At the beginning of February in Paris, RM Sotheby's will auction more than a hundred lots. Notably the suit worn by Ayrton Senna during the 1988 Formula 1 season, one of the most contested in the history of the discipline.
1988 resonates for Formula 1 fans as a season apart. The first act of the fantastic duel between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. At the time, the Brazilian driver had just joined McLaren with Alain Prost as his teammate. The Frenchman is then a double world champion and a reference in the industry. In 1988, McLaren will dominate the championship as rarely by winning 15 of the 16 Grand Prix on the calendar. A bit like what Red Bull did in 2023 by winning 21 of the 22 Grand Prix. Except that in 1988, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna engage in a fierce battle to win the title. This is what makes it a season apart.
Bought by a collector from a former engineer
This combination is therefore a piece of Brazilian driver legend. He wore this outfit all season. She had been acquired by a former Scuderia Ferrari engineerNigel Stepney, before changing hands and being offered at auction on February 4 and 5 by RM Sotheby's. Its price is estimated between €40,000 and €60,000. This Ayrton Senna suit is not the only one to be offered at auction. Two Michael Schumacher suits from his Scuderia Ferrari era are in the catalog: that of 2002 (between €30,000 and €50,000) and that of 2003 (estimated between €30,000 and €50,000). Still regarding the world of Formula 1, RM Sotheby's will offer the Williams driven by Jacques Villeneuve during the 1998 season as well as the 2013 Lotus driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Frenchman Romain Grosjean. The first is estimated between €200,000 and €300,000. Count between €350,000 and €450,000 for the second.
Credit photo: Paolo Carlini – RM Sotheby's.
