“I've learned what I need to know”: When Ayrton Senna’s engineer recalled his statements from IndyCar stint amid uncertain F1 career

Ayrton Senna was one of the greatest F1 drivers to grace the cockpit of a race car with three championships. Many F1 drivers including Lewis Hamilton consider him their idol. On December 20, 1992, the Brazilian secretly tested an IndyCar as adversity hit the McLaren F1 team, as his race engineer Nigel Beresford recalled many years later.

Emerson Fittipaldi, a fellow Brazilian and F1 champion, helped Senna reach an agreement to test the Penske IndyCar in 1992. Marlboro was McLaren's F1 sponsor back then and Penske's IndyCar sponsor. The agreement saw Senna arrive at the Firebird Raceway West in Phoenix, Arizona.

Formula One - Ayrton Senna - Source: Getty

Beresford recalled Senna’s drive at the test (via Motorsport):

“He told me the engine was very drivable, and found the car pretty heavy - not as nimble as a much lighter F1 car - and added he did not know the revs he was pulling because the engine sounded so different. Firebird has one moderately quick corner, and Senna was just starting to push the car through that corner. He could feel the weight of the car; he did not want to push it to the limit. It was not the place, nor the time to do it.

He wanted to see the sensitivity of the car, so we put softer springs at the rear, disconnected the rear anti-roll bar, and added 20 gallons of methanol. He came back into the pits and said, 'Thank you very much, I've learned what I need to know.' He got out of the car and that was that. Senna did not disappoint me at any level. He was just amazingly quick. Emmo’s best lap was a 49.7 compared to Senna's 49.09.”

Ayrton Senna drove for McLaren in the 1992 season and the Woking-based team was set to lose its engine manufacturer Honda in 1993. Ford would replace Honda. Senna was also frustrated by the Williams-Renault dominance in F1 during the era and thus took the IndyCar test amid an uncertain future in F1. Surprisingly, Senna would move to Williams for the 1994 F1 season. Unfortunately, the legend crashed out at the 1994 San Marino GP and died.

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Ayrton Senna’s initial struggles in the Penske IndyCar during the 1992 test

Ayrton Senna arrived at the track where Emerson Fittipaldi and Penske were set to test the next year's PC22 IndyCar. However, they tested in the '92 car with Senna. Fittipaldi was the first to drive the '92 car and spun out in the cold and wet conditions. After his stint, Senna was sent out in the '92 car.

Grand Prix of the United States - Source: Getty

Nigel Beresford recalled the three-time F1 champion’s struggles (via Motorsport):

“Normally, Formula 1 drivers get on the pace immediately. Ayrton Senna started doing some pretty slow laps initially, and that was a surprise. This car had a sequential gearbox and Senna had to get used to manipulating a gear shifter again. On occasion, he would lose his way through the gears. He would stop the car completely, select first gear and then go again.”

Nonetheless, Senna posted six-tenths faster than Fittipaldi in the car, who would set a faster time in the PC22 car.