Ayrton Senna’s ‘Lap of the Gods’ at the 1993 European Grand Prix is considered one of the greatest Formula 1 moments of all time.

Donington Park was once again graced by the Senna name as Ayrton Senna’s nephew Bruno returned to commemorate the legendary driver, 30 years after his final race in May 2024.

Ayrton’s iconic ‘Lap of the Gods’ at the 1993 European Grand Prix is widely regarded as the great Formula 1 lap of all time and saw Senna combine his daring style and trademark skill drive to go from fifth to first position on the opening lap of the race. The Brazilian secured the victory by lapping all but the second-placed driver with a winning margin of 1 minute and 23 seconds, the biggest of his career.

While Ayrton’s lap was navigated in wet conditions in a McLaren MP4/8, Bruno took to the track in a McLaren Senna hypercar on sunny Donington day to commemorate the event. Widely recognised as the most extreme road car McLaren has ever built and producing an extremely high level of performance, the Senna name was a fitting choice for the car.

Its carbon fibre Monocage III chassis and body panels help it achieve a dry weight of 1,198kg. That weight - combined with 800PS output from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine - enables a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph. An extreme aerodynamic package and motorsport-derived brakes help it to become one of the best road cars ever made to take on track. However, how often you’ll see one seriously put through its paces on track is sure to be rare, as only 500 were ever made and the minimum price you’d see one going for is around £750,000.

McLaren put together a short film documenting Senna’s tribute at Donington, which you can watch below.

“The McLaren and Senna names are intertwined so, so strongly. Having this work together to bring the McLaren Senna out, a car that definitely would have made Ayrton extremely proud, is a great achievement.”
Bruno Senna, nephew of Ayrton Senna and former Formula 1 driver.

Prince Albert II of Monaco drives the new McLaren Artura Spider during Monaco Grand Prix weekend

The recently launched McLaren Artura Spider made its dynamic debut at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, being driven by Prince Albert II of Monaco. Along with his son Jacques, the Prince showcased the new Artura Spider (in McLaren Orange) in front of his home crowd at a race weekend that was notable for the use of the Senna Sempre livery on McLaren’s Formula 1 cars.

The new Artura Spider - along with its newly coupe sister model - comes with upgrades to power, performance and driver engagement, making it perfect for the track. It also offers near-silent electric drive for use in cities.

“We are honoured to have H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and H.S.H Hereditary Prince Jacques inaugurate the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix behind the wheel of the McLaren Artura Spider. The Monaco circuit holds a cherished place in McLaren’s heritage which spans over six decades. The Artura Spider encapsulates decades of learnings from racing and automotive innovation which we are excited to share with our customers and fans.”
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive Ltd

words: Mike Booth
pictures & video: McLaren Automotive