Senna’s Lotus 97T is going back to Estoril, 40 years after his best F1 win

The Lotus 97T – the car with which Ayrton Senna tasted F1 victory for the very first time at the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1985 – is going back to Estoril to celebrate that moment’s 40th birthday. Pip pip, hooray!

This being Senna, that maiden win was a complete demolition job in which the then 25-year-old danced around the soaking wet track as so many others – among them Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg, Gerhard Berger, Riccardo Patrese – fell off one by one.

By the time the race was halted at the two-hour limit (three laps shy of the full distance), Senna had lapped everyone except Ferrari’s Michele Alboreto… who was more than a minute behind. Regardless of era, that is insane.

And when asked years later if Donington 1993 was his best win (remember him climbing from fifth to first on the opening lap?) apparently Ayrton replied: “No way! I had traction control there. It was a good win but compared with Estoril ‘85 it was nothing.”

So, to the here and now. That very car will be doing a demo run at Estoril later this month, piloted by Ayrton’s nephew Bruno. Yep, he of brief F1 circus membership in the early 2010s.

That ought to be quite a sight, and powered by 1.5-litre V6 turbo, a visceral aural experience as well. In a weird way, we kinda hope the weather is atrocious. For max nostalgia, of course.

“It will be an incredible feeling to drive this iconic car, marking the beginning of a series of victories and achievements by my uncle,” said Bruno. “This celebration will bring together fans from all over the world and shows how Ayrton Senna remains a powerful name in motorsport, and a positive influence on society in many ways - from educational impact to sustainable innovation, and as a movement that continues to inspire generations to pursue their dream and never give up."

Genuinely, why doesn’t F1 take a leaf out of Goodwood Revival’s book? One historic circuit each year, roll out the McLaren MP4/4, Brabham BT46, Williams FW14B and Ferrari F2004, and just let the current grid have at it?

That’d be way better than F175, and the drivers would have loads more fun too. Just a thought…

Photography: Lotus