraded the encryption system and I think that ended up affecting the sound quality. It’s a shame. Good communication with the team is crucial in a race like this.”
But after the incident had blown over, the truth came out.
“I knew it was faster that way, and I did it as an experiment,” Senna admitted.
“When they told me it was the race’s quickest lap, I said: ‘Okay, if Prost passes me I will pass him from inside the pit lane, and that was it.”
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