For motorsport enthusiasts, the pairing of Imola and Ayrton Senna is like the eagle and the crown, like white and red, or Christmas Eve and the opłatek wafer. It’s more than a symbol. Much more.

For those less into the sport, a reminder: Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian legend of the “Queen of Motorsport” and a multiple World Champion, died on this very circuit. He had previously driven for McLaren. That’s why this combination—Imola, Senna’s car driven by another multiple World Champion for whom Senna was a childhood hero and remains an unmatched role model—was a powerful tribute from a great driver of today to a great driver of the past.

Sebastian Vettel is a four-time F1 World Champion. When he decided to lap Imola in the McLaren MP4/8 once driven by Ayrton Senna, we couldn’t sit this one out. We mounted our Insta360 X4 on the car, captured everything, and now you can watch it in 8K and 360°.

Buckle up, soak in the legendary circuit, the glorious sound of the McLaren engine, and the craft of one of the best drivers of the decade—right there on YouTube. These just-under-10 minutes deliver an incredible experience, with a strong dose of history—courtesy of Insta360 X4.

But this story is more than just an amazing video…

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

During the historic F1 demo sessions over the Imola race weekend, Rick van Barneveld was on site, helping a friend with his photography experience. When the chance arose to film Vettel’s run, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He mounted his trusty Insta360 X4 on the car.

“I knew the X4’s exceptional image quality and long single-battery runtime would be perfect to capture the entire run at the highest possible quality. Plus, the X4 has high-quality lens guards to protect it from potential damage,” said Rick van Barneveld.

X4: Ready for the challenge

The X4 proved the perfect tool for this unique project. 8K 360 captured every detail of the beautiful Imola circuit—down to the waving crowd. Motorsport fans will also appreciate the engine note. In the 1990s we could revel in the roar of naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V8s. This car ran a Ford HBE7 engine. You won’t hear that kind of sound at a modern Grand Prix—today’s turbo-hybrid 1.5-liter V6 units don’t stir quite the same emotions. Thanks to the X4, we can once again feel the vibe of those bygone years—not only with our eyes, but with our ears too.

“To reduce wind noise, I put Wind Mic Muffs on the camera,” the videographer said. “They worked really well and significantly cut wind noise!” And thanks to those covers, we get the unspoiled music of Ford’s naturally aspirated V8.

It goes without saying that F1 designers don’t plan for action-camera mounts—especially not in the ’90s, when few even imagined them. So mounting a camera was a serious challenge; there would be no second take. Our videographer had an ace up his sleeve: the Delkin Fat Gecko triple suction cup.

“I’ve used this suction mount many times on other race cars, including F1 cars, so I was confident it would withstand the high speeds,” he said.

How We Mounted the Insta360 X4 on Senna’s McLaren MP4/8