On This Day in F1 History: Senna's Estoril Masterclass for First Win

Ayrton Senna's legacy is written in golden letters in Formula 1's history books. He had great wet-weather skills as a rookie, most notably at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, his sixth race in F1. But it was in Portugal where he would achieve his first victory, 41 years ago today.

The date was April 21, 1985, and the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril was run in terrible conditions. Heavy rain turned the track into a river, making visibility poor and grip almost non-existent.

While others struggled, Senna delivered a faultless, focused performance from start to finish. The race was stopped after two hours due to the weather, with Senna completing 67 of the scheduled 70 laps.

An F1 Masterclass in the Rain

Senna had already made history on Saturday by taking his first career pole position in the Lotus 97T. His lap of 1:21.007 was 0.413 seconds faster than Alain Prost's McLaren.

When the race started, Senna never looked back. He led every single lap from the green light to the chequered flag. The rain was a challenge, but Senna rose to it. While others spun or backed off, he kept his foot down and his car on the track.

At the finish line, he crossed 1:02.978 minutes ahead of Michele Alboreto's Ferrari. Patrick Tambay finished third in a Renault, one lap down.

A Win That Began Senna's Path to Greatness

Senna's victory was historic for several reasons. It was his first win in only his 16th Grand Prix start. It was also the 73rd win for the Lotus team, which had not won a race since Elio de Angelis' victory at the 1982 Austrian Grand Prix.

Stefan Bellof, another star from the 1984 Monaco race, finished sixth for Tyrrell, scoring his first points in Formula 1 after his team was disqualified from the entire 1984 season. Tragically, he died on September 1, 1985, in the 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps.

The win announced Senna as a future superstar. He had shown flashes of brilliance before, but this was a dominant, lights-to-flag victory in the most difficult conditions.

In the following two races, Senna grabbed pole but retired from the lead in both, at Imola and Monaco. He went seven races without scoring points after his first win, struggling with reliability.

Still, he finished the 1985 F1 season in fourth place, scoring 38 points, six podiums and two wins.

The Start of a Unique F1 Legacy

Senna would go on to win 40 more Grands Prix and three World Championships. By 1988, he was a World Champion with McLaren-Honda, and the other two titles came in 1990 and 1991.

His first win in Portugal was the start of something special.

The 1985 season was Senna's breakout year. He won again later that season in Belgium, driving the same Lotus 97T.

Four victories came between 1986 and 1987, and by the time he joined McLaren in 1988, he was ready to fight for titles.

But nothing feels like the first one.

At Estoril in 1985, Senna took pole, led every lap, and won by over a minute, the perfect weekend for a driver who would have many more.

About the author

Victor R.

Victor R. López is a Venezuelan journalist from Tumeremo who focuses on Formula 1 and motorsport. He covers driver news, race weekends and key stories from across the sport for F1-Fansite.com.

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