Ducati pay tribute to three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna with limited edition Monster

Ducati are paying tribute to three time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna with a special edition version of their Monster naked, priced at £23,500.

Called the ‘Monster Senna’, it marks the 30^th anniversary of the racing driver’s death and is based on the existing 937cc V-twin machine that first arrived back in 2021. It sports a striking yellow, green, and blue livery inspired by Senna’s iconic racing helmet design – itself a homage to the Brazilian flag.

It will be limited to 341 units – with the ‘3’ representing his titles in 1988, 1990, and 1991, plus the ‘41’ to signify the number of times he stood on the top step of an F1 podium.

• Related: Best naked motorbikes

Each bike will feature a numbered plaque on the bars, plus Senna logos on the 14 litre tank, and ‘racing is in my blood’ written across the rear.

It’s not the first time Ducati have paid tribute to the F1 legend either, launching a 916 Senna superbike in 1994 – with Ayrton himself choosing the understated grey colour and striking red wheels, prior to his death on May 1 of that year.

When it eventually went on sale later that following winter, all 300 bikes sold almost immediately. A further run of 300 were then again produced in 1997 and 1998.

To mark the 20^th anniversary of his death, Ducati then produced 161 Panigale 1199 S Senna models in 2014 – featuring a paint job to match the original nineties beauties. The new Monster is the first special edition tribute to break away from that design.

Senna was a genuine Ducati fan, having become close friends with Claudio Castiglioni, the President of Ducati at the time. In 1990, he was gifted an 851 SP in recognition of his racing achievements, and he also owned one of the first ever red Monster 900s launched in 1993.

This year’s tribute was fittingly revealed to fans at the Imola F1 Grand Prix – the circuit at which he was tragically killed in an accident 30 years ago.

Alongside the vibrant bodywork, the 840mm riders’ seat is finished in a deep blue, with the radially mounted front Brembo brake calipers finished in yellow with black text. Small strips of yellow, blue, and green, can also be found on the gloss black forged aluminium rims, as well as yellow banding on the twin exit Termignoni end can.

Being a modern Ducati, you get lean sensitive electronics, with each bike also coming with a certificate of authenticity and a specialist bike cover. There’s a fully adjustable Öhlins shock to the rear, plus fully adjustable Öhlins NIX 30 front forks, too. A steering damper is also in place.