McLaren commemorates Ayrton Senna with MSO P1 GTR

McLaren is celebrating 30 years since Ayrton Senna won his first Formula One title with a special version of its P1 GTR.

Liveried to mimic the 1988 McLaren MP4/4 which Senna piloted to his maiden World Championship, the track-only machine takes on the iconic red and white Marlboro colours.

Adding to that is prominent Senna branding around the car, along with a Brazilian flag behind the front wheel arch and barcode logos on the doors. These were used in place of Marlboro branding in countries that restricted tobacco advertising during the partnership between the cigarette manufacturer and McLaren.

Completing the exterior look is the number 12 — which Senna had on his car during the 1988 season — on the bonnet and enlarged rear wing endplates, along with a 30th-anniversary emblem behind the door windows. The exterior work is said to have taken McLaren Special Operations more than 800 hours to complete.

The car’s interior has also seen an overhaul — with a Senna logo featuring on the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel plus the headrests for the carbon-fibre bucket seats taken from the McLaren Senna hypercar.

This unique P1 GTR was commissioned by an unnamed McLaren collector who is said to have been ‘inspired’ by Ayrton Senna from a young age. A matching crash helmet has also been made for the owner of the car.

Ayrton Senna raced for McLaren in Formula One from 1988 to 1993, in that time winning three World Drivers’ Championship titles and helping the Woking-based firm to take three World Constructors’ titles.