Ayrton Senna once promised to join winless F1 minnows as soon as he matched Juan Manuel Fangio’s championship record

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Ayrton Senna has a long-lasting legacy in Formula 1, known for his sensational talent on the track and being an incredible person off it.

Regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, the Brazilian won three world championships with McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991. He formed an intense rivalry with Alain Prost as teammates at the Woking outfit.

The pair came to blows at the final round in Japan in 1989, resulting in Prost winning the title after Senna was disqualified. A year later, with the former at Ferrari, Senna crashed into Prost at the first corner, securing him his second title, a move he later came to deeply regret.

The Brazilian went on to win his third title a year later as he established himself as one of the sporting greats. Senna was dubbed the ‘King of Monaco’, having won on the iconic streets a record six times, displaying some of the greatest driving in F1 history.

Senna raced for four teams in his 10-season stint in F1, driving for some iconic outfits such as Lotus, McLaren and Williams. But he had plans to race for others in his career.

Gian Carlo Minardi shares how Ayrton Senna once promised to race for his team after equalling Juan Manuel Fangio

Senna began his career with Toleman in 1984, where he made an instant impression, scoring three podiums. Prior to his F1 debut, he had been headhunted by Gian Carlo Minardi, who offered him a seat with his team in his F2 days.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he shared how he first came across Senna: “He was recommended to me by Paolo Barilla, who was our F2 driver. I went to see him on the track and was blown away.

“I was the first to offer him a professional contract to race with us in F2, and he was very grateful, but he responded sincerely: he had a specific plan for his future, to get to Formula 1 quickly and win his first World Championship by 1988. A plan that later came true.” 

Coincidentally, Senna did achieve his first world championship in 1988 with McLaren. Meanwhile, Minardi struggled at the back of the grid, as they did throughout their time in F1, as they went winless before Red Bull purchased them in 2006.

Despite being on opposite ends of the pit lane, Senna and Minardi had a great relationship. The Brazilian even promised the team owner that he would join the F1 minnows once he had equalled Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of five titles.

“He often came over for a plate of pasta in our motorhome when we had the chance,” Minardi recalled/ “We talked about everything, especially things outside the world of Formula 1.

“Then one day, in front of me and his father, he said: ‘I’ll win five World Championships like Fangio and then I’ll come and race to make Minardi great.’ Out of respect for Ayrton,

“I never spoke about this promise after his death, but his father Milton, many years ago, spoke about the episode in an interview, so today I also remember it with pleasure because I think it says a lot about Ayrton’s soul.”

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

Ayrton Senna’s legacy still lives on in F1 today

Sadly, Senna never got the chance to fulfil his promise to Minardi or equal Fangio’s record as he suffered a fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino GP. Roland Ratzenberger had lost his life in qualifying the day before.

The F1 legend is still remembered to this day, with 2025 marking the 31st anniversary of his tragic passing. Prost led tributes to Senna on social media, sharing a picture of the pair laughing together.

Prost and Senna had a ‘fantastic’ relationship amid their rivalry on the track. While they were competitors on the track and fought for titles, they got on a lot better off it than many people may think.

With three titles, 41 wins and 80 podiums, the Brazilian is hands down one of the all-time greats. Martin Brundle had Senna in his ‘Mount Rushmore’ of F1 drivers, having raced with him throughout his career in motorsport.