Art of Gears
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Senna’s 1988 Race Suit Is For Sale

By David Castro

Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna checks his time while at a pit stop during the first qualifying session of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on August 5, 1988. (Photo by Pascal PAVANI and Frank PERRY / AFP) (Photo credit should read PASCAL PAVANI,FRANK PERRY/AFP via Getty Images)
Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna checks his time while at a pit stop during the first qualifying session of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on August 5, 1988. (Photo by Pascal PAVANI and Frank PERRY / AFP) (Photo credit should read PASCAL PAVANI,FRANK PERRY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Formula One legend Ayrton Senna won three world championships before his untimely passing in 1994. In 1988, after leaving Lotus for McLaren, he won his first world championship after winning eight-races in 16-starts and had an average finish of 3.9.

Senna’s racing suit from the 1988 Canada GP is being offered for auction by Charity Stars. The iconic red McLaren racing suit features sponsorship patches from Shell, Boss, Marlboro, Honda, and Nacional.

Senna dominated the Canada GP that season. He started on the pole, led 51-laps and and garnered his second victory of the season.

McLaren dominated 1988 in ways that have been seen before or since.

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With the Gordon Murray designed MP4/4 racecar, powered by a  Honda RA168E 1.5-liter V6 turbo  engine, McLaren had the most dominate season in Formula history by wining 15 of 16-races.

Senna’s teammate, Alain Prost, won the other seven-races that season and they nearly swept the 1988 calendar. The current Mercedes is dominant, in 2016 it won 90.4% of its races, but it has never won 93.8% of their races like the MP4/4 in 1988.

Senna is one of the most revered and beloved figures in Formula one history and the memorabilia associated with the triple world champion has always had a strong market.

In 2019 RM Sotheby’s auctioned off some race used items from the Brazilian legend. His race used helmet from the 1990 season was sold for $225,000. At the same auction a race used racing suit from his rookie season, in1984 driving for Toleman, topped at $135,000 when the auction hammer dropped.

Brazilian Formula 1 race car driver Ayrton Senna (1960 – 1994) in his car during a qualifying round of the San Marino F1 Grand Prix on the Imola Circuit, Imola, Italy, 30th April 1994. Senna died on May 1st after an accident during the race. (Photo by Dario Mitidieri/Getty Images)
Brazilian Formula 1 race car driver Ayrton Senna (1960 – 1994) in his car during a qualifying round of the San Marino F1 Grand Prix on the Imola Circuit, Imola, Italy, 30th April 1994. Senna died on May 1st after an accident during the race. (Photo by Dario Mitidieri/Getty Images) /

I am a devout Senna fan and I consider him to be the greatest Formula One driver we have ever had. At my home I have a framed Senna movie poster and a painting my wife gave to me of the MP4/4 with him piloting it, all you can see is the yellow helmet.

From where I am typing this I can see his eyes looking at the horizon. It’s an appropriate gaze, always looking forward and always looking to the sky.

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