THE EXCITEMENT ACCELERATES IN TORONTO!
Iconic Driver Ayrton Senna’s 1987 Lotus 99T
on display at The Formula 1® Exhibition
A legendary race car with a deep Toronto connection, driven by one of the world’s most iconic drivers, is the latest addition to the all-new Formula 1® Exhibition opening May 3rd at Lighthouse ArtsSpace Toronto, 1 Yonge St. A 1987 Lotus 99T driven by Ayrton Senna will be on display in Toronto, allowing fans to get up close to race car history.
The Type 99T celebrates the incredible racing career of one of the all time F1® greats: Brazil’s Ayrton Senna. The three-time World Champion, and Formula 1® legend spent three seasons with Team Lotus where he claimed his first race victories. In his final and best performing year with Lotus, Senna drove a 99T to eight podiums, including back-to-back wins at Monaco and Detroit. This victory at Monaco was Senna’s first at the track which would go on to become his most successful career circuit.
A much admired hero both on and off the track, Senna was recognized for his unique driving style and passion for the sport. In a career cut short, he yielded 41 Grand Prix™victories and set 65 pole positions, a record he held until it was broken in 2006 by Michael Shumacher.
Formula 1® fans will recall 1987 as a pivotal year for both Senna and the Lotus F1® team. Team Lotus joined forces with Honda, and working with designer Gerard Ducarouge created the 99T, recognized for its revolutionary Lotus Active Suspension, as well as one of the fastest cars on the F1® circuit, especially with Senna at the wheel.
Piloted by Ayrton Senna, the 1987 Lotus 99T race cars marked the final victories and podium finishes for Lotus in Formula 1® during the 1987 season. This marked the end of an extraordinary era for the Lotus racing legacy.
On loan from its owner, the Lotus 99T has deep Toronto ties. In 2016, the car was purchased by Toronto’s William Halkiw whose son discovered the gem for sale. A top secret deal was made; the car was purchased from an anonymous vendor in Chicago where it was found stored in a garage covered in bedsheets in pristine condition. Senna had last driven the race car 29 years earlier in Austria at the end of the 1987 F1® season. That season saw Senna drive this car to a third-place finish in the German Grand Prix. An original log book containing detailed records of the 99T car’s activity revealed 3194.1 miles were driven in total: Ayrton Senna logged 2929.9 of them.
The 1987 Lotus 99T will be showcased in the first of six specially designed rooms in the exhibition, Once Upon a Time in Formula 1®. The room also features the iconic 1962 BRM P578, the car in which Graham Hill secured his first World Drivers’ Championship, and the 1955 Lancia D50, a lovingly reconstructed example of the famed cars that delivered wins for the likes of Alberto Ascari, both on loan from Revs Institute.
“We are beyond delighted to announce that the F1 Exhibition in Toronto will showcase the famed yellow car: Ayrton Senna’s historic 1987 Lotus 99T,” said Jonathan Linden, Producer of The Formula 1® Exhibition. “This remarkable F1 race car promises to captivate audiences during our North American debut, serving as a tribute to the legacy of a man whose brilliance as a driver and compelling personality left its mark on the sport forever.”
Clive Chapman, owner of Classic Team Lotus and son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, said: “Classic Team Lotus is delighted that The F1 Exhibition in Toronto is showing the important part Lotus has played in the history of Formula One. We are pleased to have a great association with the exhibition.”
Opening on May 3, 2024, North America’s first official Formula 1® Exhibition will run until early summer in Toronto at Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto, 1 Yonge STreet. Officially developed in association with Formula 1® and with unprecedented support from the motorsport community, the immersive show, spanning over 20,000 sq. ft., boasts a wide range of artifacts and contributions from the sport’s most legendary teams, experts, and personalities.
Produced in partnership with Round Room Live and Pathfinder Live, and delving far beyond what fans have ever seen before, the show uses bold, technology-led design features and large-scale interactive displays to lift the lid on the past, present and future of Formula 1®.
Tickets for The Formula 1® Exhibition Toronto presented by TSN are on sale and available at F1Exhibition.ca.
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