Senna Almost Joined Ferrari in '94. Jean Todt Now Clarifies Why He Didn't.
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When you think of Scuderia Ferrari, three names stand out: Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, and Ross Brawn. This legendary trio in Formula 1 broke what were thought to be unbreakable records and, more crucially, set a new benchmark for performance in F1. However, according to Todt, this trio could have looked quite different; it could have included Ayrton Senna.
In a recent interview on the High Performance YouTube channel, the former Ferrari chief and FIA president recounted a meeting with the Brazilian icon that could have significantly changed Scuderia Ferrari's trajectory, the sport itself, and sadly, even Senna’s own life.
“It was in Monza 1993; I remember he [Senna] came to my room at Villa d’Este,” Todt shared during the interview. “We were staying in the same hotel, and we spent part of the night discussing his potential move to Ferrari. He wanted to join, but he was interested in coming in 1994.”
If you are familiar with the timeline of Senna’s final year at McLaren, you know he was in an emotional and professional conflict regarding his future. Part of him sought to stay with McLaren, the team that helped shape the Senna legacy. Ron Dennis and Jo Ramirez tried hard to persuade him, but a team that was gradually losing its competitive edge and an unclear future was not part of Senna’s plans. His close friend, Prof. Sid Watkins, and his girlfriend (rumored fiancée) Adriane Galisteu, were also urging the three-time F1 champion to consider retirement or at least take a break.
While it has long been rumored that Senna aimed for Ferrari, this is, as far as I know, the first official account of his interactions with the team.
“In '94, we already had contracts with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, and I told him, ‘1994 won’t be feasible. Actually, we won’t be ready, and we have those [driver] contracts.’”
His reply was, “In Formula 1, contracts don’t matter.” I responded, “Yes, but for me, contracts do matter.”
From Todt’s perspective, it’s evident that Senna was eager to join Ferrari. Ferrari was also keen to have Senna, but they wanted him for the 1995 season. As Todt elaborated later in the interview, Ferrari was in a dire situation. The team hadn’t won anything in years, had an aging, mainly Italian staff that were pointing fingers at one another, and the team's struggles were consistently blamed on drivers who supposedly couldn’t “drive the car.”
If Todt could recruit Senna for 1995, he could stop the blame game. Tragically, despite Senna's ongoing negotiations and Ferrari's strong interest, they could not finalize the deal due to timing. Senna subsequently went to Williams, leading to the future events we are all familiar with.
“He wanted to join, but he wanted 1994,” he explained further. “Senna was keen on driving for Ferrari—I know they wanted him even before I joined, and there were contacts prior. But with me in charge of the F1 team, the discussions took place in September 1993 about him arriving in 1995, but he wanted to come in 1994.
“That’s the reason he moved to Williams. So, in 1994, Ferrari retained the same drivers, but we were in the process of rebuilding the team. In 1995, we were still rebuilding, and we recognized that 1996 would be the year to have [a star driver],” said Todt.
The remainder of the interview explores Todt's initial discussions with Schumacher and Willi Weber in 1995, culminating in a contract signing in Monaco after just 24 hours of negotiations. Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1997. While the beginning wasn’t without its challenges, the achievements of those three will forever represent one of the most dominant eras in not just F1, but in all competitive sports.
Jean Todt: The Mind Behind Ferrari and Schumacher’s Dominant Era
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Senna Was Close to Joining Ferrari in ’94, But Jean Todt Now Clarifies Why He Didn’t.
Ferrari's legendary trio of Schumacher, Todt, and Brawn might have included Senna instead. Here's the reason it didn't happen.
Senna Almost Joined Ferrari in '94. Jean Todt Now Clarifies Why He Didn't.
Ferrari's iconic trio of Schumacher, Todt, and Brawn could have included Senna instead. Here’s the reason it didn’t happen.