There were rumors of a his possible return to F1, but he chose to surprise everyone. In fact, the announcement came yesterday Sebastian Vettel will drive Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP19/4 on May 8th for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to be held in Imola.
Part of the events aimed at remembering the 30 years since his death, the iconic single-seater will return to speed and will make us hear the roar of its Ford engine right there where the Brazilian was taken away from this world.
MP4/8: icon
Senna's legacy lives on, as does the way he dazzled F1. We see it in the words of esteem and respect of those who knew and admired him, even those who have only heard of him and could only see his magic from the TV and F1 archives.
We see it in Sebastian Vettel's shining eyes in video posted on instagram: just thinking is enough to give rise to emotions. Why driving the MP4/8 is a privilege, an honor.
The German will take the wheel of the car with which McLaren contested the 1993 championship, Senna's last before moving to Williams the following season. Ayrton finished second behind Prost that year, but some of his successes went down in history. Above all, the victory at Donington with that lap in the rain. The lap of gods, because certain masterpieces tend towards the extraordinary, the divine.
It won't be Seb's first time driving the MP4/8. He had already done it last year at Goodwood, but this time in Imola the emotions will certainly be different. 20 intense minutes face to face with Ayrton.
"Ayrton Senna was not only a driver I respected very much because he was one of the best drivers in history, but also a man of great compassion“said Vettel. “30 years have passed since his accident and I would like to pay tribute to Ayrton".
A dive into the past while awaiting its future
Between champions with sensitive souls like these two, we understand each other. Vettel always proves to be a great enthusiast, respectful of his colleagues and of the history of this sport. It is therefore not surprising if he finds “attractive” the idea of a possible return to F1 which he left in 2022.
Meanwhile, after having carried out an Endurance test with Porsche, waiting to reveal his future - whatever it may be - the German takes us back in time to pay homage to a legend.
