Ayrton Senna still holds an F1 fastest lap record that will never be broken due to rule change

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Ayrton Senna will forever be remembered as one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1.

One of Ayrton Senna’s most iconic performances occurred at the 1993 European Grand Prix, held at Donington Park.

Senna has been widely heralded for his ‘Lap of the Gods’, where he took the lead of the race on the opening lap after overtaking four of his rivals in damp conditions.

The Brazilian went on to win the race from Damon Hill by 83 seconds, lapping every other driver in the field.

Zak Brown thinks Ayrton Senna is the GOAT, prove him wrong

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Fabrizio Barbazza scored a point for Minardi that day in sixth, but finished nearly three laps behind Senna, such was his prowess.

However, Senna also set a little-known record that day which will never be beaten by any modern Formula 1 driver, no matter how fast Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton or any of their rivals drive in the future.

That’s because Senna’s fastest lap at Donington Park, a 1:18.029 set on lap 57 and a record that still stands at the circuit, was set by the Brazilian driving through the pit lane.

READ MORE: All to know about Ayrton Senna including Alain Prost rivalry and Imola crash

Ayrton Senna’s pit lane lap record at Donington Park that will never be broken

Incredibly, before the 1994 Formula 1 season, there was no speed limit during a race in the pit lane.

Instead, a limit had been imposed during free practice, but drivers had to navigate a far busier pit lane than in modern times at full speed to avoid losing too much time.

At Donington Park, Senna entered the pits on lap 57 to change tyres, but decided to abort the stop. The way that the pit lane was laid out at the circuit meant that it actually acted as a shortcut, and so Senna’s time was less than eight seconds slower than Alain Prost’s pole position lap, despite the tricky conditions.

Speaking about the incident after the race, via Motorsport, Senna said: “I think they told me to come and I didn’t come. Then I told them I was coming, and they weren’t ready. So I had to go through!”

The rule about pit lane speed limits was immediately changed following the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, where Senna tragically lost his life.

In an unrelated incident, Michele Alboreto’s Minardi was unsafely released following a pit stop, and his right rear wheel came loose, injuring a Ferrari mechanic.

He stopped at the end of the pit lane, but Formula 1 immediately introduced a 75 mph speed limit in time for the next race in Monaco, meaning that Senna’s record of being the only driver to set a fastest lap by going through the pit lane will stand forever.

READ MORE: Everything we know about F1’s 2026 regulation changes from engines to tyres

Karun Chandhok pays tribute to Rubens Barrichello during Ayrton Senna’s greatest win

Another driver that often gets overlooked from the 1993 European Grand Prix is Rubens Barrichello.

It was Barrichello’s debut season on the grid, and after qualifying 12th in his Jordan, he looked on course to score his first F1 podium.

Unfortunately, a fuel pressure issue forced him to retire six laps before the end of the race, but speaking on the Autosport Podcast, pundit and former driver Karun Chandhok said: “I think we should also give a shout out to Barrichello for this, because Senna, by that stage, was already one of the all-time [greats], is a three-time World Champion, peak of his powers, etc.

“Not a surprise that he’s there, and we know that at that stage, clearly the master of the wet conditions.

“The one who you wouldn’t have expected was a rookie in a Jordan coming through the field and running in fourth place, wasn’t it? It was an amazing performance.”