Video: Ayrton Senna: Where The Legend Started

Head to the Nürburgring Grand Prix track for a look back at the race that put a young Ayrton Senna on the map, and brought a legend to the world’s attention.

This lovely short film from the XCAR team was made for the 20th anniversary of his fatal accident at Imola. It heads back, way back, to one of Senna’s first appearances in the public eye – the Nürburgring Grand Prix Track on the 12th of May, 1984.

The Nürburgring and Formula 1 spent nearly a decade on break following Niki Lauda’s fiery crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix. In 1984 construction of a new Grand Prix track, built to modern safety standards, was completed, so a race was held to launch it before Formula 1’s return in 1985.

And it was a doozy, putting Mercedes’ new 16-valve Cosworth 190E 2.3-16 into the hands of German Touring Car monsters and Formula 1 legends. How often would you get to see Stirling Moss, John Surtees and Jack Brabham on the same circuit as Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg and Ayrton Senna?

Alain Prost sat on pole with Senna chasing from second, and when the red lights went out absolute mayhem ensued.

This video sees XCAR hop into the Mercedes Cosworth 190E 2.3-16 for a few laps of the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit while they tell the story of the race and enjoy one of Mercedes’ coolest cars. And if you scroll a little further, you can enjoy the race itself.

MORE: Senna stuns rivals at the reopening of the Nürburgring (1984)