Sebastian Vettel took to the Imola track to pay tribute to Ayrton Senna driving one of the three-times world champion’s former cars.
He performed demonstration runs ahead of today’s grand prix as well as after qualifying yesterday. He drove a McLaren MP4/8, which he owns, and was driven by Senna during his last season at the team in 1993.In his sixth season with McLaren, Senna scored five victories at the wheel of the Ford Cosworth-powered car. Senna joined Williams the following year but died in a crash at the Imola circuit during that year’s grand prix.
For his Sunday run Vettel wore overalls in the colour of Senna’s helmet design. He also sported a helmet in the liveries of Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who also died in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend.
Among the current F1 figures who came to watch Vettel’s demonstration run on Saturday were Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Paul Monaghan, Red Bull’s chief of car engineering. Monaghan was an engineer at McLaren during the 1993 season.
Pictures: Vettel in Senna’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8
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Pictures: Other historic F1 cars in action at Imola
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Unicron (@unicron2002)
18th May 2024, 19:04
Nerd Alert: is that not the B198 pictured, not the B200?
Lovely to see the 93 Mclaren, Vettel’s helmet looks great in it. Certainly suits it more than Andretti’s ever did!
Asd
19th May 2024, 14:00
Of course it is the B198. It was the last broad nose Benetton.
Bakir Begovic
21st May 2024, 17:16
Yup, that is a B198. It is chassis #7, the last one built for the 1998 season.
The other B198 at the event was chassis #1, but it was painted in the 1999 colors (green barge boards vs. red)
Jere (@jerejj)
18th May 2024, 19:04
Cool cars
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
18th May 2024, 19:52
The title image looks amazing. Simple lines and colours. I’m happy for Seb, he seems to have found a good place for himself and what he values. And of course that car looks fun to drive.
Rom
18th May 2024, 20:43
I know why they do it and I understand but I still find it a shame they don’t run with the original smoking stickers. Still great to see these old cars run but you can tell there’s something missing.
Mirko007
19th May 2024, 6:23
There was a jaguar also. Not sure of the vintage. It was glorious V10 in first few laps, then it was V7 until a fiery exit stage left…