Video: O’Ward drives 1990 Ayrton Senna McLaren MP4/5B in anger

Bring back real race cars!

Ayrton Senna’s world championship-winning 1990 McLaren MP4/5B being pushed by IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward (who wants to be an F1 driver) around Laguna Seca is pure bliss!

O’Ward winds its 700hp 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V10 to its limits.

A rough lap time with a stopwatch, and his two laps were around 1:15.

Considering Will Power’s IndyCar pole time was 1:11.6, that wasn’t too bad for a 32-year-old car.

Last November, O’Ward needed just 1:10.3 to lap the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in a 24-year-old 1998 McLarenMP4-13 F1 car

Just some comparison that today’s IndyCar’s are about as fast as 30-year-old F1 relics. In fact the F1 relics would dust a current IndyCar if setup in qualifying trim with soft rubber.

Roger Penske and Jay Frye do not think IndyCar needs a new car. Sad, but true.