1993 was Ayrton Senna’s final season with McLaren. The Brazilian had won 2 consecutive titles in 1990 and 1991 with the British team, beating his old rival Alain Prost.
For the 1993 season, McLaren developed the infamous MP4/8 to aid Senna in claiming his 4th title with a hat trick. Then McLaren boss Ron Dennis described the MP4/8 as “one of the best cars we ever made.”
The 3x champion however fell short of beating Prost to the title. Senna finished 2nd in the season and would move to Williams for the 1994 season. The racing legend passed away the following year after a crash at the 1994 San Marino GP in Imola.
1° – N°8 – Ayrton Senna 🇧🇷, Mclaren Ford Cosworth MP4/8; 76 voltas em 1h50m46.570s pic.twitter.com/3b6gF1uB5K
— Rodrigo Oliveira🏁 (@RodhOliveira) April 12, 2023
Senna’s time at McLaren can be stated as one of the greatest team-driver combinations. The two were undefeatable during their best days. And now, fans can get a chance to own a piece of F1 history for a fraction of the car’s price.
Ayrton Senna’s McLaren Showcar selling for a massive discount
F1 cars can fetch millions of dollars in auctions. Especially classic F1 cars driven by legends, like Ayrton Senna’s McLaren or Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari cars could even go for tens of millions.
However, a collector in the UK is offering a replica of Senna’s MP4/8 for a slashed rate. Bear in mind, that it’s not a functioning road car. The race car does not have an engine, however, it’s the exact model the Brazilian raced.
DISCOUNT ALERT!!!!
You can now purchase this 1993 McLaren MP4/8 (Ayrton Senna) show car for only85,000 pounds (WAS 110,000). #F1
LINK HERE: https://t.co/5dyrvhjDJj pic.twitter.com/QLGHpCJSXJ
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) April 12, 2023
The Owner of the show car is demanding £85 000 or approximately $107,000 for the exhibit. However, if the full asking price of the car is met, the new owners will also receive a full-size replica of Senna’s Helmet.
What makes Senna’s 1993 car so special?
Ayrton Senna’s 1993 season wasn’t a fruitful campaign for him. The McLaren driver finished 2nd in the championship behind rival Alain Prost. The 3x champion claimed 5 race wins and helped the team finish 2nd in the constructor’s championship.
Senna briefly led the championship until the Canadian GP. He had won 3 of the first 6 races, this includes his 2nd home GP win in Brazil and a record-breaking 6th Monaco GP win.
However, his spectacular race win in the rain-soaked 1993 European GP in Donnington Park will go down as one of his finest racing performances. Senna went from 5th to 1st on lap 1 and went on to dominate the race.
The genius of Ayrton Senna… 30 years ago today! 🤯#F1 #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/RgUgSOJiVs
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 11, 2023
Nevertheless, despite a good start, the Brazilian’s season took a hit in the middle of the year. He would secure wins in the penultimate race in Japan and the season finale in Australia. The Australian GP was his only pole position that year and marks Senna’s final race win.
The MP4/8 also marks McLaren’s first car since Honda’s departure after 1992. McLaren used Ford engines for the first time. They were lighter than Willams’ Renault engines but lacked power.
Senna wasn’t keen on racing for McLaren after their issues in the 1992 season. He was also unhappy with the new Ford engines. He only agreed to stay after Ron Dennis agreed to offer him $1 Million per race.
