No fewer than 25 cars driven by the late world champion will be on display at the famous British track.
From 23 to 25 August, the Silverstone Festival will be taking place, an event that attracts over 100,000 spectators every year. On the programme: the best of motor racing history, exhibitions of classic models, concerts, auctions and many other activities for ‘all the family’.
This year, to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of three-time Formula 1 world champion Ayrton Senna, the organisers have decided to pay tribute to the Brazilian driver by exhibiting the cars that forged the career of one of the greatest names in motor sport.
Alongside all of Ayrton Senna’s single-seaters, two surprise guests will also be present. These are two iconic rally cars from the 1980s that Senna had the opportunity to drive at: the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and the MG Metro 6R4.
It was in 1986, in the wilds of mid-Wales, that the Brazilian driver tried his hand at the thrills of rallying. An event covered by motoring journalist Russell Bulgin for Cars and Conversions magazine, the best-selling media of the time.
MG Metro 6R4 driven by Ayrton Senna (1986)
MG Metro 6R4 driven by Ayrton Senna (1986)
Sadly, neither Ayrton Senna nor Russell Bulgin are still with us. The three-time F1 world champion tragically lost his life at Imola on 1 May 1994, an event that shocked the world. The journalist also disappeared eight years later after losing his battle with cancer.
All that remains of that day in 1986 are the two aforementioned cars, which will be on display in the festival’s special showcase. But before that, the Cosworth and 6R4 took part in a photo shoot earlier this month.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and MG Metro 6R4 on display at the Silverstone Festival
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and MG Metro 6R4 on display at the Silverstone Festival
38 years later, the two legendary cars of the 80s were reunited for the first time at the same venue, high in the Cambria Mountains. And to top it all off, the Ford and MG were reunited in their original livery. At the time, the Brooklyn Motorsport RS Cosworth belonged to Phil Collins, who remembers the event very well and in particular Senna’s run off the road at the first corner.
“I told him not to use circuit racing trajectories and to get the nose in tight, but he took a wide corner like he was approaching a corner at Silverstone, ended up on the gravel and we slid into the ditch,” recalls Collins. “He was very humble and apologetic, and afterwards he was a perfect pupil. In fact, when he was a complete novice, it became poetry in motion in a few turns. The speed at which he learned was really impressive, with the control of his car, he was very natural.”
“After working with him, I realised there was another side to the great man than the one often portrayed in the media. He was an absolutely lovely guy and nothing like a superstar. On the way to the forest, we got the van stuck under a low branch of a tree and, rather than let the mechanics sort it out, he leapt out of the cab, grabbed a saw and jumped onto the roof rack. It was a trivial detail, but his actions speak volumes about the man.”
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and MG Metro 6R4 on display at the Silverstone Festival
The 6R4 had been booked as a ‘media car’ by Austin Rover and accompanied to Wales by the company’s head of product and technical press, Kevin Jones. Ever the enthusiast, Jones was back on top of the mountain in Wales for the recent meeting.
“It brought back so many wonderful memories,” admitted Jones, who was lucky enough to enjoy a passenger ride alongside the then Lotus driver. “He was like a magician, juggling the steering wheel with precise steering angles and minimal corrections. We were mostly on the side, even with a precipice off the hill on one side and a big drop out of sight to the river on the other.”
“He was obviously a driving genius and it was a really thrilling adventure. I’d like to think that what he learned that day helped him in those wet conditions at Donington Park when he completed that superb first lap en route to one of his most memorable F1 victories.”
As for Senna, he also relished the opportunity to try his hand at another discipline. At the time, he was quoted as saying:
“For fun, it was probably the best day I’ve ever had in England,” he smiled, forgetting that he was, in fact, in Wales. “It was a lot more exciting than I expected. Much more engaging. I didn’t feel the time go by. It went by so quickly because I discovered, I learnt more and more and I accelerated more and more. I had moments… it was very exciting. Feeling the car in the air and then touching the ground. Something I’d never experienced before in a road car.”
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and MG Metro 6R4 on display at the Silverstone Festival
The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and MG Metro 6R4 will be one of the most fascinating exhibits at the Silverstone Festival. Accompanied by more than 25 cars that have been driven by Ayrton Senna, this will be the most comprehensive collection of the Brazilian legend’s cars ever assembled and a must-see attraction for all visitors.
If you’re in the UK at the end of August, here’s more information: Silverstone Festival
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