Two exceptional handwritten letters from Ayrton Senna and dozens of unpublished photographs of the future Formula 1 icon.

Two friends passionate about karting, Ayrton and Antonio.

Ayrton Senna and Antonio were friends in karting and were almost the same age. Antonio, also Brazilian, worked as a journalist for a Brazilian automotive magazine ( Autoesporte ). When Ayrton went to Europe, he sent these two letters to Antonio so that he could write detailed and exclusive articles for Autoesporte . It is not known for sure whether these articles were ever written or published.

The two friends met several times in 1979, including in Bolivia, where Antonio took these color and black and white photographs of Senna.

After Antonio's sudden death in 1982, his sister Glaucia kept these letters . Forty years have passed, and she has decided to pass on this collection.

Ayrton Senna used to say that karting taught him everything he needed for Formula 1.

In 1979, the Champions Cup took place from June 1st to 3rd at the Jesolo circuit in Italy, shortly before the Karting World Championship in Estoril, Portugal. This event was crucial for drivers and teams, including Ayrton Senna, a promising young talent affiliated with DAP, who was testing liquid-cooled engines, a revolutionary innovation.

Despite mixed results due to technical problems, this competition strengthened his resilience under the pressure of major races. Between Milan, the headquarters of DAP, Montreux, a resting place, and Jesolo, where preparations took place, Senna honed his skills and consolidated his presence in European karting.

In these two letters, Ayrton Senna illustrated something he always emphasized: that karting taught him everything he needed for Formula 1. He even stated:

“I started karting, and I love karting. It’s the most exciting sport in the world. More than F1. Actually, I liked it more.”

Handwritten letter signed by Ayrton Senna, dated May 14, 1979, 13 pages (Montreux)

Written in Switzerland, this letter details the extensive testing of a revolutionary liquid-cooled engine for its time. Ayrton provides an in-depth description of the engine's technical advantages, especially its ability to maintain a low operating temperature, which improves performance and reliability.

These tests took place at the Jesolo circuit in Italy, with the presence of Terry Fullerton, former world karting champion , and technicians from DAP, the brand with which Senna was collaborating.

This letter highlights Senna's meticulous and technical approach as he compares various engines and configurations to optimize his performance in preparation for the Champions Cup in June 1979. Furthermore, he included two incredible technical drawings to better explain his work to Antonio.

Some excerpts from Ayrton Senna's first letter.

“Two liquid-cooled engines were tested. They proved fantastic, as they were half a second faster than the same model with normal cooling. […] This innovation will revolutionize the world of karting.”

“A very delicate operation is required on the rear of the piston […] To better understand, it is necessary to grind down (using a special device) a significant part of the piston, from the pin holes backwards.” (Accompanied by technical sketches)

“Next to me were one of the DAP directors […] and Terry Fullerton. […] He is my current teammate, as he will be competing with DAP chassis and engines in 1979.”

"The debut is scheduled for May 20th, in an international race on the same circuit where the Champions Cup will take place on June 3rd."

“The components of a liquid-cooled engine differ from a standard model in only three items: cylinder head, cylinder, and piston. […] This makes converting a standard model to a liquid-cooled model easier.”

Handwritten letter signed by Ayrton Senna, dated June 11, 1979, 12 pages (Milan)

Written after the Champions Cup, this letter recounts a challenging experience during a major competition on the Jesolo circuit.

Senna details the difficulties he faced : mechanical problems (a faulty carburetor, a cracked chassis), incidents during the race, and tensions over regulations related to liquid-cooled engines.

Despite these obstacles, he demonstrates resilience and an ability to analyze each situation in order to improve . This strengthened his mechanical understanding and his ability to collaborate with engineers—skills that would prove essential to his success in Formula 1.

The letter also mentions another race , the Swiss Grand Prix, where he demonstrated his perseverance by winning a heat, even under adverse weather conditions and intense competition.

Some excerpts from Ayrton Senna's second letter.

"Regarding the Jesolo race (June 1st, 2nd and 3rd), I can say that it was one of the worst I've ever participated in."

“After the qualifying session, a crack appeared in the chassis tube, causing a slight vibration, which in turn affected the carburetor's performance. […] We welded the chassis.”

“The race had 15 laps. I started studying the driver who was in 1st place, Busslinger, while simultaneously simulating overtaking attempts at points where I had no real intention of passing. […] This gave me an excellent opportunity to overtake him.”

"Despite the setbacks, I managed to maintain 1st position, winning the final race, which put me in 2nd place in the overall results for the day."

“We started training on Wednesday of race week […] The chassis I was using was proving to be excellent (a new model), as were the engines, which were performing very well.”

Impressive personal photographs

This collection includes 25 rare photographs , 24 of which are of Ayrton Senna on karting circuits. It consists of two albums of color photos (12.3 cm × 9 cm) and four black and white photographs (24 cm × 19 cm).

These photographs were probably taken by Antonio, a close friend of Ayrton Senna, during the Pan-American Karting Championship in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1979.

Overview of 25 photographs of Ayrton Senna

A unique collection of Senna's letters.

Besides some personal items —often difficult to authenticate—it is primarily his autographs that collectors worldwide seek. Ayrton Senna wrote very few letters ; only two or three are known, in addition to those preserved by his family in Brazil, which will never be sold. None of them, however, are as long and detailed as these.

This collection brings together 25 extraordinary pages that immerse us in Senna's thoughts and reflections, revealing his obsession with race strategy and technical mastery, illustrated by truly remarkable mechanical sketches .

The year 1979 was of great importance. Since the age of 13, Ayrton Senna had already excelled in karting, becoming South American champion in 1977. In 1978, he joined the DAP team in Europe, where he competed against renowned drivers such as Terry Fullerton, whom he considered his most challenging rival . World runner-up in 1979 and 1980, Senna stood out for his precision, strategy, and technical skill. These formative years were essential in shaping his resilience and competitive spirit, laying the foundations for the legend he would become in Formula 1.

This item is brought to you by the Glórias collection, specialists in rare autograph documents . We evaluate, buy, and sell letters, manuscripts, books with dedications or drawings by great historical figures. Click here to learn more.