Brazilian Grand Prix

The black and gold Lotus was already in the back of this Brazilian driver’s mind, remembering Brazil’s first Formula 1 victory, won by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972.
So, when Ayrton Senna sat down for the first time in the cockpit of car no. 12 on the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro, the public went wild, anticipating great wins.
He was the first driver to enter the track for practice sessions that Thursday. After all, everything was new: the season, the car, the engine, likewise his motivation, even though he knew his car’s limitations.
“I can’t promise a win. Our engine is the one with the poorest gas mileage out there and this has made us study race strategy in detail. What I can promise is a fight to the end for the podium.”
With much effort in his team debut, Ayrton Senna secured fourth place on the grid behind Michele Alboreto’s Ferrari, Keke Rosberg’s Williams, and his teammate, Elio de Angelis.
On Sunday, Ayrton Senna had a great start and maintained his position. During the race, he fought for second against Alboreto. Unfortunately he had to stop on the 41st lap due to an electrical problem, but he saw the season as quite promising. Finally, he had a car which allowed him to battle directly for the top positions in the races.