In 1987, Senna’s wish had come true: his Lotus was powered by a Honda engine. For the first few rounds, the car, equipped with a revolutionary active suspension system, failed to win due to its lack of thorough development, but in Round 4, Monaco, Senna claimed his first victory, with a Honda-powered car. Senna then went on to win Monaco five more times, and was aptly nicknamed the “Monaco Meister.”

Moving to McLaren Honda in 1988, Senna’s talent and speed rose to another dimension. He dominated the season alongside teammate Alain Prost, and the fight for the title was sensational. In the closing stages, Round 15 in Japan, Senna had lost a lot of ground at the start, but stormed back to win the race, claiming his first championship title in Japan, the home of Honda. McLaren Honda had dominated the season, winning a record-setting 15 out of 16 grands prix.

In the 1989 F1 season, turbo engines were banned and new regulations were enforced. McLaren Honda, which had dominated the previous year, remained unchallenged even under the new regulations, and the fierce battle for the title between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost raged on. As the season neared its climax, Prost was leading in the points at the Japanese Grand Prix, but disaster struck when Senna and Prost collided at the chicane in the closing laps. Senna was disqualified for the incident, losing any hope of winning his second title. He would even face the threat of being banned from F1.

As the 1990 season began, with the threat of losing his Super Licence settled, Ayrton Senna’s fighting spirit to regain the championship was reignited. A fierce battle with F1 rookie Jean Alesi at the season-opener in the U.S. seemed to awaken Senna's joy of racing. Senna claimed his second championship title, and definitively ended the three-year duel with Prost.

In 1991, “Honda Music” returned to F1 with the new V12 engine. After achieving a pole-to-win in the season-opener, Ayrton Senna went into native Brazil, longing to finally win on home soil. Victory seemed inevitable as Nigel Mansell dropped out of the race, but Senna was also having serious problems with his car. Senna was once again tested by Brazil, but drove at the limit to win the Brazilian Grand Prix for the first time. After crossing the finish line, Senna screamed, and parked his car on the side of the track, dazed and unable to move.

Ayrton Senna claimed victory in the 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix, his first since Round 4. It was a special win, dedicated to Soichiro Honda, who had passed away shortly before, and also became a turning point in the season. Senna, seemingly in a slump, was back on track to win his third world championship. In Round 15, the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, Senna would indeed claim the championship title.

In 1992, McLaren Honda and Ayrton Senna, aiming for back-to-back championships, started the season with the MP4/6B, an upgrade from last year’s MP4/6. The new car, however, was completely outmatched by arch-rival Williams Renault, leading to the introduction of the MP4/7A from Round 3, but to no avail. In Round 6, Monaco, Senna went all in, taking advantage of every single opportunity, to claim his first win of the season. The heated battle in the closing stages is still talked about today as one of Monaco’s most famous moments.

In Round 13, the Italian Grand Prix, soon after Honda had announced its withdrawal from F1 activities at the end of 1992, a disappointed Ayrton Senna took the lead late in the race and went on to claim Honda’s final win of its second F1 era. This third win, hard-earned considering Senna and Honda struggled throughout the season, was the final victory for their six-year challenge that reached the pinnacle of success. Senna, now without Honda power, was left to find a new path.