Where It All Began - Lotus 97T - Ayrton Senna - Estoril - 1985

Even before he made his Formula 1 debut with the Toleman team in 1984, it was clear to those in the sport that Ayrton Senna had a special talent. Just how special became clear in the second race of his second season, when he won the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix in the Renault-powered Lotus 97T.In atrociously wet conditions in the race depicted in this Fine Art, it only took Senna about 15 laps to shake off all his pursuers, with what would become his trademark superiority in the wet, controlled yet quick, always in the highest gear possible to avoid wheelspin. By the end of the race, at the wheel of the black and gold Lotus, he had lapped the entire field at least once, with the exception of the second placed driver.And the rest, as they say, is history!There is not much extra left to say about Ayrton Senna that hasn’t already been said, written and described.He will remain a true legend for time to come.