Initially, Ayrton Senna was impressed by the car's handling and nimbleness, but he knew the customer Ford-Cosworth V8 to be underpowered compared to the Renault V10-powered Williams and he demanded a race-by-race contract at $1 million per Grand Prix, though others suggested that this was a marketing ploy between Senna and Ron Dennis to keep sponsors on edge and interested.
Initially, Ayrton Senna was impressed by the car's handling and responsiveness, but he recognized the Ford-Cosworth V8 engine as being less powerful than the Renault V10 in the Williams cars, so he demanded a race-by-race contract worth $1 million per Grand Prix. Some believed this was a strategic move by Senna and Ron Dennis to keep sponsors engaged and interested.