The Ayrton Senna’s-liveried McLaren Senna just needed one lap to completely dominate the Porsche 911 Turbo S on the Interlagos track in Brazil on Friday, with Brazilian Ricardo Mauricio behind the wheel.
1) Introduction
The 2020 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix saw the return of a legend.
Ayrton Senna made his mark on the world of motorsport racing in one of the most incredible ways possible – with a record-breaking lap time at Interlagos in his street-legal McLaren Senna.
At Interlagos, Ricardo Mauricio beat the record in just one lap. Ahead of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix, McLaren set a new track record for street-legal cars with a stock 2020 McLaren Senna driven by Mauricio, ahead of Formula 1 drivers’ qualifying session.
But before taking his Formula 1 driver’s seat for the grand prix, Mauricio needed some practice driving this machine.
He said: It’s a real privilege to be driving this car and I’m very grateful to McLaren Automotive for inviting me.
It was worth it too as he set an impressive new track record and finished over three seconds faster than Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa’s 2018 pole position time.
It was my first experience with Formula 1 and what a great day, Mauricio said after the drive. It is not easy because there are so many things happening so quickly but I really enjoyed it.
McLaren also decided to run five other production-spec 2020 McLaren Sennas, each bearing personalised liveries that reflected Brazil’s national colours, but still staying true to its signature black and orange colour scheme.
Formula 1 may have ended on Sunday, but we’re already looking forward to next year when Formula 1 returns to Brazil.
And if this demonstration is anything to go by, the race will take place at Formula 1 speeds!
The 21st Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix takes place next year.
2) McLaren Senna’s Performance
The McLaren Senna is a car that was built to dominate the track and set new records.
Powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and equipped with an active aerodynamics system, it has 1,000PS of power and 800Nm of torque.
Ricardo Mauricio, a Formula 1 driver for McLaren in the 1980s, took one lap to beat the stock Porsche 911 Turbo S on track.
Ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix, Mauricio set a new track record for street-legal cars at Interlagos with his stock McLaren Senna.
He drove just one lap before reaching a top speed of 345kph (214mph) beating the old mark which was 335kph (208mph). I had a lot of respect for Ayrton Senna, so I had to take my time out there, said Mauricio. It was a great feeling coming up against the wall but knowing you can go faster.
And after a few laps I could see how easy it was going to be.
With every corner I went into, it felt like the car knew exactly what to do and I didn’t have to think about anything other than being smooth.
When we got onto the straights I was really pushing hard, trying to find more grip from the tyres as they came off a bit during braking zones because they were still very cold.
But when they heated up they became much better and held on much better during acceleration too – this is why Formula 1 drivers push their cars so hard around these circuits all season long! There’s always something to learn from a race track, whether you’re racing or not.
I’m glad he invited me to come down here and share some driving tips with the young guys because there are some talented kids coming through.
3) Porsche 911 Turbo S’s Performance
Porsche is one of the most recognizable brands in the car world, and with its latest 911 Turbo S, they have once again set a new benchmark.
That’s not to say it doesn’t have its flaws though. With around 550 horsepower under the hood and a 0-62 time of 2.8 seconds, it falls short in terms of outright power when compared to other supercars on the market.
And while it may be fast, it lacks that raw ferocity that makes you feel like you’re going to fly out of your skin when you step on the pedal.
Not only does Mauricio have a faster lap time at Interlagos, but he also beat the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix’s record by over two seconds!
Mauricio is clearly more skilled than his counterparts when it comes to this track.
He has a long history racing there, so it will be difficult for them to catch up anytime soon.
His driving style could easily translate into success at any race course as well. I’ve seen him drive just about every type of vehicle, from sedans to sports cars and I can attest to the fact that he never takes things easy on anyone.
He has been getting better year after year and I’m looking forward to seeing what else he has in store for us.
Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix seems to be in a tough spot right now and there are rumors circulating that they might shut down operations altogether.
It would really suck if someone took away their chance of competing in such an exhilarating environment because they simply weren’t able to match the competition or make ends meet.
Thankfully, Mauricio isn’t stopping anytime soon.
Even if he were to retire tomorrow, Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix would still owe him quite a bit of money.
He claims that nothing is guaranteed until it is actually yours and Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix better watch their back because they know who their true rival is! McLaren Senna was made for a sole purpose: total dominance.
From day one, McLaren Senna is meant to outperform the competition in all aspects: speed, acceleration and handling.
Ferrari needed five decades to perfect their GTO model whereas McLaren Senna got it done in less than three years! I always knew McLaren Senna was going to take over Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix–I don’t think that statement should surprise anyone–but even I wasn’t expecting this kind of victory.
4) Conclusion
The Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the most popular races in the world, and it’s always a pleasure to watch.
But this year, there was something extra special about watching – we got to witness the dominance of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren Senna.
With its lightweight carbon fibre construction and tuned engine, the car set a new track record at Interlagos ahead of the race weekend.
There is nothing like this I’ve seen before, it took one lap for Ricardo Mauricio’s stock car to beat the Formula 1 time set by Lewis Hamilton.