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Infographic reconstructs Senna's miracle drive at Donington

Detractors will tell you every Formula One race is the same: a bunch of overpaid, glorified cab drivers posing as athletes sit in cars that have nothing to do with the ones we see and drive on the road and proceed to drive around in circles. Of course racing fans know different. We know that no two grands prix are the same. But even then, some stand out more than others. Take the 1993 European Grand Prix, for example. It was the only time an F1 race was ever held at Donington Park, and on April 14 it was pouring. Ayrton Senna had already won his three world championships and was now in his sixth season with McLaren. He qualified fourth, behind Alain Prost and Damon Hill for Williams and Michael Schumacher for Benetton. But once the race got underway, all bets were off. Off the line he was passed by Karl Wendlinger in the Sauber, but then proceeded to pass Schumacher, retake Wendlinger, overtake Hill for second and take the lead from his arch-rival (and former team-mate) Prost, all on the first lap. It was a command performance in the wettest of weather that saw Senna finish nearly a full lap ahead of Damon Hill in second, and will go down in history as one of the most breathtaking opening laps in racing history – and serves as a fitting remembrance today, the 20th anniversary of Senna's death. McLaren has it all broken down in the tidy infographic below. Source: McLaren.com News Source: McLaren Motorsports McLaren F1 infographic ayrton senna european grand prix donington

McLaren reveals that its next Ultimate Series car is indeed a roadster

It turns out the rumor was true, the next McLaren Ultimate Series car, which is the group of cars including the Senna, Speedtail and P1, will be a roadster. The company revealed the preview rendering above, though it hasn't announced a name. Of course one of the most distinctive parts of the car is the complete lack of both a roof and a windshield. The styling is clearly McLaren with small headlights and a highly curvaceous body. Thankfully, the design looks closer to the Speedtail and GT than the over-styled Senna. Part of what will make this car worthy of the Ultimate Series moniker is the claim that this will be the lightest McLaren road car to date. For reference, the Senna is one of the lightest cars in the McLaren lineup right now at just under 2,900 pounds. On the topic of the Senna, the new roadster will use "the same twin-turbo V8 engine." So it likely will make the same 789 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque as that supercar. McLaren says the goal of this car is to provide the most involved, connected drive of its top-tier supercars. McLaren will reveal more details and photos of the car at its official debut sometime in 2020. It should finally have a name then, too. Prospective buyers will want to act quickly, as only 399 examples of the car will be built.

McLaren wants you to drift your 720S

The next generation of McLaren's Super Series is nearly at hand, and today the British purveyor of speed released a camouflaged car shown during testing. While this is a bit anticlimactic – we saw the car last week in this Instagram leak – the image does show off the 720S (its expected name) in action with a trail of smoke. That's critical. The chassis will have a new feature called Variable Drift Control, which lets you modulate the electronic stability control by swiping your finger across the infotainment system. We can't wait to try that. The system is part of McLaren's Proactive Chassis II, which has 12 more sensors than the chassis in McLaren's current Super Series that's anchored by the 650S. The system is able to read inputs and gauge tire patch, allowing it to adjust suspension damping to adapt to driving conditions. Naturally, McLaren says this improves cornering, handling, grip, and comfort. The 720S will be able to drive in Comfort, Sport, or Track chassis settings. "Proactive Chassis Control II generates a significant amount of additional grip, but not at the expense of the balance and feel of the car," Mark Vinnels, McLaren Automotive executive director of product development, said in a statement. The 720S, which uses the codename P14, will be revealed in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Related Video: