Ayrton Senna is known for many great drives throughout his stellar Formula 1 career. The Brazilian racked up three World Championships before the tragic events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix that claimed both his and Austria’s Roland Ratzenberger’s lives. With the long Easter weekend approaching, there could hardly be a better time to remember one of Senna’s most famous drives, namely that at the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park, which happened on Easter Sunday of that year – and may present a nice sim racing challenge as well.
Starting in fourth in appalling conditions, Senna dropped to fifth after the lights went green (as F1 used green lights to start a race until 1995), but remarkably managed to pass Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger almost immediately, then disposing of the Williams of Damon Hill before also passing his old rival Alain Prost in the Melbourne hairpin. After overtaking four drivers on the first lap, Senna would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the race, famously lapping everyone but second-placed Hill in the process – all while the rain stopped and started over numerous times.
Should you find some spare time over the Easter weekend, it might be a nice challenge to try and follow in Senna’s footsteps. His McLaren MP4/8 is available in rFactor2, as is Donington Park, and both are free. Assetto Corsa is another option, although rain is only available via SOL and CSP, and while Automobilista 2 does not feature 1993 F1 cars, it does have the option to set up a race in the actual weather conditions of the specific date of the 1993 European Grand Prix (April 11th). The Formula Classic Gen3 cars based off the 1991 season are the closest you can get in AMS2.
However, do not use Senna’s fastest lap of 1:18.029 as your target – as if the race was not unusual enough, the then-new track record was actually set while driving through the pits: The entry to pit lane used to be located before the final hairpin, shortcutting the turn, and pit speed limits did not come into the sport until a year later. However, if you want to try your hand at driving consistently in the conditions the 93 grid faced, please let us know in the comments how it went. Maybe we can even get a little fastest lap competition for each sim going in the comments. Racing in the rain may be uncomfortable to a lot of sim racers, but getting it right might be a great, satisfying Easter achievement. Just like Senna’s victory in an outclassed car 29 years ago.
Starting in fourth in appalling conditions, Senna dropped to fifth after the lights went green (as F1 used green lights to start a race until 1995), but remarkably managed to pass Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger almost immediately, then disposing of the Williams of Damon Hill before also passing his old rival Alain Prost in the Melbourne hairpin. After overtaking four drivers on the first lap, Senna would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the race, famously lapping everyone but second-placed Hill in the process – all while the rain stopped and started over numerous times.
Should you find some spare time over the Easter weekend, it might be a nice challenge to try and follow in Senna’s footsteps. His McLaren MP4/8 is available in rFactor2, as is Donington Park, and both are free. Assetto Corsa is another option, although rain is only available via SOL and CSP, and while Automobilista 2 does not feature 1993 F1 cars, it does have the option to set up a race in the actual weather conditions of the specific date of the 1993 European Grand Prix (April 11th). The Formula Classic Gen3 cars based off the 1991 season are the closest you can get in AMS2.
However, do not use Senna’s fastest lap of 1:18.029 as your target – as if the race was not unusual enough, the then-new track record was actually set while driving through the pits: The entry to pit lane used to be located before the final hairpin, shortcutting the turn, and pit speed limits did not come into the sport until a year later. However, if you want to try your hand at driving consistently in the conditions the 93 grid faced, please let us know in the comments how it went. Maybe we can even get a little fastest lap competition for each sim going in the comments. Racing in the rain may be uncomfortable to a lot of sim racers, but getting it right might be a great, satisfying Easter achievement. Just like Senna’s victory in an outclassed car 29 years ago.
