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F1 news

Iconic Senna title-winning car to be displayed at F1 Exhibition in London

Ayrton Senna's first championship-winning car, the McLaren MP4/4 from 1988 will be showcased at the Formula 1 Exhibition London.

Mc Laren Honda drivers Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in the 1988 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard Photo Credit Grand Prix Photo
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To news overview © Photo: Grand Prix Photo

Ayrton Senna's iconic McLaren MP4/4 from 1988 will be on display at the Formula 1 Exhibition London, RacingNews365 can exclusively confirm.

The Brazilian's first title-winning car is considered one of the greatest in the championship's history, triumphing in 15 of the 16 grand prix that season, a phenomenal 93.8% win ratio.

It was F1's most successful car until last season, when the RB19 stormed to 21 victories from a possible 22, and saw Senna rewrite the record books at the time.

His eight wins beat the seven victories McLaren team-mate Alain Prost took in 1984, which itself matched the record held by the legendary Jim Clark from 1963.

Senna's 13 pole positions eclipsed countryman Nelson Piquet's 1984 haul of nine and McLaren's 199 constructors' championship points were nearly three-times that of runners up Ferrari, who ended the season with just 65.

“It’s a pleasure to be working closely with The Formula 1 Exhibition London and showcase our most successful grand prix car, Ayrton Senna’s iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4," said Piers Thynne, McLaren F1 Team's chief operating officer.

“Senna plays an incredibly important role in McLaren’s Heritage, and we are delighted to continue to celebrate his legacy by giving fans the opportunity to see his first FIA F1 drivers’ championship-winning car up close.”

Senna's arrival from Lotus at the end of 1987 was key to Honda leaving Williams and forming one of F1's most iconic partnerships.

Together, McLaren and the Japanese marque won four consecutive constructors' and drivers' titles at the hands of Senna and Prost - and also Gerhard Berger, who replaced the latter for the former's final championship success in 1991.

The exhibition opens on August 23 at the London ExCeL Centre, and alongside the MP4/4 will be displays such as Survival, which showcases the remains of Romain Grosjean's destroyed Haas chassis from his fiery first-lap Bahrain crash in 2020.

Also on offer is Once Upon a Time in Formula 1, which provides an opportunity to explore previously unseen footage, interviews and photographs from F1's history.

“Ayrton Senna remains one of sport’s most intriguing characters and the global interest in his sublime talent shows no signs of slowing," said Tim Harvey, lead curator and producer of the F1 Exhibition.

"It is a huge privilege to present one of his most iconic cars at our London show.”

Tickets are now on sale on F1 Exhibition social media channels and through its website.

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