For Brazilian fans, few races on the Formula 1 calendar carry as much emotional weight as the Japanese Grand Prix. The Suzuka Circuit served as the battleground for all three of Ayrton Senna’s world championships — in 1988, 1990, and 1991 — forever linking the legendary driver to Japanese motorsport history.

With that legacy in mind, the official Ayrton Senna website revisits eight unforgettable stories that connect the Brazilian icon to Japan. Let’s take a look back.

Behind the scenes of a Triple Crown

Senna’s three world titles all came at Suzuka — and each was earned in a dramatic and unique way.

In 1988, Senna’s title campaign nearly fell apart at the start of the race when he stalled on the grid, dropping to the back of the pack. What followed was one of the greatest comeback drives in F1 history. Lap after lap, Senna picked off competitors and eventually overtook teammate Alain Prost on Lap 28 to take the win — a moment forever etched in F1 lore.

A year later, fans expected a repeat, but controversy struck. After being hit by Prost at the final chicane, Senna recovered to win the race — only to be controversially disqualified, pushing his second title to 1990. That year, Senna famously returned the favor: at the very start of the race, contact between the two drivers sent Prost out, and Senna clinched his second world championship with six wins that season.

Then came 1991 — the year Senna became a three-time world champion, a feat he achieved in Japan and that no other driver has matched at Suzuka. That season, Senna built a commanding lead early with four straight victories, but the latter half saw Williams emerge as the dominant car. In the Japanese Grand Prix, Senna held second place and forced Nigel Mansell into a mistake — the Brit went off into the gravel while attempting to close the gap. In a touching gesture at the end of the race, Senna handed the win to teammate Gerhard Berger just before the finish line — marking the last 1–2 for McLaren at Suzuka to this day.

Now, in 2025, McLaren — with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — is chasing a return to the glory days of wins, podiums, and dominance that defined the late ’80s and early ’90s.

A unique bond with Honda

Senna’s connection to Japan goes beyond championship glory — it began in 1987, when he drove the iconic yellow Lotus-Honda. That year, he claimed his first victory in Monaco and debuted at Suzuka with an impressive drive from P7 on the grid to a second-place finish.

That strong start laid the foundation for Senna’s close relationship with the Japanese people — something that would become a major asset when he joined McLaren-Honda in 1988 to challenge Prost for the title.

Senna and Zico

By 1993, Senna was already a three-time world champion and a global icon. Ahead of that year’s Japanese Grand Prix, he arrived early in Japan for a special TV appearance: an interview with soccer legend Zico on Fuji TV, the network that held the race broadcast rights.

The program brought together two of Brazil’s greatest sporting heroes, both beloved in Japan. While Senna was dominating F1, Zico was starring for Kashima Antlers and playing a pivotal role in the professionalization of Japanese soccer.

Senna driving Honda NSX

For fans of speed and style, one of the most iconic Senna moments in Japan came in 1991, when he tested the newly developed Honda NSX at Suzuka. Senna had been closely involved in the car’s development — and the video of him pushing the NSX to its limits, wearing loafers and executing perfect heel-and-toe shifts, later went viral and remains legendary among gearheads.

A helmet tribute to Japan

In 1992, with news that Honda would end its F1 partnership with McLaren the following season, Senna chose to honor the Japanese fans in a deeply personal way — by painting the Japanese flag into the green stripe of his iconic yellow helmet, worn specially for the Japanese Grand Prix. It marked his final race at Suzuka with a Honda engine.

Victory No. 40 in Formula 1

Senna entered the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix as a celebrated three-time world champion, but he still had something to prove — and a desire to win again in Suzuka. Against all odds and amid tricky weather conditions, Senna secured his 40th career win (and his penultimate with McLaren), beating Prost in a thrilling wet-weather race. After the finish, Senna congratulated a young Rubens Barrichello, who had just scored his first points in Formula 1.

The day Senna drove a Kart… the wrong way

Senna’s popularity in Japan extended to entertainment. He participated in several comedic TV shows, and one of the most hilarious moments came when he drove a kart the wrong way around a circuit. In the segment, the Japanese production crew dressed him as a samurai and brought in two “opponents” — one impersonating Senna himself, and another mimicking Prost in a blue Williams suit.

Senna’s first trip to Japan

One of the lesser-known stories of Senna’s connection to Japan dates back to 1978, during his karting days. That year, he traveled to compete in the Japan Kart Grand Prix at the Sugo circuit in Miyagi, part of a racing complex operated by Yamaha. Senna finished fourth and returned home with his first-ever trophy won on Japanese soil — unknowingly beginning what would become a historic relationship with the country.