HONDA The Power of Dreams

In 1987, Ayrton Senna was granted his wish of a Honda V6 turbo engine thanks to the efforts of then Lotus team manager Peter Waugh. Lotus introduced the 99T that year, which featured a revolutionary active suspension system that used hydraulic controls of the suspension stroke to optimize the car’s attitude. The system, still in its infancy, often failed to function correctly, and Senna struggled to gain satisfactory results.

1987 was a special year for Honda. The F1 Japanese Grand Prix was held for the first time in a decade, at the Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit, and Satoru Nakajima, who had a solid track record with Honda, became Senna’s teammate and the first Japanese to compete in F1 as a full-time driver. This special atmosphere raised F1 racing to the level of national awareness, later leading to a Formula 1 boom in Japan.

Senna was now armed with a powerful engine, but in the season-opener in his home country Brazil, he bad problems and retired. In Round 2, San Marino, he took pole position but finished 2nd, and in Round 3, Belgium, an early-stage accident took him out of the race.

Senna's first victory of the season came in Round 4, the historic Monaco Grand Prix held since 1929 on the streets of Monaco in a small country between France and Italy. Along with its history, the Monaco GP, with the glamor of the hotels and casinos bordering the course, is renowned for its difficulty with narrow, tight turns, and drivers say that winning at Monaco is more prestigious than any other race.

Qualifying was dominated by Nigel Mansell in his Williams Honda, as was the early stages of the race. On lap 29 of the 78-lap race, Mansell suddenly lost turbo power, slowed down, and retired. The wastegate pipe was to blame. Senna, who had been in second place, took over the lead, and even after 42 laps and a tire change, maintained the lead to win his first race since gaining Honda V6 turbo power, 30 seconds ahead of Williams Honda’s Nelson Piquet. This was Senna’s first victory on his fourth attempt at Monaco, where he also resided. He would go on to win the Monaco Grand Prix five more times, earning him the nickname “Monaco Meister.” Five of his six victories were achieved in Honda-powered cars, a record that remains unbeaten in 2024.

Three weeks later at Round 5, the United States Grand Prix, Senna claimed his second win of the season, giving him a temporarily led the championship. His otherwise poor results in many GPs throughout the season, due to Lotus’ poor performance and unfortunate accidents, gave him third overall once the season ended.

At the Italian GP, an announcement was made that Senna would move to McLaren for the 1988 season, becoming teammates with then two-time world champion Alain Prost. The move was a foregone conclusion for McLaren, Honda, and Senna, clearing the way to the top.