14 replies to this topic

[Cassiop]

Hi

I read that Ayrton Senna was on the entry list of the Gp of Europe 1983 with the number 41 in a Lotus 94T.

Is someone has information on this subject ?

[Geza Sury]

Originally posted by Cassiop
I read that Ayrton Senna was on the entry list of the Gp of Europe 1983 with the number 41 in a Lotus 94T.

Tom Rubython doesn't mention this rumour in his new book, 'The Life of Senna', which supposed to be the ultimate Senna biography...

[ensign14]

I don't remember anything at the time, although I remember Palmer being mentioned beforehand as a 3rd Williams driver. However, would Senna have qualified for a superlicence at the time? He had to win an F3 series, and I don't think at that moment he had won the British. May be complete nonsense, as Tommy Byrne raced the previous year whilst winning the British F3, but that was a lot more cut & dried.

[FLB]

Had Jean-Louis Schlesser and Kenny Acheson won a championship before 1983?

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Geza Sury

Tom Rubython doesn't mention this rumour in his new book, 'The Life of Senna', which supposed to be the ultimate Senna biography...

If that bloke told me his name was Tom Rubython, I wouldn't believe him. Believe me, he is a complete arse, Geza.

Originally posted by ensign14
May be complete nonsense, as Tommy Byrne raced the previous year whilst winning the British F3, but that was a lot more cut & dried.

Cut and dried, Ensign?! It went down to the last round, between Tommy and Quique Mansilla!

Originally posted by FLB
Had Jean-Louis Schlesser and Kenny Acheson won a championship before 1983?

I don't know enough about Schless, but KA won the Northern Ireland FF1600 Championship in 1977 and then won all three British FF1600 titles in 1978...

Twinny

[ensign14]

Originally posted by FLB
Had Jean-Louis Schlesser and Kenny Acheson won a championship before 1983?

Acheson would have qualified through his Formula 2 results.

It went down to the last round, between Tommy and Quique Mansilla!

Blimey, there goes my memory, I was convinced Tommy wrapped it up well before. Then again I was not yet (or just about) in double figures.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by ensign14
Blimey, there goes my memory, I was convinced Tommy wrapped it up well before.

Hi Ensign

Perhaps you didn't recall that Tommy missed some post mid-season rounds due to being on GP duty with Theodore?

Twinny

[gio66]

Originally posted by FLB
Had Jean-Louis Schlesser and Kenny Acheson won a championship before 1983?

Schlesser won the 1978 F3 Championship with the same points of Alain Prost

http://www.formula2....F378_Tables.htm

[rallen]

So did Senna have a potential Lotus seat?

[pete53]

I have just been looking at the Autosport preview for the race, and also the following week's race report, and I can see no mention of Senna.

[Formula Once]

I don't think he was entered, in fact I am quite sure, so where did you read this?

[opplock]

I have never before heard this story. I was there and still have the programme. The Lotus entries were No 11 Elio de Angelis, No 12 Nigel Mansell. The only 3rd car entered was the Williams No 42 driven by Jonathan Palmer.

[Formula Once]

Come to think of it; it would have been more logical had Williams considered to run Senna in the third car Palmer ultimately drove, given Ayrton's performance during a test with Williams earlier that year.

[sonar]

This is a quote from Peter Warr from 'Ayrton Senna, the Team Lotus Years':
'We came to the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in September '83, and I thought we had a really promising future for the team. So I went to Players and I said, "I've got this fantastic new guy lined up, and I think we should firm up on this as quick as we can before anyone else gets a sniff." But I was talked out of it by Peter Dyke at Player's (Imperial Tabacco).
After Warr had this talk with Dyke, Senna wás offered 50,000 dollar to drive for Team Lotus in Formula one in 1984, by Peter Warr and apparently Senna had said 'yes'.
The whole deal fell through, however, because Players kept insisting on keeping on Nigel Mansell alongside Elio, because they thought they would get more publicity with a British driver than with a Brazillian driver nobody had ever heard of.

There's nothing in the book about a third entry for Senna for the Grand Prix.

[rallen]

Looks like the OP was just wrong then.