Lando Norris Revs Senna’s Championship Winner Day After Nerve-Wracking Experience in Prost’s Beast

When Liberty Media took over the sport in 2017, Sebastian Vettel was asked at the Australian GP press conference what his wishlist was for the new owners to fulfill. The German had a simple wish that Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso agreed to–“V12s”. Unfortunately for the German maestro, fate had a different plan and chose to favor future star Lando Norris instead.

During the Velocity Invitational in Northern California, CEO Zak Brown had arranged an arsenal of some of McLaren’s finest creations, intending to make Papaya fans relive the Woking outfit’s golden era. But even with the presence of cars such as Alain Prost’s MP4/2, which Norris had an ill-fated encounter with the previous day, the star of the weekend away from Vegas was one of McLaren’s most iconic F1 cars, belonging to perhaps the greatest driver of all time.

Lando Norris takes on the MP4/6 at Sonoma Raceway

Lando Norris got to drive Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/6 from the year he won his third and final world title – a year which carries heavy meaning for the Brazilian Tifosi who witnessed Senna’s brilliance at the 1991 Sao Paulo GP. What makes the McLaren icon one of a kind has a lot to do with Sebastian Vettel’s wish for V12s. It’s the only ever V12 F1 car to win a race and a championship, a feat not for the faint-hearted.

In the video shared by GoodWoodRRC on Twitter, the Mp4/6 roars back to life in the twists and turns of the Sonoma Raceway. And at the helm was our very own Lando Norris, having driven its ancestor (MP4/2) just a day prior. The commentators chimed in just how breathtaking the V12’s presence can be with Norris obliging the crowd, “(They’re) not gently running them, no. They’re exercising them well and letting people see and hear and feel what these cars are all about,” as the MP4/6 downshifted in the distance.

Earlier, Norris was spooked by the turbo lag on Alain Prost’s 1984 challenger, and his lines spoke volumes of his fear in pushing the MP4/2, but it was a different story with the MP4/6, “Well Lando, it’s interesting watching him here deal with a (manual) gear shifts car which he’s never driven, think about that.”–it’s safe to say Lando Norris had a blast with the screaming V12!

READ MORE: “There’s Just One Guy”: Lando Norris Rues Max Verstappen’s Existence as Elusive Milestone Remains Distant Dream

The story doesn’t end there as Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Champion Tony Kanaan also got to experience his friend’s MP4/6. While Kanaan considered his glory days to be long gone, Zak Brown reeled him back in with an offer he couldn’t resist.

IndyCar legend joins in on the fun to wow the Brazilian Tifosi

But becoming Arrow McLaren’s sporting director wasn’t the highlight of his career, he was quoted by F1i, “I mean, I did some cool stuff in my career I have to say, but this is the top favourite thing I’ve done, just for many reasons.”

TK echoed the Brazilian tifosi’s gratitude toward the man who defines Formula 1, “To be able to experience this with the relationship I had with him [Senna], now with me being part of the McLaren family, I’m speechless. I don’t think I have enough words to describe what this day meant to me.”

“I think people will understand what this day meant to Brazil – social media has been going crazy for three days. So I feel extremely lucky.” – a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even for an Indy500 winner. 29 years since the fateful day at Imola, Ayrton Senna’s legacy lives on in the form of the Mp4/5 and there’s no better caretaker than Zak Brown and Co.

WATCH THIS STORY: Lando Norris Evokes Senna Comparisons with Unique Quality, Shines Bright at British Grand Prix

Landon Norris got to experience the cars belonging to not one but two of F1’s brightest stars and even though Alain Prost’s MP4/2 scared him, the leap that the MP4/6 took was evident in his driving style. But with his focus shifting back to Sin City, stay tuned to find out what the weekend has in store for McLaren’s future star.