“It is not at all impossible": When F1 legend Ayrton Senna expressed interest in racing in IndyCar

Ayrton Senna, considered as the greatest F1 driver of all time by many including Lewis Hamilton, was once reportedly considering a move to the IndyCar series. The Brazilian F1 champion even tested with Penske but did not make the move to the American Open Wheel racing series. But why did Senna want to move away from F1?

McLaren and Honda’s formidable partnership ended after the 1992 F1 season as the Japanese manufacturer decided to leave the sport. This left McLaren with the dilemma of finding a new engine deal. Renault was unwilling to supply the engine and the Woking-based team had to resort to the Ford-Cosworth engine.

1991 F1 US Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Amid the engine dilemma, Ayrton Senna was considering his options on whether to stay with McLaren in F1, take a sabbatical, or make a move to IndyCar. The engine deal was signed in December and in the meanwhile, Senna was bombarded with questions regarding his future.

The Brazilian showed interest in the IndyCar move when asked about plans for competitive racing in 1993. He said (via F1):

“I cannot give a yes/no answer because for me it is much more important than that. I think racing for me, now, is clearly much different than what it was a few years ago, in the sense that I learn a lot by doing it and it means a lot to me.”

“As much as I love competing, driving a racing car in F1, I feel there are certain conditions that are fundamental for me to be motivated in the right way. If these conditions are not there, then I won’t be driving. It is not at all impossible that I will race IndyCars in 1993, but if I reveal details now it could compromise other deals,” he added.

Ayrton Senna participated in the IndyCar test with Team Penske after the conclusion of the 1992 F1 season, yet ultimately decided to stay with McLaren's F1 team for the 1993 F1 season.

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Ayrton Senna’s race engineer recalls the Penske IndyCar test

Emerson Fittipaldi, former F1 champion and Ayrton Senna's fellow countryman, helped the three-time F1 champion set up the test with Team Penske, which was secretly conducted on December 20, 1992. The test was at the Firebird Raceway West in Phoenix, Arizona with Nigel Beresford fulfilling the role of Senna’s race engineer.

Formula One - Ayrton Senna - Source: Getty

As Nigel Beresford recalled Senna's test, he said (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.”

“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”, added Beresford as he suggested that the Brazilian tried multiple setups on the car.

Ayrton Senna moved away from the McLaren F1 team at the end of 1993 and joined Williams for the 1994 season. Unfortunately, he crashed at the 1994 San Marino GP and passed away.