Ayrton Senna – Close to perfection

MAY 21, 2019 / THE MURTAS COLLECTION

20 YEARS WITHOUT AYRTON – KARTING WORLD CHAMPS REVIEW P.1

(by S.Murtas – written and published in June 2014)

Before capturing F1 racing fans’ heart and soul around the world, Ayrton Senna stunned the protagonists and pudits in the lower ranks. In this two-part account, we tell the story of how he perfected his craft in his 5 year spell in international kart racing before landing an F1 seat with Toleman.

Already vice Brazilian champion in two occasions (’75-’77), Ayrton Senna da Silva took the Karting world by storm when he first set foot in Europe to carry out a series of tests in Parma, Italy, only ten days before the World Championship in Le Mans. With the Champions’ Cup, the first major race of the season already in the books, Senna was placed in the capable hands of championship winning DAP team owners Achille and Angelo Parrilla. And it was love at first sight…

The legend wants that those who were present in Parma that day saw something never seen before: at the braking point before the finish everyone had thought that his brakes weren’t working properly, as he put

his right foot on the pedal at the very last minute! But… soon everyone realized it just was Senna’s immense talent that allowed him to do it. It didn’t take long before the “living legend” travelled round the world.

Let’s see how the first two World Championships in which Ayrton Senna da Silva participated unfolded for the young Brazilian.

1978

Ayrton at his first international race in 1978

• World Championship, 6th – Le Mans (France) – Inter category
• Japan Grand Prix, 4th – Sugo – Inter category

Making a name for himself

The reputation resulting from his tests in Parma preceded him, and the anticipation to see the Brazilian thunder at work was great. But the weekend in Le Mans could have not started in worst fashion for Senna. Despite qualifying well within the top-30 (those who had access to the finals without having to go through the so-called qualifying race) the Brazilian received a time penalty for the excessive noise limit of his DAP T70TT. Two dominant wins and a retirement in the qualifying races followed, quite enough for Senna to reach the final stage.

In the second Time Trial – the one that would decide grid positions for the heats – Ayrton stopped the 3rd fastest time with 50”46. Heat 1 saw the Brazilian having to retire with a seized engine after being strongly in the lead. In the following heat, after taking the lead early on from a retired Fullerton, he went on to take an easy win. The Brazilian took the win also in the final heat, which however was not sufficient to start the first of three finals inside the top-10. An intense fight ensued after the start, with Senna managing to close in 7th, looking strong for Final 2. Ayrton’s speed was there for everyone to see, and the Brazilian was soon reckoned a major title contender. After mayhem in the early laps, Senna was on fire putting pressure on race leader Lake Speed, when 3rd placed Mickey Allen smashed on the back of the Brazilian taking him out for good. Final 3 saw Senna involved in a mighty scrap once again with Allen, the latter having to succumb to the faster Brazilian who closed in 6th place, and 6th overall. Not bad for his first World Championship attempt!

1979

• World Championship, 2nd – Estoril (Portugal) – Inter category
• South America Championship, 2nd – San Juan (Argentina) – Inter category
• San Marino Grand Prix, 1st – Italy – Inter category
• Italy Grand Prix, 2nd – Parma – Inter category
• Switzerland Grand Prix, 2nd – Wholen – Inter category
• Champions’ Cup, 10th – Jesolo (Italy) – Inter category
• Brasil Championship, 1st – Inter category 

First disappointment

Photo credit DAP

Strong of a successful European season, Senna was clearly a force to be reckoned with in the highlight event of the season. And it showed from the early stages! Second in the Time trials by just over a tenth to his team mate Fullerton, Senna went straight to the final phase without having to go through to the qualifying races. Saturday time trials, which would decide starting grid for the heats, were characterized by strong winds that made it impossible for all drivers to replicate the same lap times. Senna, still going strong, stopped the 4th fastest lap; taking the lead early in his first heat, he just ran away with the win ahead of Allen. Heat 2 start saw him cutting across from the outside exit the first corner in the lead, a heated tussle with Fullerton ensuing as a result. With the two swapping places several times, Fullerton blew his engine while in the lead on lap 5 and Senna could not avoid him, dropping down to 24th. With yet another commanding win in the final heat, Senna would start the first of three finals from 8th, while de Bruijn and Koene from 2nd and 5threspectively. Second after the first lap, Senna moved to the lead few laps later only to drop down to 5th by the chequered flag. Final 2 saw the Brazilian on fire taking it to race leader de Bruijn in a matter of few laps. With the pace-maker out, Senna inherited the lead, but with three to go he got passed by team mate Peter Koene, the two taking the chequered flag in tow. With Koene, de Bruijn and Senna still in contention for the title, the last final would be decisive for the 1979 World crown. 

As Senna moved past Koene for 3rd and then Yasutoshi chasing hard on the leader Schuurman, de Bruijn retired due to a mechanical failure saying goodbye to his title hopes. Soon after Senna took the lead, and the crowd went crazy pushing the Brazilian to the final win. But the new rule of the two best final results counting (both him and Koene had a 1st and a 2nd), and in case of a tie, the starting grid position of the first final deciding the champion went in favour of Koene, as Estoril proved a very bitter pill to swallow for young Ayrton!

Source: https://murtasblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/ayrton-senna-close-to-perfection