Kanaan Drives Senna's 1991 McLaren MP4/6 World Champion

Tony Kanaan got to drive his hero Ayrton Senna's world championship-winning 1991 McLaren MP4/6 at Sonoma Raceway during the 2023 edition of the Velocity Invitational vintage event and shared his thoughts about the run with RACER's Marshall Pruett after using all of the 3.5-liter V12 Honda engine.
#mclaren #velocityinvitational ##mclaren #f1 #senna #tonykanaan #sonomaraceway #mp46

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Tony’s childhood dream becomes a reality. Driving his hero’s car. You love to see it!

[@amjan]

Watch the previous video. He actually new Ayrton, who helped him in his career.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@amjan ooo I do remember that! Little Tony met Ayrton :)

[@conrado800]

@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YTnot only that he beat Ayrton in a kart race. Years later Ayrton helped Tony’s career. Tony tells this story on many Brazilian podcasts. Senna came up to Tony’s team principal at the time and said “that kid is better than me. You should keep him around”.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@conrado800 damn, now that’s the part of the story I honestly never knew. I knew Tony and Ayrton had an interaction. But that’s incredible!

[@jmathijsk]

The sheer violence of that V12 is such a treat, damn race cars were cool back then! ❤

[@gsprings43]

They seemed so raw and untamed compared to today's cars

[@S0RELOSER]

So crazy that they’re not worried about the car being destroyed.

[@ivanjulian2532]

How can anyone refer to a V12 as violent? What a bizarre description.

[@abiesdewet6910]

Bring Back V10's.....

[@jmathijsk]

@@ivanjulian2532 the power output, noise, movement of the car. It is a lot more physical than the current cars.

[@shelleyking8450]

Tony wasnt messing around, that thing is MONSTROUSLY fast. So sweet to hear that car running at full song again, what a treat.

[@aaaaachew]

Fuck me! This is better than any F1 race I have seen this year.

[@mohamedalkaboom]

Formula One doesn’t exist anymore

[@fleemos]

The sound of these old cars will always hit the spot in a way the new cars will never.

[@theowninggod442]

Y además quieren hacerlos 50% eléctricos 😢

[@eddieconroy212]

Gerhard Berger was Senna’s teammate when that car was raced. He did all the winter testing and development work while Senna had 3 months off. At the first test back Senna immediately destroyed Berger’s best time and went on to out quality and race him all season. Berger was no slouch, he just couldn’t believe how quick Senna was.

[@jstoli996c4s]

Berger was naturally talented and very fast in his early F1 years, but was never quite the same after his nasty 1989 Imola crash. Plus let's face it, only a handful of drivers in F1 history are at Senna's superhuman level.

[@aydankhaliq2967]

​@@jstoli996c4seven after his Imola crash, he could still beat Mansell and even outqualified Senna few times when they were teammates.

[@jstoli996c4s]

@@aydankhaliq2967 for sure Berger was still quick, especially at Hockenheim, he scored Benetton’s last win there in 1997, the year he retired.

[@mkay1957]

When Senna's car was set up right for a track, nobody could believe how quick he was.

[@rolson6775]

That's not true, he was a tremendous slouch.

[@JH-jo9wt]

730hp 13,500rpm 3500cc V12 6-Speed H-Pattern 575kgs (1260lbs) Perfection

[@Kbsudao]

no paddle shift btw

[@mark4lev]

I don’t think the full rpm is available to him. But I’m not sure. I saw this car at donnington last year sounded good.

[@nathanpeabody4388]

Proper machine

[@dominicbritt]

@@mark4levhe’s definitely short shifting or restricted…

[@skull1161]

@@dominicbritt idk about that, the lower gears always sound like they are cut off early but thats just how the gears on this car usually were set up, find a video of it in 1991 and it does the same

[@TonyKanaan]

Thank you so much my friend.

[@pimvcollem]

Zak Brown made it possible for Tony to drive his Dreamcar. Zak is a fantastic entrepreneur and great Teamboss for McLaren . Respect man.

[@RaptorV1USA]

100%x10

[@washingtonquadros6815]

@@RaptorV1USA 100%x10=10

[@danielwey]

This is how an F1 car should sound! Amazing! I was in Interlagos there when Ayrton won in Brazil in 1991. Best race ever.

[@akula444]

As an F1 fan of over 35 years this is my all time favourite car

[@TheCiscokiddie]

Yes! To me, this car is F1.

[@matthewdrew9370]

My favourite too. It had character. Wasn't the best car in 91, still had manual shift and the V12 engine sounded amazing with flames licking out the back. How I wish the camera technology was this good when Ayrton was driving it......

[@RickBaumhauer]

I can't give this enough thumbs up - simply fantastic to watch Tony have this experience. That's also my favorite car of all time, from my favorite F1 season of all time. Aerodynamics had been important in F1 for over two decades, but this was the last F1 car to take a relatively simple aero package and a relative lack of electronic "gizmos" to the World Championship. They put a big, high-revving lump in it, handed it to the best driver in the world to fight a desperate battle against the onslaught of time and progress, and came out on top. It was perhaps the last F1 car that really felt like an angry, alive thing - holding gears a moment too long because you physically can't shift at the ideal time, no electronics taming the roughest edges.

[@sullybiker6520]

I know Senna didn't love the engine at first, and put a lot of effort into making it drivable to his liking. Honda had ultimately take the wrong direction, but for one sweet year it gave us these memories.

[@amjan]

You will only understand how grand this experience was for Tony once you learn the story of how Tony Kaanan was supported by Ayrton Senna when he was a little boy racing gokarts.

[@marcoantoniosantosvieira5542]

What a sound!!!

[@jrrs8692]

Those gear shifts are so fucking satisfying, you can just hear how raw and mechanical they are.

[@phillipev]

Gotta love this piercing V12 sound

[@flatfourwgn]

I just had flashbacks to my childhood... the sound of that V12 that makes your hair stand, Senna's absolute commitment (those absolutely manic on-boards from Suzuka and Monaco). To know what he meant to Brazil, just watch his funeral. To know what he meant to the rest of world, there were many many more kids than Lewis or myself bawling their eyes out when his death was announced. To see Tony, with his relationship with Senna, experience this... ooof. The tears are flowing again.

[@brunopfeiffer9959]

True, I was also one of the children crying over his death.

[@MurraydeLues]

TK certainly wasn't holding back. Those laps will be endlessly replayed in his head forever. What a thrill to watch.

[@benni5941]

I've watched a lot of these type historic F1 drives over the years, I don't think I've ever seen one of them where the driver was pushing the car as hard as this. Mad respect to Tony, and congratulations on making your kid self so jealous.

[@edsonpereira2044]

É verdade apesar de ter visto no vídeo,o Tony mandou muito bem, ele não teve medo, super alta confiança, talvez eu tivesse um pouco de medo acho que é por eu não ser piloto, sendo eu com certeza eu iria andar muito mais lento, ia pensar se derrepente e bater e danificar essa jóia. .😂, mas parabéns ao Tony tava com cara de uma classificação pra valer ❤

[@nicolasoliveira4903]

​@@edsonpereira2044Tony mandou bem. Mas o Chefe é chefe. Da uma olhada em algum onboard do Senna, bicho era bruto demais.

[@chrisroot7182]

Yup, I agree! He was pushing and it was great to watch!

[@JallyTee]

Tony was really holding back his emotions, I'm getting emotional just watching him find words to justify how much it means to him. Man that car sounds incredible!

[@antoninorodrigues3902]

Senna vive!! Tony Kanaan pupilo eterno do chefe!

[@ciello___8307]

Honda v12! Amazing. In Sennas car too!

[@DJSmith575]

It’s so good to see a historic car in the hands of a skilled champion giving no quarter. His feedback got me choked up. 🇧🇷🏁

[@bigcus8176]

As a huge Senna fan, I was in tears watching this. Just the memories of this view and sound. It’s just awesome to see how much it means to Tony. Great that it happens to such a great guy.

[@patrickr4762]

As a fellow massive Senna fan, I agree and approve. 👍 Brings me joy how much he has brought to the world, to Brazil, to his fans, to F1 even after almost 30 years he has passed.

[@RaptorV1USA]

Right there with you.. brings back a shit ton of memory and feels for TK to experience this.

[@TheUsmc0802]

Kanaan having lived through the era of 1000hp CART beasts looks right at home man handling the McLaren with one hand while working the gears. That kind of drama and excitement is what's missing from today's racing.

[@matixok1167]

Goosebumps throughout the whole video. Just raw power, pure mechanical insanity.

[@F-Man]

More engaging than the last 10 years at least of Formula 1. Thank you so much for this amazing bit of history!

[@SpicyReplays]

spot on

[@nostrilnick]

I don't watch F1 any longer but, I wish the cars still sounded like this. The V12 era was so special.

[@mohamedalkaboom]

Not just sound, the cars today don’t resemble anything close to sexy as these cars are

[@aarongreen121]

Now THAT is what an F1 car should sound like ♥️

[@drewpierce2273]

Almost sitting in the cockpit is an awesome view. And hearing all the shifts, just great. Just great.

[@andyhamilton8940]

No HANS, no halo, no wimpy chicanes, no electric hybrids, pure power!

[@mohamedalkaboom]

Real Formula One

[@eduardoholanda9356]

Even modern cameras can't stabilize the image. The beast was a real brute. It was hard to hold back the tears. Congratulations, Tony.

[@WilliamMDI]

Tony Kanaan, Mclaren mp4/6; Honda V12; Sonoma Raceway ... I dreamed a dream

[@socalfun64]

Who doesn’t Love Tony Kannan! Followed him for so many years. Great career and life accomplishments! I hope he’s fully satisfied and happy!

[@flyingphoenix113]

It's a shame F1 never visited Sonoma in the 60s through the 90s. This track would have met FIA standards for the times, and it would have been amazing to see F1 cars flying through Sonoma's incredible corners.

[@mkay1957]

Being from the East Bay, I would have loved to see F1 race at Sears Point or Laguna Seca. At least I got to see F1 at Long Beach a few times. Many of the newer tracks seem kind of sterile to me.

[@paulyC]

@@mkay1957 They have to be, for safety purposes. FIA Grade 1 circuits have to be held to very strict requirements for length, width, elevation change, corner radii etc.

[@mkay1957]

@@paulyC I know all of that. But older tracks like Monza and Spa have character. I don't think any of the newer tracks do.

[@harrow2355]

So privileged i seen Senna in this same Mclaren along with some of the most competitive racers,the roar of these engines never leave my past experiences.

[@dkz00]

the magic here is all these AV equipment, with 30 years+ of technological evolution giving the same sound output we had back then. meaning that engine is a BEAST!! and only MEN are able to drive it.

[@ncjay08]

Now that is what a race car should sound like. Awesome!

[@rugonia]

É impossivel de descrever a minha admiração por Senna. Mesmo com a lenda tendo nos deixado antes mesmo de eu nascer é capaz conquistar e criar sentimentos de orgulho e admiração da mesma forma que fez enquanto vivo. Senna vive e viverá pela eternindade em nossos corações. O GOAT!

[@vitorsoares311]

Eu sou de 1991 e ainda lembro de "flashes" da vitória dele em Interlagos-1993. Admiração total pela vida e carreira do nosso Senna! 🟨🟩

[@markantinore6418]

One word…EPIC!

[@Honey-badger952]

Kudos to Kanaan driving that beast properly

[@richardwest8753]

I love Zak Brown I have been a Mclaren fan since watching Senna in the 80s my team is in great hands with him at the wheel. He gets it he knows that McLaren are very special

[@reinaldot.y.2720]

WTG Tony! Nothing better than a V12 screaming on track. Plus it's Senna's car.

[@alexbelmonte4581]

Absolutely beautiful to hear the MP4/6 “brap brap brp brp” in the middle of some of those corners once again.

[@mwalker3547]

Awesome V-12 sound driven by awesome TK.

[@artysanmobile]

He sounds close to tears. Beautiful.

[@aarondavies5363]

The GREATEST F1 DRIVER SENNA ❤️❤️❤️❤️what a car when f1 was GREAT 👏👏👏👍👍

[@duaneharnes]

That was glorious!

[@RomNYC]

What a beast of a race car. Add Ayrton's downshifts to this, pure magic!

[@gilles6102]

This video brings tears to my eyes every time.

[@morganlimaalves9200]

Cara ... Depois do Senna você foi o cara pra quem mais torci... Parabéns pela sua humildade. Você merece isso e muito mais. Obrigado por compartilhar com a gente esse momento ímpar. Obrigado campeão por pilotar o carro do campeão.

[@RafaLabate]

Tony & Senna. ❤

[@65thebluehawk]

This was without doubt the best year in F1. And I been watching since 1980.

[@asmitne78]

It's music!!! Amazing sound of the amazing car!!!!

[@aaronwong5462]

Best F1 lap I've seen this year

[@andyhamilton8940]

Love the crowd on the bridge watching!

[@macdonmt]

Even just the sound of going up through the gears is incredible. What a special day.

[@Marine450x]

I've always appreciated TK. Thank you thank you for having the man jewels to drive this race car they way it deserves, and for Racer posting this for we genuine fans.

[@therealturbofanisme]

The glorious violence this thing produces is astonishing. Bravo.

[@marvingrinage5423]

A real champion yourself Kanaan! You were selected not just because as 1 of Senna' s Countrymen who had a successful racing career. But you also have carried yourself, had a true appreciation for him in the racing world. Thank you for helping to give us true fans of Senna a glimpse of what he experienced in the 1991 Mclaren. And the enormous stress, limits and pressure he endured during those years. Alot of the tracks they raced on were very demanding to say the least. And lets remember, thier cars had less driver aides than in 2024/ todays modern era.😊😊😊.

[@SandeepKRam]

Vicious. Mental. He definitely is not hanging around.

[@odlein]

My God. The violence of it. That is all of hell's fury bottled up and divided by 12 under the cowl.

[@robsmith3628]

Greatest video I've seen in a long time!

[@TheBusGuru-kn1dt]

AMAZING!! Thank you TK for pushing that car pretty damn hard, which is how it is meant to be driven ! AND thank you Marshall for taking us along on this most amazing event!

[@HortaRacing]

Seeing TK happy brings a smile to everyone 😍

[@_JimS]

I can't think of a more deserved racer to drive this beast.

[@packer492]

Man this video is gold

[@leandronepomuceno9614]

Amazing Tony and McLean

[@hwilmore]

Incredible sound!

[@KalmBliem]

Amazing! I got goosebumps from that engine sound.

[@frankkottwitz6279]

The sound so pure so beautiful

[@KenNakajima07]

I cannot help but feel extremely happy for Tony. We can appreciate and love Ayrton but never in the way Brazilians do, specially those within motorsport, this is a unicorn of an opportunity and glad he could have it.

[@antonio.mineiro]

The sound... hufff! Amazing!

[@alonsolemos7113]

Como é bom ver e ouvir o McLaren 1991, esse ronco do Honda V12 é fantástico! Boa lembranças do tempo que assistia os treinos e corridas de Senna. Você brocou, Tony!

[@RicardoResende-os6qb]

Tony Kanaan guiando o carro que Ayrton Senna guiava, realmente um vídeo para guardar com muito carinho. Parabéns Tony, parabéns McLaren pela iniciativa. Show mil vezes Show.

[@F1Kamel_1992]

This is incredible!

[@leonardobecker6817]

Thank you for providing these moments to Brazilians. I can not stop crying 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@autusfl155]

As others have mentioned below, a huge thanks to this channel for sharing Tony's MP4/6 multiple laps and for bringing back all the emotions of our beloved Ayrton and what F1 really, truly means. It is just unreplaceable...! There were goosebumps all over the place watching this video!! Tears in our eyes is a very true statement. I cannot think heavens were not roaring inside that cockpit together with Tony!! Kudos for keeping the memory alive of our beloved Ayrton!! I think the only thing missing was Galvão Bueno narrating Tony's lap and the victory lap jingle playing in the background...! 🤣😆 God bless

[@GatchamanG4]

TK is one of the nicest people. So glad he was able to do this.❤🏁🏎

[@craigspencer2927]

Class act

[@viniciusdelima8192]

For those who don't know the history of Brazilians: Senna did a kart race in the 90s and Kanaan participated. He beat Senna on that occasion. There is a really cool story between the two.

[@Yacknocheesy]

This is what the fans really want to see, the new drivers pushing like this man did here! What an absolute pleasure to watch

[@quicknickdriver8510]

What a ride. Well driven

[@ehrenmann1546]

This Car🥶🥶

[@channelKJM]

This gave me goosebumps. Then the tears flowed. Beautiful story thank you for sharing this with the world.

[@leandrolaurenti6530]

V12 sound ❤ Senna forever

[@stephengamble9388]

Fabulous to see it being driven hard, with modern cameras. Sound up full, brilliant short video.

[@TheAOliv]

It gave me chills! Thank you for the video, TK is a great pilot, and it is the honor of a lifetime to drive that car, that belonged to the GOAT! SENNA FOREVER!

[@neoanderson7]

Tony has always been a cool cat. To be able to experience Sennas F1 though…. Wow! Well done McLaren for running the vehicle as it was meant to be. Tony wasn’t holding back either. She was moving! 👏🏻👍🏻

[@Blackadder512]

When Kanaan puts the pedal to the metal for the first time after flicking that corner. That V12 sound, like a scream by Senna and the whole Brazilian nation. Awesome. And also: kudos for Tony not holding back in such a treasure of a car.

[@shredhead4604]

Too cool TK too cool indeed my brother. Happy for you!💪🏎️🏁🇺🇸🇧🇷

[@ricfreitas10]

Caral….. você pilotou sem mimi, foi animal ouvir o motor gritando! Muito obrigado por trazer as memórias de volta! Memórias do chefe correndo com esse carro! Animal! Parabéns Tony

[@hisaharusuzuki5424]

The sound bought a lot of memories flooding back. Absolutely gorgeous.

[@guifre1989]

man and machine, nothing more is needed

[@GTodd-o2q]

sweet exhaust note

[@RabihSaadguitars]

I had goosebumps all over and i think i went myself. ...

[@felipechimenti]

Animal, Tony! Awesome!

[@ArthurVillaca1]

Congratulation and thanks. From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...

[@andradejurk]

Its a honnor to drive this car that belongs to the legendary Ayrton! Senna was citizen of the word. Regards from Brazil.

[@natebutontheinternet]

This has always been my favorite F1 car. Tony is a very lucky but definitely deserving dude

[@wolvnut]

Hear the rev reach the max rotation, is so nostalgic who give goosebumps and water in my eyes...

[@alohaeddie]

The sound of power!! Damn!!!