OVERVIEW
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SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF MOTOR RACING HISTORY
Car is signed by Bruno Senna
Driven by Ayrton Senna
Thruxton: Pole Position / Fastest Lap / Finished First
Also driven by Gerhard Berger and Enrique Mansilla
Fuel Injected Strait-4 Toyota Engine / 165 H.P.
RWD Hewland 5-Speed Manual Transmission
Weighs a Mere 1,003 lbs / 455 kilo
Racing Achievements:
1982 Thruxton Championship:
Ayrton Senna turned up at Thruxton not only having never seen or been to Thruxton, but also had never before raced a Formula 3 car. In an incredible stamp of racing history and the beginning of a legendary career he put RT3 #291 on pole, won the race and claimed fastest lap. He beat 1982 F3 champion Tommy Byrne that day.
1982 British F3 Championship:
Finished 2nd overall in the championship driven by Enrique Mansilla.
Several rounds with top positions, including first-place finishes at Mallory Park, Oulton Park, and Snetterton
1983 European F3 Championship:
Participated in various rounds across Europe, with Gerhard Berger achieving notable positions, including second place Ring Knutstorp, Sweden & Red Bull Ring, Austria.
It’s the early '80s, and this car (the Ralt RT3-291 of course), is the talk of the town in the Formula 3 circuits. It's like that cool kid in high school everyone wants to hang with – a little bit mysterious, a whole lot of fast, and with stories that could fill a book.
Enter Enrique Mansilla, the Argentine whirlwind. This guy and RT3-291 were like a match made in racing heaven. Picture him tearing up tracks across Britain in '82, turning heads and snatching podiums like they were going out of style. Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Snetterton – these places became his playgrounds. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. He had a nasty shunt at Goodwood, but like a phoenix from the ashes, both he and the car came back stronger. That's what legends are made of, right?
Ayrton Senna – yeah, that Senna. Before he was a household name, he got behind the wheel of this very car at Thruxton. On November 13th 1982, And boy, did he make it sing. It was like watching poetry in motion, only faster and louder. He didn't just win; he owned the track. That day, it wasn’t just about winning a race; it was about making a statement.
Fast forward to '83, and Gerhard Berger steps in. The RT3-291 got a taste of European glory, with Berger taking it on a victory lap across the continent. It was like watching a traveling rock band on a European tour, with Berger as the lead guitarist setting the stage on fire. From Zolder to the Red Bull Ring and the twists of Ring-Knutstorp – it was epic.
Let’s break it down race by race, shall we? Mansilla was the maestro in '82 – Silverstone, Cadwell Park, you name it. Then Senna – Thruxton, where he wasn’t just fast; he was a lightning bolt. And Berger, in '83, kept the flag flying high across Europe. Every race was a story, every lap a battle, and through it all, this Ralt RT3-291 was the trusty steed that made heroes out of men.
1982 British F3 Championship:
• 31/05/1982 : Silverstone, England (7th round) Enrique Mansilla - 4th overall
• 20/06/1982 : Cadwell Park, England (8th round) Enrique Mansilla - 2nd overall
• 27/06/1982 : Silverstone, England (9th round) Enrique Mansilla - 2nd overall
• 01/08/1982 : Mallory Park, England (11th round) Enrique Mansilla - 1st overall
• 07/08/1982 : Oulton Park, England (12th round) Enrique Mansilla - 1st overall
• 30/08/1982 : Silverstone, England (14th round) Enrique Mansilla - 1st overall
• 12/09/1982 : Snetterton, England (15th round) Enrique Mansilla - 1st overall
• 26/09/1982 : Oulton Park, England (16th round) Enrique Mansilla - 3rd overall
• 03/10/1982 : Silverstone, England (17th round) Enrique Mansilla - 3rd overall
• 17/19/1982 : Brands Hatch, England (18th round) Enrique Mansilla - 3rd overall
• 13/11/1982 : Thruxton, England (20th round) Ayrton Senna - 1st overall
1983 European F3 Championship:
• 17/04/1983 : Zolder, Belgium (3rd round) Gerhard Berger - 3rd overall
• 22/05/1983 : Osteneichring, Austria (5th round) Gerhard Berger - 2nd overall
• 07/08/1983 : Ring-Knutstorp, Sweden (11th round) Gerhard Berger - 2nd overall
