New Delhi: There are many who have many opinions on who might be called the best racer of all time. You have those supporting Niki Lauda, Jim Clark and those saying Michael Schumacher or Jackie Stewart. Some would go modern and name Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and they may be the pinnacle of driving.
However, it is a universal thought that Ayrton Senna lifted the spirit of F1 racing to its truest potential. Jeremy Clarkson, lifelong self-proclaimed fan of Gilles Villeneuve, had once said that everyone was great on a number of occasions, but Senna stood out every time he was holding the steering wheel.
Why Ayrton Senna’s win at Nurburgring stands out?
Ayrton Senna in Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 at Nurburgring, challenging Niki Lauda
The first glimpse of this genius boy from Brazil, though, was in the Nurburgring, when the track was reopened in 1984, eight years after Lauda’s accident. Still a rookie at F1, Senna had won the Race of Champions with a Mercedes 190 E 2.3-16. It was a field full of the likes of Alain Prost, Lauda, Stirling Moss, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, Denny Hulme and the lot, all driving the same powered car.
The cars that they drove were modified exactly the same with fatter tyres, a different final drive, stiffer suspension, a new exhaust, four-pot brakes at the front and a roll cage.
Senna liked the Mercedes so much that he ended up buying one. Now, Senna’s Mercedes 190E 2.3-16, bought and driven by him, is up for sale, having bought it in 1985, just a year after the race. For two years, he had pushed it around, clocking 39,721 km in the process.
It was sold to someone in the UK before being bought by its current owner in 1996. It went overseas to Australia in 2004 and has been well-maintained, having been driven for 2,48,324 kms. RM Sotheby’s are bringing Senna’s Benz to the London sale, and it is estimated to go for somewhere between £220k and £250k. It is worth every penny, with Senna’s heritage imprinted and Lauda’s signature still beaming at the engine bay.