Special episode with Dax Shepard: F1 and the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death

Peter Attia

Apr 29, 2024

Episode description

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This is a special episode of The Drive with Peter’s friend and fellow car enthusiast Dax Shepard. In this podcast, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the death of Brazilian Formula One legend Ayrton Senna, Dax sits down with Peter to better understand what made Senna so special and why Peter remains an enormous fan. This conversation focuses on Senna’s life, the circumstances of his death, and his lasting impact and legacy on the sport of F1.

We discuss:

  • Peter’s interest in motorsports began as a child [2:30];

  • The drama and dangers of F1 [6:00];

  • What made Senna special [13:00];

  • What Senna meant to Brazilians [24:00];

  • The cause of the fatal crash [28:15];

  • Why Peter is obsessed with Senna [40:30];

  • Being the best versus having the best record [43:30];

  • Senna’s unique driving style and incredible intuition about automotive engineering [46:30];

  • Back to the day of the dreadful race [53:00];

  • What Peter believes caused the crash [1:02:45];

  • Views on dying young, in the prime of life [1:13:00];

  • Senna lives on in his foundation and in safety changes adopted by F1 [1:21:00];

  • Statistics aren’t enough for fandom, and why people like who they do [1:24:15];

  • The biggest difference between F1 today and F1 in the 80s [1:28:30];

  • Senna’s driving superpower [1:30:30];

  • The fastest drivers currently in F1 [1:38:30];

  • Current F1 obsessions [1:45:00];

  • How hard it is to do what the top F1 drivers do [1:50:15];

  • Dax’s love of motorcycles and his AMG E63 station wagon [1:52:15];

  • Awesome Senna mementos from Etsy [2:01:15];

  • What makes specialists interesting, and Max’s devotion to F1 [2:10:15];

  • What Senna might have done if he had not died that day [2:14:00];

  • Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen are also top F1 drivers [2:17:30];

  • Interlagos in Sao Paulo Brazil is always an incredible experience [2:18:45]; and

  • More.

Connect With Peter on TwitterInstagramFacebook and 

Episode description

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content

Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter

This is a special episode of The Drive with Peter’s friend and fellow car enthusiast Dax Shepard. In this podcast, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the death of Brazilian Formula One legend Ayrton Senna, Dax sits down with Peter to better understand what made Senna so special and why Peter remains an enormous fan. This conversation focuses on Senna’s life, the circumstances of his death, and his lasting impact and legacy on the sport of F1.

We discuss:

  • Peter’s interest in motorsports began as a child [2:30];

  • The drama and dangers of F1 [6:00];

  • What made Senna special [13:00];

  • What Senna meant to Brazilians [24:00];

  • The cause of the fatal crash [28:15];

  • Why Peter is obsessed with Senna [40:30];

  • Being the best versus having the best record [43:30];

  • Senna’s unique driving style and incredible intuition about automotive engineering [46:30];

  • Back to the day of the dreadful race [53:00];

  • What Peter believes caused the crash [1:02:45];

  • Views on dying young, in the prime of life [1:13:00];

  • Senna lives on in his foundation and in safety changes adopted by F1 [1:21:00];

  • Statistics aren’t enough for fandom, and why people like who they do [1:24:15];

  • The biggest difference between F1 today and F1 in the 80s [1:28:30];

  • Senna’s driving superpower [1:30:30];

  • The fastest drivers currently in F1 [1:38:30];

  • Current F1 obsessions [1:45:00];

  • How hard it is to do what the top F1 drivers do [1:50:15];

  • Dax’s love of motorcycles and his AMG E63 station wagon [1:52:15];

  • Awesome Senna mementos from Etsy [2:01:15];

  • What makes specialists interesting, and Max’s devotion to F1 [2:10:15];

  • What Senna might have done if he had not died that day [2:14:00];

  • Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen are also top F1 drivers [2:17:30];

  • Interlagos in Sao Paulo Brazil is always an incredible experience [2:18:45]; and

  • More.

Connect With Peter on TwitterInstagramFacebook and 

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reflect on Formula 1's deadly era to enhance safety measures

From the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, Formula 1 was a 'killing field' where an average of two to four drivers died every year.

Reevaluate Ayrton Senna's crash: cold tires over steering failure

Peter Attia believes Ayrton Senna's fatal crash was caused by a loss of rear grip from cold tires on a bumpy line, not the commonly accepted steering column failure.

Choose a life of rich experiences over mere longevity

A life full of heightened experiences, even if shorter, can be more desirable than a very long, uneventful existence.

Prioritize racing over relationships to maintain speed

Legendary carmaker Enzo Ferrari believed drivers lost lap time as they acquired a girlfriend, got married, and had a child.

Achieve impossible qualifying margins like Senna at Monaco

At the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna out-qualified his legendary teammate Alain Prost in the same car by an impossible margin of 1.47 seconds.

Master Senna's throttle technique for cornering speed

Ayrton Senna had a unique habit of stabbing the gas pedal when exiting corners, a technique that baffled engineers as he continued it even after turbo lag was no longer an issue.

Embrace obsessive dedication for peak performance

After winning a real F1 race, Max Verstappen immediately goes home to compete in online sim races, demonstrating an obsessive dedication to his craft.

Shift focus from driver to car in F1 performance dynamics

In the 1980s, F1 performance was about 50% driver and 50% car, but today the balance has shifted to roughly 80% car and 20% driver.

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