Legendary racing engineer Pat Symonds has shared the one weakness he spotted when Ayrton Senna first race in Formula 1.
After winning British Formula Three in 1983 up against fierce rival Martin Brundle, Senna was signed up to drive for Toleman the following year.
Speaking on the Behind The Grid Podcast, Symonds shared more details about the Brazilian start to life in F1.
Ayrton Senna is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers ever to race in Formula 1.
He won three world championships in four years with McLaren and only narrowly missed out on winning four on the bounce were it not for teammate Alain Prost.
His potential was clear to see before he even reached F1, but that didn’t mean he was the complete package straight away.
Pat Symonds shares Ayrton Senna weakness during first F1 season
Senna was given his first opportunity in Formula 1 with British outfit Toleman, who didn’t have the best reputation before his arrival.
In their first season in 1981, they failed to qualify on all but two occasions, but at the end of 1983, Derek Warwick highlighted their potential with four top-six finishes in a row.
Senna had three different teammates in his first season and scored all 16 points the team earned that year, including three podiums.
It’s no surprise he was signed by Lotus the following year, but that first season was very important for his development.
Symonds has now explained the weakness Senna had heading into that year and what he did to address it.
By the time he switched Lotus for McLaren in 1988, he was a much more complete driver and showed why he’s considered one of the most talented drivers in the sport’s history.
‘Strong-minded’ Senna impressed during first Formula 1 season
Journalist Tom Clarkson asked Symonds: “What was his standout quality in his first season?”
The 70-year-old engineer replied: “The one thing that stood out that was on the other side of qualify was his lack of fitness, that was a real problem in his first year.
“He was very strong-minded and when we said look you can go faster if you were a bit fitter – at Kyalami, we had to lift him out of the car – because of his strong, almost pig-headedness, he wouldn’t accept things like that.
“But that same quality when it came to anything else really drove him. So, he’d say the car’s doing this, the car’s doing that or I need this or I need that and when he said it, you listened because he knew what he was talking about.”
Ayrton Senna’s influence still exists in Formula 1 today
Despite the early weakness in Senna’s performance that Symonds noticed, he’s still one of the most revered drivers in Formula 1’s history.
Oscar Piastri was asked at the start of the season whether he was more similar to Senna or his old rival Prost, such is the influence both champions have had on the sport.
Tony Kanaan recently shared an example of his humility when the Brazilian told him he was even more talented than he was to try and help him earn a seat in Formula 1.
Ever the businessman, Eddie Jordan recognised his potential early on and offered Senna 50% of his Jordan team for free to help him run the team.
Very few drivers will ever match the success that Senna enjoyed during his time in F1.
The fact he’s still so fondly remembered is a testament to his skill as a driver and his character off the track.