Two exceptional handwritten letters from Ayrton Senna and 25 unpublished photographs of the future Formula 1 icon.

Two friends passionate about karting: Ayrton and Antonio.

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

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

After Antonio’s sudden death in 1982, his sister Glaucia kept these letters. Forty years later, she decided to pass the collection on.

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

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

Despite mixed results caused by technical problems, this competition strengthened his resilience under the pressure of major races. Between Milan, home of DAP, Montreux, where he rested, and Jesolo, where preparations took place, Senna honed his skills and established himself in European karting.

In these two letters, Ayrton Senna illustrates something he always emphasised: that karting taught him everything he needed for Formula 1. He even said:

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

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

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

The tests took place at the Jesolo circuit in Italy, in the presence of Terry Fullerton, former world karting champion, and technicians from DAP, the brand Senna was driving for.

This letter highlights Senna’s meticulous, technical approach as he compares engines and set-ups to optimise his performance ahead of the Champions Cup in June 1979. He also included two remarkable technical drawings to explain his work to Antonio.

Excerpts from Ayrton Senna’s first letter

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

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

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

“The debut is scheduled for 20 May, in an international race on the same circuit where the Champions Cup will be held on 3 June.”

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

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

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

Senna details the problems he faced: mechanical failures (a faulty carburettor, a cracked chassis), incidents during the race, and disputes over the rules on liquid-cooled engines.

Despite these obstacles, he shows resilience and an ability to analyse each situation in order to improve, building the mechanical understanding and the ability to work with engineers that would prove essential to his success in Formula 1.

The letter also mentions another race, the Swiss Grand Prix, where he showed his perseverance by winning a heat despite bad weather and fierce competition.

Excerpts from Ayrton Senna’s second letter

“As for the Jesolo race (1, 2 and 3 June), I can say it was one of the worst I have ever taken part in.”

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

“The race was 15 laps. I started studying the leader, Busslinger, while faking 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 hold 1st place and win the final, which put me 2nd overall for the day.”

“We started practising on the Wednesday of race week […] The chassis I was using was proving excellent (a new model), and so were the engines, which were running very well.”

Remarkable personal photographs

The collection includes 25 rare photographs, 24 of them showing Ayrton Senna on karting circuits: two albums of colour 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 the 25 photographs of Ayrton Senna

A unique set of Senna letters

Apart from some personal items, which are often difficult to authenticate, it is above all his autographs that collectors worldwide seek. Ayrton Senna wrote very few letters: only two or three are known, besides those kept by his family in Brazil, which will never be sold. None of them, however, is as long and detailed as these.

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

1979 was a pivotal year. Racing karts from the age of 13, Ayrton Senna was already excelling, becoming South American champion in 1977. In 1978 he joined the DAP team in Europe, where he raced against top drivers such as Terry Fullerton, whom he considered his toughest rival. World runner-up in 1979 and 1980, Senna stood out for his precision, strategy and technical skill. These formative years shaped his resilience and competitive spirit, laying the foundations of the legend he would become in Formula 1.

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