Unforgettable Donington Park: Senna’s Lap Of The Gods
In the annals of Formula One history, the year 1993 marks a unique occasion — an extraordinary race held at the hallowed grounds of Donington Park.
This renowned circuit played host to a memorable spectacle, highlighted by the incomparable skills of Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian maestro’s exquisite car control, combined with his uncanny ability to find grip in the wet, delivered an unforgettable first lap display.
A Dream Realized at Donington Park
For Tom Wheatcroft, the owner of Donington Park, the race was the culmination of a lifelong dream. Wheatcroft had acquired the circuit in 1971, driven by a desire to restore it to its former glory.
The circuit, once a military transport base during the war, had been closed for many years. Wheatcroft, who used to cycle 30 miles to witness races at Donington, had vivid memories of the past and longed to revive its storied history.
The acquisition of the circuit for £100,000 was a significant investment, and after extensive renovations, Donington Park was reborn in 1977. Later, the addition of the Melbourne loop further enhanced the circuit’s appeal, making it suitable for grand prix racing.
The Fierce Rivalry Continues
The 1993 race at Donington Park set the stage for a thrilling chapter in the sport’s greatest rivalry — Ayrton Senna versus Alain Prost. Prost had made a comeback to Formula One after a year away, joining Williams with a crucial stipulation in his contract: Ayrton Senna could not be his teammate.
The Williams team, enjoying a dominant position, claimed victory in the season opener at Kyalami, with Prost leading the charge.
In Brazil, Prost held the lead until a collision with Christian Fittipaldi allowed Senna to triumph on home soil. Senna, aware of the superior performance of the Williams cars, arrived at Donington with the aim of minimizing potential damage.
Rain, Qualifying, and a Wet Race Day
As race day approached, rain greeted the drivers at Donington Park. Friday’s practice sessions were washed out, and Saturday saw brighter skies that allowed the teams to showcase their cars’ true pace.
Senna’s fears materialized during qualifying, as Prost demonstrated his superiority, posting a time 1.7 seconds faster than Senna’s.
Williams secured the front row, with Michael Schumacher taking third. Senna qualified fourth, ahead of Karl Wendlinger in the Sauber and Michael Andretti in the second McLaren.
On Easter Sunday, a small but dedicated crowd gathered to witness the race, with Princess Diana among the spectators. As the cars lined up on the grid, rain once again drenched the track. With traction control still permitted, the wet conditions theoretically favored the drivers, providing them with better control.
Senna’s Masterclass on the Opening Lap
Ayrton Senna’s wizardry in finding grip on the rain-soaked circuit was nothing short of astonishing. Senna’s journey from fifth to first unfolded with remarkable speed and precision.
Off the line, Prost made a strong start, followed closely by Damon Hill. Schumacher focused on defending his position from Senna, allowing Wendlinger to slip past them both.
Overtake 1 — Michael Schumacher
By the time the cars reach the apex of the first corner Redgate, Senna is back on the inside and his teammate is directly on the outside of him. Ahead, Schumacher is on the outside of the fast-starting Karl Wendlinger.
Usually the outside line of a corner can provide more grip in the rain. So in this instance we’d expect both Schumacher and Andretti to have greater traction and gain an advantage, both being on the outside of Redgate corner.
This is true for the apex of the corner, where the normal dry racing line is right on the inside. But this isn’t so true for the corner exit. If you’re on the outside of the corner at the corner exit, you will eventually be met by the normal dry racing line, which when wet is more slippery.
Andretti and Schumacher stay on the outside right at the middle part of the corner, and here they gained an advantage. Moments later, they reach the corner exit and back on the dry (slippery) racing line, so struggle for traction and drop back.
In addition, Schumacher is baulked slightly by Wendlinger who crowds him out to the edge of the track, allowing Senna to slip up Schuey’s inside to make his first overtake and move back into 4th place.
Overtake 2 — Karl Wendlinger
Exiting the first corner of Redgate, Senna’s car is positioned to the inside of the track, off the normal racing line. This gives him a traction advantage and he is able to draw almost alongside Wendlinger as they reach the right hander of Hollywood. Wendlinger defends his position and actually forces Senna to put a wheel on the grass.
At this point Senna backs out of it and tucks in behind Wendlinger for the remainder of the right hander. As they reach the entry point to the left hander of Craner Curves, Wendliger lifts off or brakes slightly and that is all the invitation Senna needs to make a move.
He knows he can find more grip around the outside of the corner, so jinks to the right and simply drives around him.
He goes right to the edge of the track, finding maximum grip as far away from the dry racing line as possible. Knowing that the next corner of Old Hairpin is a right hander, all he has to do is hold his position to be able to take the spot. And that’s exactly what he does, to put him up to third place.
Overtake 3 — Damon Hill
Senna exits the old hairpin in third place behind Damon Hill in a Williams. The next left hander under Starkey’s Bridge is flat out in the dry. But in the wet, Damon isn’t so sure. Before they reach the bridge, Hill is a few car lengths ahead from Senna’s onboard.
As they go under the bridge and pass the apex kerb on the left Hill has a big lift off the throttle. Senna does not, having more confidence in the car and himself, and is immediately on Hill’s tail. At this point Ayrton doesn’t have anywhere to go as Hill blocks him.
The circuit continues round to the left for Schwantz curve, and Hill takes a position over to the left hand side of the track, the usual dry racing line here. Senna sees the space on the right hand side of the track, off the usual dry racing line and puts his car there, finding more grip in the rain and being able to draw alongside Hill.
The next corner of McLeans is a right hander, so Senna has track position and claims 2nd place.
Overtake 4 — Alain Prost
Once Senna gets past Damon Hill the next car of Alain Prost appears to be a long way up the track and is barely visible. You would think it would need a few laps worth of work to catch up. But this is Ayrton Senna.
As they enter the following right hander of Coppice, Senna makes up a lot of time in the braking zone and carries more speed in to the apex than Prost. This puts him visibly closer, but his increased entry speed actually costs him here.
Just after the first apex as he is getting back on the power Senna has a big armful of oversteer to deal with thanks to his higher entry speed and perhaps slight greediness getting on too much throttle too soon.
He puts in some corrective left-hand lock to keep the car straight.
This cost him time, whereas Prost ahead puts the power down without any drama and starts to edge away. As they head down the back straight Prost has pulled away so much that he’s barely visible from Senna’s onboard again.
As they enter the braking zone for the left-right Fogarty Esses, Senna’s bravery and confidence on the brakes are incredible. He gains so much time on Prost in the braking zone alone, now only a few car lengths behind Prost.
As they enter the chicane, Prost ahead has a wiggle of oversteer as he turns in to the left hander. There were reports that he was struggling with his gearbox this weekend, and if that was the case a slightly botched downshift could have caused the momentary lack of rear grip.
Whatever the reason, this puts him way off line for the first part of the chicane and he basically has to crawl around the rest of it.
Senna is right on his tail as they head down the next straight towards the right hand Melbourne Hairpin, the penultimate corner on the 1993 Donington GP circuit.
From the braking for the previous chicane, Senna now knows he has far superior grip and confidence in his car on the brakes. He also knows that being off the normal dry racing line in the braking zone on a wet track will give him more grip.
If Prost defends his line, however, Senna will be forced on to the usual racing line with less grip. So rather than giving away his overtake plan too early, on the run down to the Melbourne Hairpin he stays right in Prost’s wheel tracks.
But the second Prost hits the brakes, Sennas pulls to the right and brakes much much later. He draws alongside Prost and pulls ahead of him as they turn in towards the apex.
At this point Senna has track position, Prost can’t go around the outside of him despite an attempt to do so and the move is done, putting him in to 1st place.
In a mere ten corners, Senna had transformed himself from a challenger to the undisputed leader of the race.
Adversaries Left in the Wake
As Senna surged forward with his unparalleled skill, his audacious overtakes left his rivals astounded. Karl Wendlinger’s race ended prematurely, as he tangled with Michael Andretti on the second lap, bringing an end to both their campaigns.
Rubens Barrichello capitalized on the incident, elevating himself to fourth place, ahead of Jean Alesi and Schumacher.
Senna’s Mastery in Changeable Conditions
While Senna’s first lap heroics had already showcased his overtaking prowess, he further displayed his mastery in the wet during the second lap.
Opening up a substantial lead of over four seconds by the end of lap two, Senna’s command of the treacherous track was unrivaled. However, as the circuit began to dry, the drivers grappled with the decision of when to switch to slick tires.
Pit Stops and Changing Fortunes
Damon Hill became the first driver to pit for slicks, forcing Senna’s hand. Prost, meanwhile, led the race as Barrichello posed a challenge. Amid traffic congestion on the relatively short lap, the pit stops added an extra dimension to the unfolding drama.
Prost’s switch to slicks was quickly followed by another rain shower, compelling him to revert to wet tires. Senna, on the other hand, remained out on slicks, extending his lead before eventually opting for wets.
Senna’s Triumph Amidst Pit Lane Drama
The ever-changing conditions caused chaos in the pit lane. Senna encountered a scare when Mark Blundell inadvertently blocked him, and Christian Fittipaldi narrowly avoided colliding with the McLaren as he turned into the corner.
Prost, making his pit stop, encountered his own misfortune. After switching back to slicks due to another shower, Prost stalled in the pit lane, resulting in a significant time loss. He rejoined the race a lap behind Senna, who had deftly navigated the wet track on slick tires.
Senna’s Serene Triumph
With Hill’s hopes of a maiden podium dashed by a fuel pressure problem, Senna’s path to victory was serene. Lapping the competition with ease, he exhibited a level of dominance that left observers in awe.
Despite a minor hiccup during his final pit stop, where McLaren wasn’t prepared, Senna’s lead remained unassailable.
Cruising to the finish line in the intensified rain, he demonstrated his extraordinary ability to read the conditions and outshine his rivals — most notably Prost, who had made seven pit stops compared to Senna’s four.
The rain-drenched spectators, numbering over 30,000 strong, had witnessed an extraordinary masterclass from Senna — an unrivaled display of skill, courage, and tactical brilliance.
Final Thoughts
The 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park will forever be etched in the memories of racing enthusiasts. His first lap performance at Donington Park was a symphony of car control, audacity, and determination.
He finished 1 minute 23 seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher Damon Hill, and lapped every other car out there, including Prost.
Ayrton Senna’s breathtaking performance in the rain showcased his sheer genius behind the wheel and solidified his status as one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history.
The dream of Donington Park’s restoration was realized, the rain poured down, and Senna danced his way to an unforgettable victory.
Donington had witnessed magic that day — an extraordinary spectacle that transcended the realms of motorsport and etched itself into the hearts of fans around the world.
The Lap of Gods was complete and delivered.
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