Norris reveals why Senna’s 1991 McLaren felt ‘more emotional’ than today’s F1 cars

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Lando Norris has his sights set on joining the likes of Ayrton Senna as the eighth driver to claim a world title with McLaren.

With six races left in the season, and after wrapping up their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, McLaren will be confident that one of their drivers will finish on top of the standings by year’s end.

Oscar Piastri currently holds a 22-point lead over Norris, though it’s still too early to declare the title race over. One slip or mechanical failure could quickly swing momentum in Norris’ favour—a shift that wouldn’t have seemed likely just a few months back.

Norris’s retirement at Zandvoort and Piastri’s tough outing in Azerbaijan have shown how quickly things can change. Both were reminders that consistency is just as important as raw pace.

The two were there to celebrate with staff and their families following McLaren’s second straight Constructors’ Championship win. As part of the event, both drivers had the chance to get behind the wheel of Ayrton Senna’s iconic 1991 MP4/6.

It was an experience Norris didn’t take for granted, and he even found himself preferring it over this year’s car for several reasons.

Lando Norris prefers the ‘raw emotion’ of Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Formula 1 car

Speaking from McLaren’s factory in an interview shared on YouTube, Norris described what it was like to drive Senna’s old car.

“I was driving the MP4/6, warmed it up for Oscar, so he’s ready to go,” he said. “So it was cool. Like, we didn’t get a lot of opportunities to drive some of these cars.”

“They’re very different to these kinds of ones that we drive nowadays.” Norris also spoke about adjusting to the third pedal and said: “Yeah, I have to get used to a third pedal, but no, it’s good fun.

“I mean, it just sounds incredible. It’s pretty bumpy, so we try and go as quickly as we can past everyone.” He added: “It gets pretty sketchy, so watch out. But it’s cool; it’s just different.”

Senna’s 1991 Season and Lando Norris comparisons

Senna clinched his third and final drivers’ championship with McLaren in the 1991 Formula 1 season.

The title came after a dramatic end to the previous season, where a collision between Senna and Prost at the Japanese Grand Prix handed the championship to the Brazilian.

After that, Prost left for Ferrari, blocking Senna from joining him. McLaren then brought in Gerhard Berger as Senna’s new teammate.

In total, Senna won seven races that year, holding off Williams drivers Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese to wrap up the title before the final round.

Norris has drawn comparisons to Senna this season. He’ll need performances worthy of that comparison if he’s going to secure his first title. The road ahead is still uncertain for Norris, especially given how tight this year’s championship race has been.

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Piastri has often been compared to Prost in this context, and for Norris to come out on top, he’ll need a similar edge. This could be what tips the balance in one of the closest seasons we’ve seen in recent years.