Global
UK
US
Australia
German
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Chinese
Japanese
CELEBRATING McLAREN’S ULTIMATE DRIVER
AYRTON SENNA
A MODERN LEGEND
No one can match Ayrton Senna. His legendary performances continue to inspire our team at McLaren, his fellow racers and motorsport fans. On the 30-year anniversary of his passing, we pay tribute to the life and career of McLaren’s greatest driver. And celebrate everything that was exceptional about this racing great.
Senna Inspired Cars
RACING INFLUENCE
Many of Ayrton's finest moments were behind the wheel of a McLaren F1 car – including his three World Championships. It is a connection that lives on today in every supercar and hypercar we produce.
Created in his honour, the McLaren Senna and the McLaren Senna GTR hypercars remain the only vehicles to bear the name of a McLaren driver.
The Unbreakable Bond
Gary Wheeler, Ayrton's former mechanic and Andrea Bermudez, Global Marketing Director at McLaren Automotive, reflect on how Ayrton's character has had a profound influence of on our brand, and our approach to design and engineering.
From Track to Road
For McLaren’s Chief Design Officer, Tobias Sühlmann, inspiration is everywhere at the McLaren Technology Centre. He finds it in the McLaren F1 that won Le Mans 1995. In the Can-Am racer that recalls McLaren’s five year domination of the series. And he certainly finds it during his frequent visits to McLaren’s Formula 1 workshops, where engineers and designers chase ever-more innovative ways to unlock performance.
.
Explore Senna Models
McLaren Senna
Challenge the impossible
McLaren Senna GTR
An icon reborn
MOUNTAIN HIGH: A McLAREN SENNA IN COLORADO
Just 500 McLaren Senna hypercars were ever made. And among this select group of owners, each individual possesses an affinity with the man who inspired the vehicle’s creation. As part of our Senna30 celebrations, we’re sharing a series of special owner stories – featuring adventures behind the wheel in this incredible driving machine.
/ 7
1973 - Ayrton wins his first official go-kart race at Interlagos, aged just 13. Photographer Credit Foto Família
1988 - Senna secured pole position in the McLaren MP4/4 at Monaco Photographer Credit Norio Koike
1988 - Ayrton surged on through the rain to win by 23 seconds at the British Grand Prix. Photographer Credit Norio Koike
1990 - Ayrton secured the 50th pole position of his career at the Spanish Grand Prix. Photographer Credit Norio Koike
1991 - Ayrton won his first Brazilian Grand Prix. Photographer Credit Norio Koike
1991 - Ayrton dominated his way to a fourth victory in 1991. Photographer Credit Norio Koike
1993 - Ayrton's final race with McLaren, victory at the Australian Grand Prix. Photographer Credit Norio Koike
Is the McLaren Senna named after Ayrton Senna?
Yes – the car was created to epitomise his drive, determination and unique talent.
He was a deeply committed, fearless racing driver – and every last element of the McLaren Senna was designed and engineered to make it a raw, uncompromised road-legal track car.
Why is the McLaren Senna named Senna?
Because it exemplifies his personality and his unflinching focus on pushing beyond the limits.
Is the McLaren Senna a hypercar?
The McLaren Senna is a hypercar – a vehicle that represents the very pinnacle of automotive design, engineering and performance.
It was shaped by a single-minded purpose to be the fastest track-focused road McLaren ever – and nothing was allowed to compromise this vision in any way.
The balance of extreme capability, no-compromise design and exclusivity make the McLaren Senna a thoroughbred hypercar.
Why is Ayrton Senna considered the greatest driver?
Ayrton Senna is considered by many as the greatest racing driver in F1 history, because he possessed a very rare combination of talents.
He had uncompromising natural ability behind the wheel – a peerless intuitive connection with his cars. He was also driven by an absolute single-minded determination to achieve victory.
During his six years with the McLaren team, these qualities aligned perfectly and he won three world championships, achieved 46 pole positions, and took victory in 35 races – including 5 consecutive wins at the fabled Monaco Grand Prix.
When did the McLaren Senna come out?
The McLaren Senna was unveiled online on 10 December 2017, production began in 2018.
The very first car to reach its owner was chassis number 008, delivered by McLaren Ascot in the UK on 9 May 2018.
Is the McLaren Senna road legal?
Yes, the McLaren Senna is a road legal vehicle.
The car was engineered with one purpose in mind: to deliver the fastest possible lap times. It is shaped by an extreme and uncompromising track focus that engages its driver with raw intensity.
What is Senna30?
Ayrton Senna’s final race was the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola on 1st May 1994. In 2024, McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing collaborated to mark this highly significant thirtieth Anniversary, and to celebrate the life and achievements of F1’s ultimate driver – a true McLaren icon.
A LEGACY BEYOND THE TRACK
The Senna Brands are proud to create a positive cycle. The products and the actions from Senna brand generate resources for educational programs at Ayrton Senna’s Institute. Over the course of 30 years, with the belief that only quality education can transform lives, the Instituto Ayrton Senna reached more than 36 million Brazilian students, creating opportunities for the new generation to be successful in their lives.
All images courtesy of Senna Brands
JOIN THE McLAREN FAMILY
Subscribe to our newsletter to be kept up to date with all the latest McLaren news.
Latest News
Senna 30 - From Track to Road
Chief Design Officer Tobias Sühlmann on why Senna and his greatest cars have such a powerful and enduring influence on McLaren design
Senna 30 - The Unbreakable Bond
Thirty years on, the legacy of Ayrton Senna is still felt at McLaren Automotive
750S - Life beyond the slopes
Winter is a beautiful time to take a road trip through the French Alps. Join us as we turn our backs to the slopes and set off in the 750S.
Arctic Experience 2024 in review
Following the success of 2024’s Pure McLaren Arctic Experience, the thrilling event will return in 2025, giving drivers of all levels the chance to hone their skills in a spectacular setting.
Race Bulletin: 05 April 2024
McLaren has already been celebrating a GT racing championship as well as race victories and podiums with the GT3 Evo, Arturta GT4, and 570S GT4, across multiple continents to open the 2024 season.
750S - Raising the bar
There are many parallels between record-breaking speed skier Simon Billy and the pursuit of performance that created the McLaren 750S.
Like Minds - Simon Billy
The world’s fastest skier on his passion for breaking speed barriers, and how the 750S reflects his own approach to pushing the limits of performance