Birth of a legend: Ayrton Senna karts enter Mini GT world
Attention, Senna enthusiasts:
Today, on December 10th, Mini GT announced two really unique additions to the Senna Collection subline: Ayrton Senna Karts! In their social media post they finally officially presented two of the late champion’s go-karts, previously seen in prototype state about a month ago at the opening of Taipei pop-up store. This release marks one of the very few times that any go-karts made it into 1/64 scale, and Senna’s link to those two makes them even more special for collectors and racing fans alike. At the time of writing this article, both karts should be available for preorder at most major hobby retailers. As usual, both cars come in the box and blister variant, priced at €15.99 for the box and €16.99 for the carded variant. Both models have the estimated release date of May 2026.
1981 Formula K #9
The first model is a kart from one of Senna's last seasons in this category before he moved fully into single-seater racing. In 1981 he entered the CIK-FIA World championship with DAM in a simple go-kart built by italian company Formula K. Those machines were a far cry from the vehicles young drivers operate now. The itniest of wheels, zero aerodynamics and the absolute bare minimum of safety, 4stroke motors pushed young drivers to their limit. This season wasn’t particularly memorable for Ayrton, since he got penalized for lack of running and had to settle for fourth place (in the standings). In addition, this year he got his first taste of open wheelers, running and winning in British Formula Ford category with the Van Diemen team, so we can imagine that karts weren’t his priority anymore.
Judging by the photos we have, the model itself is incredibly detailed, especially for its size. Minute details, such as tyre lettering and engine are well replicated. The figurine also looks good, details on the racing suit and overall proportions are well captured.
1993 Formula K #2 Masters of Paris-Bercy
Even if Senna’s last season in karts was in 1982, this doesn’t mean he never raced them again. In 1993, he got to race in an invitational charity event organized by Formula One driver Phillippe Streif. The event was called Masters of Paris-Bercy, an all-stars race organized on a temporary track and run by the FFSA. Every evening, from December 18th to December 19th , there was a relay race between teams of three: a Formula 1 driver, a racer from a different motorsport category and a young kart driver. Interestingly, this was the last time Senna and Prost would race head to head. Senna finished third in the event.
The model has an impressive amount of detail for its size. Everything from the sponsor logos on the kart and the driver to the engine and the skeleton of the vehicle looks good. However, I have some concerns about the driver’s model. The transition between the body and arms is far from seamless and quite noticeable in the photos. However, an even bigger issue seems to be the head section. While the helmet is well replicated, its just too small. The neck is somehow even worse, being way too long for the scale as is clearly visible in the side photo of the model.
That being said, we must stress that the models shown in the pictures are preproduction samples and therefore subject to change, so we’ll have to see what the final product looks like. What do you think about the models? What are your thoughts about the Senna Collection? Let us know down below!
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