video of Senna driving NSX in loafers

[wahoo5]

I am sure many of you have seen this, but I had not until my son sent it to me. It is a great video of Senna driving an NSX with one camera on his feet. The footwork is impressive. It is interesting to see how he is continually fluttering his right foot to see where he can carry more speed.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8561369878817702526

 

[alum04org]

Yes, seen this clip but never get enough of it. Owners who have never ventured onto a track (etc) should.

 

[RYU]

Yes, seen this clip but never get enough of it. Owners who have never ventured onto a track (etc) should.

track your car, yes... but make sure to wear Senna approved footwear while doing so! (i.e. white socks and loafers)

This has been the inside joke with my friends for years. Great video. Great race car driver.

 

[Track Addict]

Love that video, it always makes me think about loafers and how well I could actually drive in them...a theory I haven't tested...yet.

 

[stevieray122854]

Absolute magic, we will not see his like again. Going to see the movie this weekend, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. Steely Dan in concert on Friday night, Senna on Saturday, doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Jetpilot3]

White socks? Really? kidding....so impressive. I can't believe he hits the gas pedal so frequently when cornering.

 

[RYU]

I believe this was his first time in the NSX and already driving it at 110% while using the entire track.

Did I mention he's the greatest f1 driver ever in the greatest time for f1 racing

 

[stevieray122854]

White socks? Really? kidding....so impressive. I can't believe he hits the gas pedal so frequently when cornering.

I saw this description of his driving style, it goes along with some discussions I've had with other racers about him:

"He had a peculiar style, his contemporaries drove the same way but he braked less and stabbed the throttle much more and more often.

It's a balancing act for him between over and understeer, while getting on the throttle as much as possible for the exit. When he lifts the weight of the car moves forwards, when he stabs it moves back. He's trying to get grip at both ends at the same time, but can't, so just swaps between them very quickly. Other drivers prefer to have the car balanced mid corner then get on the throttle as they wind off the steering. In his eyes, that was a waste of possible grip, so he'd go in fast and blip back and forth. The net result was that on the way out of the corner he was faster and the engine was going faster. When he backs off from high engine speed, the grip returns at the rear but the engine speed doesn't drop as far as others who are trying to be smooth.

If you watch the Suzuka NSX clip, he backs off completely around 0:50 as he has no front grip and is understeering. Weight travels forwards, he gets oversteer. Taking bites just past the limit of grip only works up to a point!

He just had a better feel of the limit than anyone else, so could take these liberties. Fast in, frantic during, faster out. Others were slower in, flat/balanced during, slower out. "

I was also told this particular technique of his became more pronounced when he was driving the turbo Renault & Honda engines so as to keep the boost up while cornering. Also, here's an interesting video of Ayrton and Soichiro Honda at the 1990 FIA awards banquet:

http://youtu.be/Cst_wlMBp_k

I'd be interested to know who the gentleman is that tells Senna, "We'll give you our best engine next year."

 

[NSX UNITED]

Many thanks to stevieray for the kind explanation of Senna's driving style, very informative.

As for Senna in loafers, I like the below version better, especially when he says, "You wanna come with me?"

Being a passenger with Senna driving, in an NSX, a Type-R, and lap around Suzuka... "HELL YES!!!" would have been my answer if I was there.


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[dirtbag]

Does anyone know what brand of loafers he's wearing? I need to get me some

I have some massive clown feet and found it's easiest to heal toe or rather toe/toe this style best in this car. At first I hated the pedals being so ridiculously close together, but learned to love the pedal layout.

 

[CL65 Captain]

As long as we're talking about driving style....

<iframe width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uk2p2nRK-p4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Track Addict]

That was a great video CL65Captain.


Incredible Shumacher.

 

[stevieray122854]

^+1. I think the big advantage the two had over other drivers was that both Senna & Schumacher had a keener sense of where the limit of grip was, difference being that Senna controlled the balance a little more with the throttle and Michael's throttle technique was similar but he used more steering input to keep the car on the knife's edge.

Scary fast reflexes, both of them.

 

[RYU]

both drivers are incredibly inspiring. thanks for sharing