Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team principal, revealed that Ayrton Senna was close to joining the Prancing Horse in the 1990s, if it wasn’t for one vital detail.
Throughout the history of Formula 1, many driver signings have been surrounded by intrigue and news attention. In 2024, Lewis Hamilton shocked the world of F1 by trading his long relationship with Mercedes for new pastures with Ferrari.
The move was heralded as the sport’s biggest driver change in F1 history.
However, unbeknownst to fans and teams alike, in the 90’s there was a driver move to rival Hamilton’s that never came to fruition.
Senna to Ferrari thwarted
He spoke about how Ferrari showed interest in Ayrton Senna. Senna was equally excited about the chance to drive with the history Maranello-team. However, Ferrari had two contracted drivers.
“The first dream driver I discussed [with Ferrari] was Ayrton Senna,” Todt told High Performance Podcast.
“He came to my room and we spent part of the night together, to speak about him joining Ferrari, and he wanted to come.
“He wanted to come, but in ’94. In ’94, we already had contracts with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi.”
Despite the two contracts with Berger and Alesi, Senna urged Todt that contractual obligations could be circumvented.
“So, I said to him that ’94 would not be possible. Firstly, we were not ready yet, and then we have a contract. He answered to me, ‘In Formula 1, contracts are not important’. I said, ‘For me, a contract is important.’”
While it’s uncommon, there are occasions where teams or drivers can get out of their contracts. Whether it be through buyouts or performance clauses enabling moves between teams.
However, Ferrari kept to the contracts they had. Todt had told Senna that there would be a place for him in 1995, but that wasn’t soon enough for the Brazilian.
“I heard there was some contact before me, but I cannot talk about that. With me, at the head of the Formula 1 team, it was a discussion in September ’93 for him arriving in ’95, and he wanted to arrive in ’94, that is why he went to Williams.” Todt said.
Instead, the F1 champion moved to Williams for 1994, and the chance to drive for the Scuderia disappeared. Ferrari’s reluctance to throw Berger and Alesi to the wolves left them without the sport’s biggest name.
Begging the question of how different F1 could have been if the Brazilian had donned red in 1994.
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