Emerson Fittipaldi is one of the few F1 champions who tasted success after hopping the pond to compete in IndyCar. One of Brazil’s greatest-ever, he almost had the chance to go up against three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna at one point. But Ron Dennis, Senna’s boss at McLaren at the time, stopped that duel in its tracks.
By the time Senna made his F1 debut in 1984, Fittipaldi had already left. However, he wasn’t done with racing and was making waves in IndyCar in the United States. That’s where the two had a chance to clash wheels in 1993.
“I was expecting him to race Indianapolis with me,” Fittipaldi told TalkSport ahead of the Sao Paulo ePrix. “Because that’s when I invited him to test my car in Phoenix.”
An emotional Emerson Fittipaldi remembers his dear friend Ayrton Senna
At the @Heineken F1 Festival: Senna Tribute, Fittipaldi also got to drive Senna’s iconic Lotus 97T #ObrigadoSenna #F1 pic.twitter.com/FeQbrcejlC
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 10, 2019
Senna had tested it out, and liked it too, revealed Fittipaldi. And the two were set to share the grid. A race involving both Senna and Fittipaldi would have been a monumental occasion for Brazilians. But “Ron Dennis did not agree,” said Fittipaldi.
That season would ultimately be Senna’s last with the Woking-based team. It was obvious that Dennis, as McLaren’s principal, wanted Senna’s undivided attention on F1. It seems that managing Senna required taking such stern stances every now and then.
Dennis’ task of managing the star in Senna
Senna’s competitiveness demanded the team’s 100% in every race of every season. That’s a welcome trait, for sure. But his star power and commercial appeal also made him a very expensive driver to keep.
Senna had driven for Toleman and Lotus before moving to McLaren in 1988. He quickly formed a close relationship with Dennis. Alain Prost, a two-time World Champion then, was already on the team. He demanded to be the number one driver, as did Senna.
Dennis had to try and keep both happy, and ruled with an iron fist at times to put things in order. Ultimately, things broke down and Prost, despite winning the 1989 title, left for Ferrari. Senna stayed back, but not so easily.
McLaren did present the Brazilian with a great car that helped him win three Championships. But Senna demanded a lot of money too — reported to be $5 million for just five races. After the British team’s performance waned, Senna joined Williams in 1994, which sadly turned out to be his last team in F1.
