Ayrton Senna’s cars on display at the Silverstone Festival

Beyond being a Formula 1 legend, Ayrton Senna is one of the drivers who has left his mark in all disciplines of motor sports. Among them, Rally, in which the Brazilian driver participated once in his career. This year, the Silverstone Festival will pay tribute to him to honor his memory on the 30th anniversary of his tragic passing.

Watch even the least-known cars.

The Silverstone Festival will take place from August 23 to 25, 2024 at Silverstone. An event dedicated to car racing enthusiasts, it welcomes around 100,000 spectators each year. Those attending have the opportunity to observe old vehicles, but also to acquire some of them. This year, the festival will offer the opportunity to celebrate Ayrton Senna, with an exhibition of 25 cars that have passed through the Brazilian’s hands.

The exhibition will take place at the British Grand Prix circuit. In addition to the single-seaters that the Brazilian driver has driven in his career, the Silverstone Festival will also revisit his very short rally career in the 80s. Two cars in particular will be present during the exhibition. The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and the MG Metro 6R4, cars from the 1986 that he drove in Wales. Both will display their original livery for the occasion.

At the time, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth belonged to Phil Collins, who still remembers his mistakes on the track. During his experience in Wales with the car, Ayrton Senna notably went off track before showing his talent on the following laps. « I told him not to use racing trajectories on the track and to tuck in the nose, but he took a wide turn as if he was approaching a corner at Silverstone, ended up on the gravel, and we slid into the ditch. He was very humble and apologetic, and afterwards, he was a perfect student,” declared the true owner of the car.

On the side of the 6R4, it belonged to Austin Rover. Or at least for the day, since he had made it the media car. In the end, Ayrton Senna drove it with as much passion as the first car. This moment was one of the memories that the Brazilian driver never forgot. “It was probably the best day I’ve ever had in England,” he said at the time. “I didn’t feel the time passing. It went by so quickly because I discovered, I learned more and more, and I accelerated more and more. I had moments. it was very exciting. Feeling the car in the air and then touching the ground. Something I had never experienced before in a road car.”

An exceptional driver until the end

Three-time Formula 1 world champion in 1988, 1990, and 1991, Ayrton Senna is one of those drivers that nobody will forget. Considered one of the best to this day, he tragically met his fate at Imola in 1994. After an incident occurred a little further ahead between two cars, the Lotus driver lost control of his car before hitting the wall of the Tamburello corner.

However, it is in the memory of the fans that he has remained until this day. Committed to humanitarian work, Ayrton Senna wanted to offer a chance to the most disadvantaged. And it is thanks to his sister Viviane that he has achieved this posthumously. The Ayrton Senna Foundation works today for the good of young Brazilians and allows his memory to be honored even 30 years after his death.