RESULT: Ayrton Senna named as McLaren’s greatest former driver by fans

Your votes mean that legendary three-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna has been crowned as McLaren’s greatest former driver, beating out his biggest rival, Alain Prost, in the final.

In celebration of our 1000th Grand Prix, we launched a month-long vote asking McLaren Racing Club members to choose their favourite driver of all time, starting with a shortlist of 16 of the most iconic names in McLaren history, selected and seeded by their number of wins for the team.

Of those, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Mika Häkkinen and Alain Prost progressed to the semi-finals, with Senna and Prost emerging as the finalists, reigniting their historic rivalry from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Widely regarded as Formula 1’s greatest rivalry, Senna and Prost captivated the motorsport world for six sensational seasons, winning a combined six World Championships for McLaren.

In the hotly anticipated final, the Papaya Family voted to crown Senna their champion.

Ayrton joined McLaren to huge excitement in 1988, having established himself as one of Formula 1’s brightest talents during spells with Toleman and Lotus. Lining up alongside Alain, who had won back-to-back World Championships with the team in 1985 and 1986, the pair embarked on a record-breaking season, winning 15 of 16 races between them, with Ayrton clinching the title by three points from his teammate.

Their rivalry intensified the following season, as Alain beat Ayrton to the title in a dramatic penultimate race at Suzuka. Ayrton reclaimed his crown with back-to-back Championships in 1990 and 1991 following the Frenchman's departure to Ferrari.

Responsible for many of Formula 1's most iconic moments, Senna was as entertaining as he was driven. His victories at Interlagos in 1991, at Donington Park in 1993, and at Suzuka in 1988 are among the finest in the sport's history, while his Pole lap at the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix is widely regarded as the greatest single lap in Formula 1 history.

2024 marked 30 years since Ayrton was tragically killed at Imola, and we honoured the Brazilian with a celebration of his life at the Monaco Grand Prix, the race where he shone brightest, including a special tribute livery. Learn more about Ayrton and that celebration here.

Thank you all for taking part!