The former Ferrari general manager has revisited the negotiations that could have brought Ayrton Senna to Maranello, a partnership that never came to fruition due to the tragic events of the Imola weekend.
Senna and Ferrari, a dream that never became reality
Ayrton Senna always made it clear that one of his greatest ambitions in Formula 1 was to drive for Ferrari. It was a dream that first faded due to sudden shifts in the driver market and was ultimately extinguished by fate. The Brazilian legend had already come very close to wearing the famous red overalls in 1991, strongly backed by Cesare Fiorio, even signing a pre-contract at the time. However, that was not the only occasion when a move to the Scuderia was within reach.
In 1993, Senna held talks with Jean Todt, who had just been appointed by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo as Ferrari’s general manager, in an attempt to finalise a deal. Senna was eager to join Ferrari as early as the 1994 Formula 1 season, but Todt chose to honour the existing contracts of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, instead targeting the Brazilian star for 1995.
The three-time world champion therefore moved to Williams. Driving the FW16, a car widely regarded as unstable and featuring an extremely tight cockpit — to the point that Senna famously said, “If I eat a sandwich, I won’t fit in this car anymore” — he tragically lost his life during the Imola race weekend. Ferrari remained nothing more than a dream.
Todt’s recollection of the negotiations
“Ferrari was not achieving success and was desperately looking for leadership. A long time passed between the moment my name was proposed and when I actually met them. Everyone kept telling me, ‘Don’t go there. You won’t last more than two years.’ And for them, hiring a foreigner with no Formula 1 experience was a major change. I think the discussions started in August 1992 and were concluded in March 1993. The first dream I spoke about was Ayrton,” Todt admitted during the High Performance podcast.
“At the 1993 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, I remember he came to my room at Villa d’Este. We were staying at the same hotel, and we spent part of the night together discussing his move to Ferrari. He wanted to come, but in 1994. However, for 1994 we already had contracts with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi. So I told him it would not be possible, firstly because we would not have been competitive enough and secondly because we already had Jean and Gerhard. He replied that in Formula 1 contracts are not important, and I told him that for me, a contract is important. I wanted him for 1995.”
“I have heard that there had been contacts before I arrived, but I cannot speak about that because I know nothing about it,” Todt added. “As far as I am concerned, in September 1993 we discussed his arrival for 1995, but he wanted to come already in 1994, which is why he went to Williams. So in 1994 and 1995 we rebuilt the team, and we knew that 1996 would be the right year to aim for.”
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