--- title: "Tony Kanaan Gets Emotional After Driving Ayrton Senna’s 1991 McLaren F1 Car" description: "Former IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive Ayrton Senna's title-winning 1991 F1 car at Sonoma Raceway." date: "2023-11-13" modified: "2023-11-13" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/tony-kanaan-gets-emotional-after-driving-ayrton-sennas-1991-mclaren-f1-car" categories: - "F1" - "McLaren News" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" --- # Tony Kanaan Gets Emotional After Driving Ayrton Senna’s 1991 McLaren F1 Car ![]() *\Racer via YouTube\* Former IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan was named Arrow [McLaren's]() Sporting Director in October, but that isn't actually the best thing to happen to him recently. Over the weekend, during the Velocity Invitational event at Sonoma Raceway, Kanaan had the chance to drive Ayrton Senna's championship-winning 1991 McLaren MP4/6 [Formula 1]() car. Senna wasn't only Kanaan's racing hero, but also his friend. Kanaan also credits Senna as the savior of his career. During a 2020 interview with [*Racer's* Marshall Pruett](), Kanaan told a story about the 1993 Formula Vauxhall Lotus race at Hockenheim. He placed on pole position, but his team's lack of sponsors meant it was going to be his last race. Or at least it would have been, if Ayrton Senna hadn't personally vouched for the young Brazilian driver to the owner of the team. ![]() **Racer via YouTube** "I did some cool stuff in my career, I have to say but this tops off everything I've done, for many reasons," Kanaan told *[Racer]()*, just moments after climbing out of Senna's car. "I don't think I have enough words to describe what this day meant to me." The specific car Kanaan drove is one of the cars Senna used to help secure his championship-winning 1991 season, which saw him take the drivers' title and McLaren, the constructors' title. It was also the car he used to snag podium finishes in Italy and Japan. As if all that wasn't enough to make Kanaan emotional, he also had the unique pleasure of driving such a brilliant F1 car. ![]() **Racer* *via YouTube** Powered by a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, the 1991 McLaren's noise will make even the most internal combustion-averse electric vehicle enthusiasts shiver. It's a glorious, spine-tingling howl that instantly takes you back to the glory days of F1. I'm not a big "things were better in the old days" kind of guy, but that sentiment certainly rings true for F1 engines. Modern F1 cars may be far more technically advanced than the '91 McLaren, but I'd rather watch the slower, more exciting race. Even without the emotional backstory and Senna's incredible racing career, just watching this video of Kanaan's lap and hearing the McLaren's astonishing motor are enough to thrill. Kanaan's emotions only make it better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3wc34DtSOw&t=4s *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()