Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4 Returns To Pembrey

By Paul Evans

Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4 – which first came to Pembrey Circuit in 1988 and dominated that year’s Formula 1 World Championship – will be the centrepiece of a Senna tribute at the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival.

The festival takes place on Sunday 22 September, exactly 31 years to the day since the Brazilian F1 driver set the fastest lap around the home of Welsh motorsport.

Pembrey will open its doors like never before at the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival, with visitors able to get up close to a collection of historic F1 cars and modern rally cars in the pit garage area.

The main infield paddock area will be filled with supercar clubs and displays by Porsche, Lotus, Alpine, Ducati, Toyota, Darrian, historic rally cars, TT motorbikes (and much more!) – while on the outside of the track there will be more supercars and classic cars, tractor pulling demos, junior arena trials bikes, electric motocross, food stations and a funfair.

Ayrton Senna testing the MP4/4 with a Honda V10 engine. Pembrey Circuit, September 1988. pic.twitter.com/MPXIy5mbEm

— Senna (@sennatheking) June 1, 2019

There will also be a full day of track demo action featuring many of the race and rally cars as well as displays from the renowned Betty’s Surf Shop drifting team and motorcycle stunts courtesy of the Two Brothers Racing Stunt Team.

“We are thrilled that McLaren has agreed to support the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival,” says Phil Davies, Pembrey Circuit Manager.

“Pembrey has enjoyed a long working relationship with McLaren for over thirty-five years, which is still going strong today. Some of Ayrton Senna’s original engineers are still working on these beautiful Heritage cars when they come down.

“It’s also great to see McLaren back up front in F1 with Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri] who themselves have spent many hours honing their skills at Pembrey in junior category testing.”

Ayrton Senna’s Iconic McLaren MP4/4 is Coming to Pembrey Circuit! We’re excited to announce that Senna’s legendary McLaren MP4/4,the car that dominated the 1988 Formula 1 World Championship,will be the star attraction at the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival on September 22nd pic.twitter.com/B1D7ZkHFcQ

— Pembrey Circuit (@PembreyCircuit) August 30, 2024

It was widely reported at the time that Senna broke the Pembrey lap record in 1988.

Less known however is that the team returned five years later to test a ‘stretched’ McLaren MP4/8B powered by a Lamborghini V12 engine.

On 22 September 1993, Senna recorded an incredible time of 40.60 secs which remains the fastest lap ever around the Pembrey Circuit.

Winning 15 of 16 races in the 1988 Formula 1 World Championship, the MP4/4 is one of the most successful F1 cars of all time.

Senna and Alain Prost finished first and second, scoring 199 points, almost three times as many as runners-up Ferrari.

The car coming to the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival, the MP4/4B-2, was built as one of the test mule cars ahead of the new regulations for the 1989 Formula 1 World Championship.

Senna through the lens. Our gallery of rare & exclusive images of Ayrton: http://t.co/4sTddxdLGl #RememberSenna pic.twitter.com/NJ8sZrfiPV

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 1, 2014

Following a ban on turbocharged engines, the MP4/4B-02 was designed to evaluate Honda’s new 3.5-litre V10, which would be replacing Honda’s V6 Turbo engine in 1989.

“The McLaren MP4/4B was based closely on the dominant MP4/4 of the 1988 season,” explains Neil Oatley, Director of Design and Development at McLaren Racing.

“The chassis, bodywork, cooling system and transmission were all revised to suit the very different concept of power unit, all trimmed to a much lower weight limit of 500 kg.

“In late summer 1988, we ventured to South Wales for McLaren’s first look at the Pembrey venue with the prototype MP4/4B, sister car to the one on display.

“The circuit operated by the local Llanelli Council was relatively short but was built to a full F1 standard running surface on the site of a disused airfield.

“A little later in the spring of 1989, this particular car, the MP4/4B-2, also made the journey to Carmarthenshire, in the company of a then current 1989 MP4/5 race car for four days of testing.

“In those pre-race meeting days, the circuit was yet to gain a pit lane or garages, so the team ‘camped out’ under awning tents on one of the redundant runways inside the apexes of the fast Dibeni and Paddock bends.

“Both of our contemporary drivers, World Champions Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, drove each of the two cars during that particular intense test, only a few days after their infamous ‘fall out’ at Imola.

“They were particularly impressed by the arrival of a local mobile fish and chip shop to provide hot lunchtime meals for all the crew.

“In addition to this, Llanelli Council went beyond the call of duty to ensure the team had everything we needed for the whole test to run as smoothly as possible, and even arranged for the coastal rain to stay away.

“The testing with this car certainly contributed enormously to the successes in the 1989 World Championship, which was followed by many further tests with our cars over the years at this remote circuit.

“Ayrton continued to drive cars at the venue until late into his final year with the team, where notably he tested a prototype Lamborghini-engined car in the company of another of the team’s future World Champions, Mika Häkkinen.

“The McLaren team’s relationship has always been very strong with this wonderful little circuit in Wales, continuing for over 35 years, right up to the present day, where we remain regular visitors with many Heritage collection race cars.”

#RememberingSenna Another archive piece from Pembrey. 1993 Ayrton Senna & Mika Häkkinen McLaren test.Thanks @regvardy pic.twitter.com/RbNpzT1NEU

— Motorsport in Wales (@WelshMotorsport) May 1, 2015

Tickets for the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival (Sunday 22 September, 10am-5pm) are £20 in Advance available online at: https://pembreycircuit.co.uk/event/welsh-motorsport-supercar-festival or £25 on the gate on the day. Children 15 years and under are FREE.