The former F1 supremo paid just shy of €4.2 million for a 1993 McLaren MP4/8 at an auction in Monaco. Senna made the car an icon that year by pulling off several outstanding results with it (such as his wet weather win at Donington Park) despite being way off the pace of the dominant Williams team.
This particular car is especially iconic and it’s the exact one Senna used to take his sixth and final Monaco victory (which is still a record). Alain Prost started on pole and led initially before being penalised for jumping the start. That put Michael Schumacher in the lead, but when his Benetton broke down on lap 33 the way was left clear for Senna to take the win (and remarkably, the championship lead at the time).
So, what’s Bernie going to do with it? Don a helmet and head out to some track days as he tries to reprise his racing career? Use it to form the basis of a rival F1 series? Nah, of course not.
The former F1 supremo already has a pretty sizeable F1 car collection which could probably fill up an F1 grid three or four times over, so he’ll probably just wheel the MP4/8 out to the odd event here and there and spend the rest of the time sitting at home and staring at it. And if he does do that, could you really blame him?!
