F1: Top 5 Wet Races of Ayrton Senna

#3 - Brazil 1991

Senna's first home win was an emotional one.

Home is where the heart is, and some drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Nigel Mansell excel in their home Grand Prix, but that wasn't the case for Ayrton Senna. Despite already being a double world champion and piloting three championship-winning cars, Senna hadn't won at Interlagos or any other Brazilian circuit for that matter. It seemed like the immense support that he received at Sao Paulo had the opposite effect to which his fans intended, but that would all change in 1991.

Senna claimed pole position, as he so often did, and kept his advantage at the start. Nigel Mansell had fallen back in the early stages but was challenging the leader by Lap 20 of 71. Senna was helped by a poor pit-stop by Red 5 which could've easily sent Mansell out in the lead. Bad luck would again strike Mansell, as he suffered a puncture on Lap 50 thanks to striking some debris. Nigel would later retire with gearbox issues, but Senna had troubles of his own, having to stay in sixth gear for a large portion of the race. Because of the low-speed nature of some corners, Senna nearly stalled his McLaren on several occasions, but the Brazilian masterfully crossed the line ahead of Riccardo Patrese to win his first home race. The conditions had worsened in the closing laps, but the rain could've ironically helped Senna, as the effect of being in the wrong gear would've lessened. Senna was so exhausted that he couldn't drive himself to the podium and could barely lift the winner's trophy after he was taken there.