(Motorsport-Total.com) – It is one of those “what if” stories that make Formula 1 so fascinating: What would have happened if Ayrton Senna had ended his career at Ferrari? This is a question that has occupied motorsport fans for decades.
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Jean Todt, the man who led the Scuderia back to its former strength in the 1990s, has now revealed further explosive details about the sensational transfer that almost happened in a rare interview.
In the “High Performance” podcast, Todt spoke about the intense negotiations with Senna, which he had already confirmed several years ago. The decisive contact reportedly took place in September 1993 on the sidelines of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza – even before Michael Schumacher came into Ferrari’s sights.
Why the Ferrari deal with Senna failed
However, the deal with Senna, which would have shaken the motorsport world, failed due to a crucial detail: the timeline. Senna, then dissatisfied at McLaren, pushed for an immediate move for the 1994 season. Todt, on the other hand, who had only taken over as team principal of a then ailing Ferrari team in July 1993, considered this too early.
Spectacular Formula 1 transfers that never happened …
The decisive factor from Todt’s point of view was: Ferrari was not yet ready for a star driver. And: “We had existing contracts.” Because Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger were supposed to drive for Ferrari in 1994.
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According to Todt, Senna reacted pragmatically. “He replied to me: ‘Contracts in Formula 1 are not important.'” But for the principled team boss Todt, it was not an option to terminate Alesi’s or Berger’s contract prematurely. Reason: “For me, a contract is important.”
Instead of Senna, Schumacher comes to Ferrari
That’s why Todt wanted to sign Senna for 1995, but it never happened: Senna signed for Williams for 1994, where he tragically died in the third race of the season in Imola. Instead of Senna, it was Schumacher who joined Ferrari in 1996 and, with Todt, wrote arguably the most successful chapter in Ferrari’s history.
However, Todt’s recent statements about the Senna negotiations at the time fuel speculation about how Formula 1 history could have unfolded if the talks in 1993 had led to a different outcome.