Skip to content

An unexpected meeting

McLaren RacingAn unexpected meeting

23 May 2016 12:35 (UTC)

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

Ayrton Senna and 'Barney' the van driver

An unexpected meeting  Sponsor

You all know about Ayrton Senna, right? But do you know the time he met Ian Barnard? Van driver ‘Barney’ was keen to join McLaren and late one night delivered his CV to the Woking factory.

Having negotiated past security he arrived at the main entrance to find no letterbox. But there was a man on the phone at reception. He waved to try and catch the man’s attention and was surprised when unmistakable features of Ayrton Senna looked up.

Years later Barney got the chance to ask Senna what he was doing that night at reception. He said he was using Ron’s phone to call Brazil…

Click here to explore more 50 Years Of F1 momentsarrow top right

Join the team

McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in F1 & esports.

Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary

McLaren RacingAyrton Senna's iconic qualifying lap in the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix will be forever remembered as one of the greatest laps in Formula 1 history.
McLaren RacingThe 1988 MP4/4 won 15 of 16 races and scored 199 points in the constructors’ championship, almost three times as much as runners-up Ferrari.
01/02