It’s one of those eternal motorsport quiz questions: ‘When and where did Ayrton Senna make his only appearance in a sportscar?’ Most aficionados know the answer, but few are aware of the story behind the future F1 World Champion’s drive aboard a Joest Racing Porsche 956 at the Nürburgring in July 1984.

Senna, then in his rookie season of Formula 1 with Toleman, had already driven on the brand-new 2.82-mile Nürburgring, winning a single-make Mercedes tin-top race at the official opening of the circuit. Now he wanted to drive the track in a proper racing car ahead of the European GP in October.

Portuguese Domingos Piedade had been acting as European scout for Senna’s manager Armando Teixeira since 1983. He also happened to be Joest’s part-time team manager, which explains why the Brazilian ended up sharing a 956 with Stefan Johansson and Henri Pescarolo in the ’Ring 1000Km.