Ayrton Senna
 Senna at the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix |
|
| Date of birth | 21 March 1960 |
|---|---|
| Date of death | 1 May 1994 (aged 34) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Active years | 1984–1994 |
| Teams | Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, Williams |
| Races | 162 (161 starts) |
| Championships | 3 (1988, 1990, 1991) |
| Wins | 41 |
| Podiums | 80 |
| Career points | 610 (614)[1] |
| Pole positions | 65 |
| Fastest laps | 19 |
| First race | 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1993 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix |
Ayrton Senna da Silva, (pronounced [aˈiɾtõ ˈsenɐ da ˈsiɫvɐ] (
listen); São Paulo, March 21, 1960, – Bologna Italy May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and three-time Formula One world champion. He died in a crash while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, and remains the most recent Grand Prix driver to die at the wheel of a Formula One car.
Senna began his motorsport career in karting and moved up the ranks to win the British Formula 3 championship in 1983. Making his Formula One debut with Toleman in 1984, he moved to Lotus-Renault the following year, and won six Grands Prix over the next three seasons. In 1988 he joined Frenchman Alain Prost at McLaren-Honda. Between them, Senna and Prost won fifteen out of the sixteen Grands Prix which took place that season, with Senna winning his first World Championship, a title he would go on to win again in 1990 and 1991. McLaren's performance declined in 1992, as the Williams-Renault combination began to dominate the sport, although Senna won five races to finish as runner-up in 1993. He moved to Williams in 1994, but suffered a fatal accident at the third race of the season at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy.
Senna is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula One.[2][3][4] In 2009, a poll of 217 current and former Formula One drivers chose Senna as their greatest Formula One driver, in a survey conducted by British magazine Autosport.[5][6] He was recognised for his qualifying speed over one lap and from 1989 until 2006 held the record for most pole positions. He was among the most talented drivers in extremely rain-affected conditions, as shown by his performances in the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, and the 1993 European Grand Prix. He also holds the record for most victories at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix (6) and is the third most successful driver of all time in terms of race wins. However, Senna courted controversy throughout his career, particularly during his turbulent rivalry with Alain Prost, which was marked by two championship-deciding collisions at the 1989 and 1990 Japanese Grands Prix.
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Early career
"Brazilian acept just Champion Title and I am Brazilian" Senna's first kart was a small 1HP go-kart, a gift rejected by his older sister Viviane. Senna entered karting competition at the age of 13.[7] In 1977 he won the South American Kart Championship. He contested the Karting World Championship each year from 1978 to 1982, finishing runner-up in 1979 and 1980.[8]
In 1981 Senna moved to England to begin single-seater racing, winning the RAC and Townsend-Thoreson Formula Ford 1600 Championships that year with the Van Diemen team. Despite this, Senna initially did not believe he would continue in motorsport, and at the end of the season, under pressure from his parents to take up a role in the family business, he returned to Brazil.[9] Before leaving England, Senna was offered a drive with a Formula Ford 2000 team for £10,000. He decided to take up this offer, and returned to live in England. As Silva is a very common Brazilian name, he adopted his mother's maiden name, Senna.[10] Senna went on to win the 1982 British and European Formula Ford 2000 championships under that surname.
In 1983 he drove in the British Formula Three Championship with the West Surrey Racing team. Senna dominated the first half of the season but Martin Brundle, who drove a similar car for Eddie Jordan Racing, closed the gap in the second part of the championship. Senna won the title at the final round at Thruxton after a closely fought and, at times, acrimonious battle.[11] In November of the same year, he triumphed at the inaugural Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix with Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing Team.[12][13]
Formula One career
1984: Toleman
Senna attracted the attention of Formula One teams Williams, McLaren, Brabham and Toleman, all of whom he tested for. Neither Williams nor McLaren had a vacancy for the 1984 season. His name was linked to Brabham's second seat, but Brabham's lead driver, double world champion Nelson Piquet, preferred his friend Roberto Moreno, while title sponsor Parmalat wanted an Italian driver. His only option was to join Toleman, a relatively new team, replacing Derek Warwick.[14][15] Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto was his team mate.
Senna made his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro. He scored his first World Championship point in his second race at the South African Grand Prix, replicating that result two weeks later at the Belgian Grand Prix. A combination of tyre issues and a fuel pressure problem resulted in his failure to qualify for the San Marino Grand Prix, the only time this happened during his career.[16] Senna's best result of the season came at the Monaco Grand Prix, which was affected by heavy rain. Qualifying 13th on the grid, he made steady progress in climbing through the field, passing Niki Lauda for second on lap 19. He quickly began to cut the gap to race leader Alain Prost, but before he could attack Prost the race was stopped on lap 31 for safety reasons, as the rain had grown even heavier. At the time the race was stopped Senna was catching Prost at 4 seconds per lap.[17] Senna finally passed Prost during the 32nd lap at the end of which the red flag was shown. However according to the rules, the positions counted were those from the last lap completed by every driver, lap 31, at which point Prost was still leading.[18] Senna's second place was his first podium in Formula One.
He took two more podium finishes that year - third at the British and Portuguese Grands Prix - and placed 9th in the Drivers Championship with 13 points overall. He did not take part in the Italian Grand Prix after he was suspended by Toleman for being in breach of his contract by signing for Lotus for 1985 without informing the Toleman team first.[19]
Senna also raced in two high-profile non-Formula One races in 1984: The ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring where, alongside Henri Pescarolo and Stefan Johansson, he co-drove a Joest Racing Porsche 956 to finish 8th, as well as an exhibition race to celebrate the opening of the new Nürburgring, which was attended by several Formula 1 drivers, each driving identical Mercedes 190E 2.3-16. Senna won from Niki Lauda and Carlos Reutemann.[20][21] After the race Senna was quoted as saying, "Now I know I can do it."[22]
1985-1987: Lotus
- 1985
Senna was partnered in his first year at Lotus-Renault by Italian driver Elio de Angelis. At the second round of the season, the Portuguese Grand Prix, Senna took the first pole position of his Formula 1 career. He converted it into his first victory in the race, which was held in very wet conditions, winning by over a minute from Michele Alboreto.[23] He would not finish in the points again until coming second at the Austrian Grand Prix, despite taking pole three more times in the intervening period. (His determination to take pole at the Monaco Grand Prix had infuriated Alboreto and Niki Lauda; Senna had set a fast time early and was accused of deliberately baulking the other drivers by running more laps than necessary, a charge he rejected.)[24] Two more podiums followed in Holland and Italy, before Senna added his second victory, again in the wet, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.[25] Senna's relationship with De Angelis soured over the season, as both drivers demanded top driver status within Lotus and, after spending six years at the team, De Angelis departed for Brabham at the end of the year, convinced that Lotus were becoming focused around the Brazilian.[26] Senna and De Angelis finished the season 4th and 5th respectively in the driver rankings, separated by five points. In terms of qualifying, however, Senna had begun to establish himself as the quickest in the field: his tally of seven poles that season was far more than that of any of the other drivers.
- 1986
De Angelis was replaced at Lotus by Scottish peer Johnny Dumfries after Senna vetoed Derek Warwick from joining the team, saying that Lotus were not able to run competitive cars for two top drivers at the same time. Senna later admitted "It was bad, bad. Until then I had a good relationship with Derek."[27] Senna started the season well, coming second in Brazil and winning the Spanish Grand Prix by just 0.014s from Nigel Mansell - one of the closest finishes in Formula One history - to find himself leading the World Championship after two races.[28] However, poor reliability, particularly in the second half of the season, saw him drift behind the Williams pairing of Mansell and Piquet, as well as eventual champion, Alain Prost. Nonetheless, Senna was once more the top qualifier, with eight poles, and he took a further six podium finishes that season, including another victory at the Detroit Grand Prix, and finished the season fourth in the driver's standings again, with 55 points.
- 1987
Lotus had a new engine deal in 1987, running the same Honda engines as Williams had used to win the previous year’s Constructors' Championship, and with them came a new team-mate, 34 year-old Japanese driver, Satoru Nakajima. Senna started the season with mixed fortunes: a podium at the San Marino Grand Prix was tempered by controversy at the following race at Spa-Francorchamps, where he collided with Mansell and was confronted by the angered Englishman in the pits afterwards.[29] Senna then won two races in a row: the ensuing Monaco Grand Prix (the first of his record six victories at the Principality) and the Detroit Grand Prix, his second victory in two years at the Michigan street circuit, to take the lead in the World Championship. As the championship wore on however, it became evident that the Williams cars had the advantage over the rest of the field, the gap between the Honda-engined teams made most obvious at the British Grand Prix where Mansell and Piquet lapped the Lotuses of Senna and Nakajima. Senna became dissatisfied with his chances at Lotus and at Monza it was announced that he would be joining McLaren for 1988.[30] Senna finished the season strongly, coming second in the final two races in Japan and Australia, however post-race scrutineering at the final race found the brake ducts of his Lotus to be wider than permitted by the rules and he was disqualified, bringing his last and most successful season with Lotus to a sour end.[31] Senna was classified third in the final standings, with 57 points, one pole position and six podium finishes. This season marked a turning point in Senna's career as, throughout the year, he built a deep relationship with Honda, a relationship which would pay big dividends, as McLaren had secured Williams' supply of Honda's V6 turbo engines for 1988.[32]
1988-1993: McLaren
- 1988
In 1988, thanks to the relationship he had built up with Honda throughout the 1987 season with Lotus, and with the approval of McLaren's number one driver and then-double world champion, Alain Prost, Senna joined the McLaren team.[33] The foundation for a fierce competition between Senna and Prost was laid, culminating in a number of dramatic race incidents between the two over the next five years.[34] At the 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix, Prost got away slightly faster than Senna at the start but the Brazilian dived into the first corner ahead. Prost responded and went to pass Senna at the end of the first lap. Senna swerved to block Prost, forcing the Frenchman nearly to run into the pitwall at 180 mph (290 km/h). Prost kept his foot down and soon edged Senna into the first corner and started pulling away fast. Though Prost was angered by Senna's manoeuvre, the Brazilian got away with a warning from the FIA. Senna would later apologize to Prost for the incident. Ultimately, the pair won 15 of 16 races in the McLaren MP4/4 in 1988 with Senna coming out on top, winning his first Formula One world championship title by taking 8 wins to Prost's 7 (Prost had scored more points over the season, but had to drop three 2nd places as only the 11 best scores counted).[35]
- 1989
The following year, the rivalry between Senna and Prost intensified into battles on the track and a psychological war off it.[36] Tension and mistrust between the two drivers increased when Senna overtook Prost at the restart of the San Marino Grand Prix, a move which Prost claimed violated a pre-race agreement. Senna took an early lead in the championship with victories in three of the first four races, but unreliability in Phoenix, Canada, France, Britain and Italy, together with collisions in Brazil and Portugal swung the title in Prost's favour.
Prost took the 1989 world title after a collision with Senna at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, the penultimate race of the season, which Senna needed to win to remain in contention for the title. Senna had attempted an inside pass on Prost who turned into the corner and cut him off, with the two McLarens finishing up with their wheels interlocked in the Suzuka chicane escape road. Senna then got a push-start from marshals, pitted to replace the damaged nose of his car, and rejoined the race. He took the lead from the Benetton of Alessandro Nannini and went on to finish first, only to be promptly disqualified by the FIA for cutting the chicane after the collision, and for crossing into the pit lane entry (not part of the track).[37] A large fine and temporary suspension of his Super License followed in the winter of 1989 and Senna engaged in a bitter war of words with the FIA and its then President Jean-Marie Balestre.[38] Senna finished the season second with six wins and one second place. Prost left McLaren for rivals Ferrari for the following year.
- 1990
In 1990, Senna took a commanding lead in the championship with six wins, two second places and three thirds. His most memorable victories were at the opening round in Phoenix, in which he diced for the lead for several laps with a then-unknown Jean Alesi before coming out on top, and at Germany where he fought Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini throughout the race for the win. As the season reached its final quarter however, Alain Prost in his Ferrari rose to the challenge with five wins, including a crucial victory in Spain where he and teammate Nigel Mansell finshed 1-2 for the Scuderia. Senna had gone out with a damaged radiator and the gap between Senna and Prost was now reduced to 11 points with two races remaining.
At the penultimate round of the Championship in Japan at Suzuka (the same circuit where Senna and Prost had their collision a year before), Senna took pole ahead of Prost. The pole position in Suzuka was on the right-hand, dirty side of the track. Prost's Ferrari made a better start and pulled ahead of Senna's McLaren. At the first turn Senna aggressively kept his line, while Prost turned in and the McLaren ploughed into the rear wheel of Prost's Ferrari at about 270 km/h (170 mph), putting both cars off the track, this time making Senna the Formula 1 world champion.[39]
A year later, after taking his third world championship, Senna explained to the press his actions of the previous year in Suzuka. He maintained that prior to qualifying fastest, he had sought and received assurances from race officials that pole position would be changed to the left-hand, clean side of the track, only to find this decision reversed by Jean-Marie Balestre after he had taken pole.[40] Explaining the collision with Prost, Senna said that what he had wanted was to make clear he was not going to accept what he perceived as unfair decisions by Balestre, including his disqualification in 1989 and the pole position in 1990.[41] Prost would later go on record slamming Senna's actions as "disgusting" and that he seriously considered retiring from the sport after that incident.[33]
- 1991
Senna captured his third title in 1991, taking seven wins and staying largely clear of controversy. Prost, due to the downturn in performance at Ferrari, was no longer a serious competitor. Senna won the first four races. By mid-season, Mansell in the more advanced Williams was able to put up a challenge. There were some memorable moments, such as at the Spanish Grand Prix when Senna and Mansell went wheel to wheel with only centimetres to spare, at over 320 km/h (200 mph) down the main straight, a race that the Briton eventually won. Quite a different spectacle was offered following Mansell's victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Senna's car had come to a halt on the final lap but he was not left stranded out on the circuit, as Mansell pulled over on his parade lap and allowed the Brazilian to ride on the Williams side-pod back to the pits. Though Senna's consistency and the Williams' unreliability at the beginning of the season gave him an early advantage, Senna insisted that Honda step up their engine development program and demanded further improvements to the car before it was too late. These modifications enabled him to make a late season push and he managed to win three more races to secure the championship, which was settled for good in Japan (yet again) when Mansell (who needed to win), went off at the first corner while running third and beached his Williams-Renault into the gravel trap. Senna finished second, handing the victory to teammate Gerhard Berger at the last corner as a thank-you gesture for his support over the season.
- 1992
In 1992, Senna's determination to win manifested itself in dismay at McLaren's inability to challenge Williams' all-conquering FW14B car.[42] McLaren's new car for the season had several shortcomings. There was delay in getting the new model running (it debuted in the third race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix) and in addition to lacking active suspension, the new car suffered from reliability issues, was unpredictable in fast corners, while its Honda V12 engine was no longer the most powerful on the circuit.[43] Senna scored wins in Monaco, Hungary, and Italy that year. During qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, French driver Érik Comas crashed heavily and Senna was the first to arrive at the scene. He got out of his car and ran across the track to aid the Frenchman, disregarding his own safety in an effort to aid a fellow driver. He later went to visit Comas in hospital. Senna finished fourth overall in the championship, behind the Williams duo of Mansell and Patrese, and Benetton's Michael Schumacher.[44][45]
- 1993
Questions about Senna's intentions for 1993 lingered throughout 1992, as he did not have a contract with any team by the end of the year. He felt the McLaren cars were less competitive than previously (especially after Honda bowed out of Formula 1 at the end of the 1992 season). Joining Williams alongside Prost (who had secured a drive for the team for 1993) became impossible, since Prost had a clause on his contract vetoing Senna as a team-mate, even though the Brazilian offered to drive for free. An infuriated Senna called Prost a coward in a press conference in Estoril.[46][47] In December, Senna went to Phoenix, Arizona and tested Emerson Fittipaldi's Penske IndyCar.[48]
McLaren boss Ron Dennis meanwhile was trying to secure a supply of the dominant Renault V10 engine for 1993.[49] When this deal fell through, McLaren was forced to take a customer supply of Ford V8 engines.[50] As a customer team, McLaren got an engine that was two specifications behind that of Ford's factory team, Benetton, but hoped to make up for the inferior horsepower with mechanical sophistication, including an effective active suspension system.[51] Dennis then finally persuaded Senna to return to McLaren. The Brazilian, however, agreed only to sign up for the first race in South Africa, where he would assess whether McLaren’s equipment was competitive enough for him to put in a good season.
After driving McLaren's 1993 car, Senna concluded that the new car had a surprising potential, albeit the engine was still down on power and would be no match for Prost’s Williams Renault.[52] Senna declined to sign a one-year contract but agreed to drive on a race-by-race basis, eventually staying for the year,[53] although some sources claim this was a marketing ploy between Dennis and Senna. After finishing second in the opening race in South Africa,[54] Senna won in constantly fluctuating conditions at home in Brazil[55] and in the rain at Donington. The latter has often been regarded as one of Senna's greatest victories.[56] He started the race fourth and dropped to fifth on the run down to the first corner, but by the end of the first lap was leading the race. He went on to lap the entire field in a race where up to seven pit stops were required by some drivers for rain or slick tyres, depending on the conditions.[57][58] Senna then scored a second-place finish in Spain and a record-breaking sixth win at Monaco.[59] After Monaco, the sixth race of the season, Senna led the championship ahead of Prost in the Williams-Renault and Benetton's Michael Schumacher despite McLaren’s inferior engine.[60] As the season progressed, Prost and Damon Hill asserted the superiority of the Williams-Renault car, with Prost securing the drivers' championship while Hill moved up to second in the standings. Senna concluded the season and his McLaren career with two wins in Japan and Australia, finishing second overall in the championship.[51][61] The penultimate race was noted for an incident where Jordan's rookie Eddie Irvine unlapped himself against Senna. The incensed Brazilian later appeared at Jordan's garage and after a lengthy discussion, he proceeded to punch the Irishman.[62]
1994: Williams
For 1994, Senna finally signed with the Williams-Renault team. Prost's contract clause forbidding Senna from joining Williams did not extend to 1994 and Prost retired with one year left on his contract, rather than face the prospect of being a team mate of his greatest rival.[63]
Williams had won the previous two World Championships with vastly superior cars, and Senna was a natural and presumptive pre-season title favourite, with second-year driver Damon Hill expected to play the supporting role. Among them, Prost, Senna, and Hill had won all but one race in 1993. Benetton's Michael Schumacher had won the remaining event.
Pre-season testing showed that the Williams car had speed, but it was difficult to drive. The FIA had banned electronic driver aids, such as active suspension, traction control and ABS, to make the sport more "human". The Williams was not a well-handling car at the start of 1994, as observed by other F1 drivers, having been seen to be very loose at the rear. Senna himself had made numerous (politically careful) comments that the Williams FW16 had some quirks which needed to be ironed out. It was obvious that the FW16, after the regulation changes banning active suspension and traction control, exhibited none of the superiority of the FW15C and FW14B cars that had preceded it. The surprise of testing was the Benetton team, whose car was more nimble than the Williams although less powerful.
The first race of the season was in Brazil, where Senna took pole. In the race Senna took an early lead but Schumacher's Benetton was never far behind. Schumacher took the race lead for good after passing Senna in the pits. Senna refused to settle for second. While trying for a win, he pushed too hard and spun the car, stalling it and retiring from the race.
The second race was the Pacific Grand Prix at Aida where Senna again placed the car on pole. However, he was hit from behind in the first corner by Mika Häkkinen and his race came to a definitive end when a Ferrari driven by Nicola Larini also crashed into his Williams. Hill also retired with transmission problems, while Schumacher took victory again.
It was Senna's worst start to an F1 season, failing to finish or score points in the first two races, despite taking pole both times. Schumacher was leading Senna in the drivers' championship by twenty points.[64]
Luca di Montezemolo is quoted saying that Senna came to him the Tuesday before the Imola race and praised Ferrari for the battle against electronics in F1. Senna also told Montezemolo that he would like to end his career with Ferrari.[65]
Death
At the third race of the season, the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Senna, having not finished the two opening races of the season, declared that this was where his season would start, with fourteen races, as opposed to sixteen, in which to win the title.[66] Senna again placed the car on pole for the 65th and final time, but he was particularly upset by two events. On Friday, during the afternoon qualifying session, Senna's protégé Rubens Barrichello was involved in a serious accident when he slammed violently into the tyres at the Variante Bassa chicane, swallowing his tongue and suffering a broken nose and arm, which prevented him from competing in the race. The next day Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed in qualifying in a devastating accident when the front wing broke on his Simtek-Ford while going flat out at the fast Villeneuve right-hander bend and into the concrete wall.
Senna spent his final morning meeting fellow drivers, determined after Ratzenberger's accident to take on a new responsibility to re-create a Drivers' Safety group (i.e. Grand Prix Drivers' Association) to increase safety in Formula One. As the most senior driver, he offered to take the role of leader in this effort.
Senna and the other drivers all opted to start the Grand Prix, but the race was interrupted by a huge accident at the start line when JJ Lehto's Benetton-Ford stalled, and an unsighted Pedro Lamy rammed him in his Lotus-Mugen Honda at nearly full speed. A wheel was torn off the car and landed in the main grandstand, injuring eight fans and a police officer. The safety car, which was an Opel Vectra for that year, was deployed and the drivers followed it for several laps. The Vectra's slow pace was later questioned due to the subsequent drop in tyre pressures on the Formula One cars; Senna had pulled alongside the safety car, gesticulating to its driver, Max Angelelli, to increase his speed.[67] On the restart Senna immediately set a quick pace with the third quickest lap of the race, followed by Schumacher. As Senna entered the high-speed Tamburello corner on the next lap, the car left the track at high speed, hitting the concrete retaining wall at around 135 mph (217 km/h). Senna was removed from the car by Sid Watkins and his medical team and treated by the side of the car before being airlifted to Bologna hospital where he was later declared dead. What was likely to have happened was that the right front wheel had shot up after impact like a catapult and violated the cockpit area where Senna was sitting. It struck the right frontal area of his helmet, and the violence of the wheel’s impact pushed his head back against the headrest, causing fatal skull fractures. A piece of upright attached to the wheel had partially penetrated his helmet and made a big indent in his forehead. In addition, it appeared that a jagged piece of the upright assembly had penetrated the helmet visor just above his right eye. As track officials examined the wreckage of his racing car they found a furled Austrian flag—a victory flag that he was going to raise in honour of Ratzenberger.[68]
To this day, the cause of the accident has still not been fully determined with theories ranging from a steering column failure to the car simply bottoming out over the bumps on the Tamburello corner. Many court cases followed immediately afterwards, with Williams being investigated for manslaughter, although the charges were later dropped.
Funeral
Senna's death was considered by many of his Brazilian fans to be a national tragedy, and the Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning. An estimated three million people lined the streets to offer their salute. Many prominent motor racing figures attended Senna's state funeral, notably Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Emerson Fittipaldi who were among the pallbearers. However, Senna's family did not allow FOM president Bernie Ecclestone to attend,[69] and FIA President Max Mosley instead attended the funeral of Ratzenberger which took place on May 7, 1994 in Salzburg, Austria.[70] Mosley said in a press conference ten years later, "I went to his funeral because everyone went to Senna's. I thought it was important that somebody went to his."[71]
A testament to the adulation he inspired among fans worldwide was the scene at the Tokyo headquarters of Honda where the McLaren cars were typically displayed after each race. Upon his death, so many floral tributes were received that it overwhelmed the large exhibit lobby.[72] This in spite the fact Senna no longer drove for McLaren and that McLaren, in the preceding seasons did not use Honda power. Senna had a special relationship with company founder Soichiro Honda and was beloved in Japan where he achieved a near mythic status. In his home country of Brazil, the main freeway from the international airport to São Paulo and a tunnel along route to the heart of the city is named in his honour. Also, one of the most important freeways of Rio de Janeiro is named after Senna ("Avenida Ayrton Senna"). Senna is buried at the Morumbi Cemetery in his hometown of São Paulo. His grave bears the epitaph "Nada pode me separar do amor de Deus" which means "Nothing can separate me from the love of God".
For the next race at Monaco, the FIA decided to leave the first two grid positions empty and painted them with the colours of the Brazilian and the Austrian flags, to honour Senna and Ratzenberger.
Personal life
Senna was born in Santana, a bairro of São Paulo city.[73][74] The son of a wealthy Brazilian landowner, he developed an interest in motor racing at an early age.
Senna was a practicing Catholic. A very religious man, he openly conflated his beliefs with his racing, something for which he was criticized as dangerous by Alain Prost, among others. He often read the Bible on long flights from São Paulo to Europe.[75][76]
Senna expressed concern over the widespread poverty in Brazil, and privately spent millions of his personal fortune on underprivileged children.[77] Shortly before his death he created the framework for an organisation dedicated to Brazilian children, which later became Instituto Ayrton Senna.[78]
Senna was often quoted using driving as a means for self-discovery, and racing as a metaphor for life: “The harder I push, the more I find within myself. I am always looking for the next step, a different world to go into, areas where I have not been before. It’s lonely driving a Grand Prix car, but very absorbing. I have experienced new sensations and I want more. That is my excitement, my motivation.”[79]
Towards the end of his career Senna became increasingly preoccupied with the dangers of his profession. On the morning of his death he initiated the re-formation of the GPDA safety organisation, with which he had intended to work to improve the safety of his sport.
He was renowned for his close relationship with Gerhard Berger, and the two were always playing practical jokes on each other.[80] Berger is quoted as saying "He taught me a lot about our sport, I taught him to laugh". In the documentary film The Right to Win made in 2004 as a tribute to Senna, Frank Williams notably recalls that as good a driver as Senna was, ultimately "he was an even greater man outside of the car than he was in it."
Senna was married once, for a short period of time and before his breakthrough in Formula One, to Lilian de Vasconcelos. After his marriage to Vasconcelos ended Senna courted Adriane Yamin, daughter of an entrepreneur from São Paulo. She was 15 years old when they began the relationship in 1985 and was commonly chaperoned by her mother during meetings with Senna. They were briefly engaged, but the relationship was broken off in late 1988.[81]
By the time of his death, Senna was dating Brazilian model Adriane Galisteu, with whom the Senna family never had a friendly relationship, even to this date. That was shown in Senna's funeral, where Galisteu was openly cast aside. The "widow" status was given by the family and media to Brazilian icon Xuxa, who arrived at the funeral holding hands with Senna's sister, Viviane. After his death Galisteu wrote a book about her and Senna's relationship. Adriane became a celebrity upon Senna's death, many saying because of it, and has kept that status ever since, working as a TV show host.
He was the uncle of Formula One driver Bruno Senna, of whom he famously said in 1993: "If you think I'm fast, just wait until you see my nephew Bruno".[82]
Legacy
Many safety improvements were made in the sport following Senna and Ratzenberger's deaths. These include improved crash barriers, redesigned tracks and tyre barriers, higher crash safety standards, and higher sills on the driver cockpit.
Soon after his death in 1994, the Brazilian football World Cup winning team dedicated their win to the great racer in order to recognise his contributions to Formula 1.
After Senna's death it was discovered that he had donated millions of dollars of his personal fortune (estimated at $400 million at the time of his death)[83] to children's charities, a fact that during his life he had kept secret. His foundation in Brazil, Instituto Ayrton Senna, has invested nearly US$80 million over the last twelve years in social programs and actions in partnership with schools, government, NGOs, and the private sector aimed at offering children and teenagers from low-income backgrounds the skills and opportunities they need to develop to their full potential as persons, citizens and future professionals.[84]
In 2004 (when, ten years after his death, the Brazilian media revisited the life of Senna), a book called "Ayrton: The Hero Revealed" (original title: "Ayrton: O Herói Revelado"[85]) was published in Brazil. Senna remains a national hero in Brazil and his grave attracts more visitors than the graves of John F Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley combined.[75]
In addition, to mark the 10th anniversary of Senna's death, on April 21, 2004, over 10,000 people attended a charity match in a football stadium near Imola. The game was organized by several devoted Italian and Canadian fans of Senna, bringing the 1994 FIFA World Cup winning team of Brazil (who dedicated their 1994 FIFA World Cup win to Senna) to face the "Nazionale Piloti", an exhibition team comprised exclusively of top race car drivers. Senna had been a part of the latter in 1985. Michael Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso and many others faced the likes of Dunga, Careca, Taffarel and many of the team that won the World Cup in the United States ten years earlier. The match finished 5-5 and the money was donated to Instituto Ayrton Senna. Viviane Senna, Senna's sister, president of the institute (and mother of future F1 driver Bruno Senna), gave the initial kick. That same weekend, Bernie Ecclestone revealed that he still believed Senna was and remained the best F1 driver he had ever seen.[69]
Since his death, Senna has been the subject of songs by Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla, Jazz pianist Kim Pensyl, Japanese jazz-fusion guitarist and T-square bandleader Masahiro Andoh and Chris Rea.
To take advantage of the close relationship Honda had with the Brazilian prodigy during his tenure as #1 driver for the McLaren/Honda F1 Team, Senna was called in to fine-tune the Honda NSX's suspension setting during its final development stages. The tests were conducted at Suzuka Circuit with chief NSX engineer Shigeru Uehara and his engineering team present to gather Senna's direct input. As a result of his suspension tuning, Senna subsequently found the prototype NSX initially lacked chassis stiffness to the level he was accustomed to, so the final production version was further reinforced to his satisfaction. Dubbed the 1992 NSX Type-R it is a limited version of the car, sold mainly within Japan.
In 2002, the MV Agusta F4 750 Senna motorbike was created by Claudio Castiglioni, president of MV Agusta, to pay tribute to Senna, who was a close friend of his. It was limited to 300 bikes, and all profits from sales went to the Ayrton Senna Foundation. The bike's chassis and engine are based on the F4 750 SPR, which is a highly specified version of the F4.
In 2009, it was announced that Senna's nephew Bruno would be making his Formula One debut in 2010.[86]
The former grand prix circuit in Adelaide, Australia has renamed the chicane "Senna chicane" in honour of his memory. This track is still used for local V8 Supercars racing after the move of the F1 grand prix to Melbourne. There is also a street named after him in the Adelaide suburb of Wingfield. The Adelaide street circuit was said to be a favourite of Senna's, and he was reportedly unhappy about upcoming shift of venue from Adelaide to Melbourne.
He was voted the best driver of all time in a poll of current drivers published by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag in July 2010.[87]
On 25 July 2010, popular BBC motoring show, Top Gear paid an emotional tribute to Senna with British Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton driving Senna's original MP4/4. At the end of this segment of the show it was mentioned that a documentary film is to be released in Autumn 2010.[88]
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Toleman Group Motorsport | Toleman TG183B | Hart S4 (t/c) | BRA Ret |
RSA 6 |
BEL 6 |
SMR DNQ |
9th | 13 | ||||||||||||
| Toleman TG184 | Hart S4 (t/c) | FRA Ret |
MON‡ 2 |
CAN 7 |
DET Ret |
DAL Ret |
GBR 3 |
GER Ret |
AUT Ret |
NED Ret |
ITA |
EUR Ret |
POR 3 |
||||||||
| 1985 | John Player Special Team Lotus | Lotus 97T | Renault V6 (t/c) | BRA Ret |
POR 1 |
SMR 7 |
MON Ret |
CAN 16 |
DET Ret |
FRA Ret |
GBR 10 |
GER Ret |
AUT 2 |
NED 3 |
ITA 3 |
BEL 1 |
EUR 2 |
RSA Ret |
AUS Ret |
4th | 38 |
| 1986 | John Player Special Team Lotus | Lotus 98T | Renault V6 (t/c) | BRA 2 |
ESP 1 |
SMR Ret |
MON 3 |
BEL 2 |
CAN 5 |
DET 1 |
FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 2 |
HUN 2 |
AUT Ret |
ITA Ret |
POR 4 |
MEX 3 |
AUS Ret |
4th | 55 |
| 1987 | Camel Team Lotus Honda | Lotus 99T | Honda V6 (t/c) | BRA Ret |
SMR 2 |
BEL Ret |
MON 1 |
DET 1 |
FRA 4 |
GBR 3 |
GER 3 |
HUN 2 |
AUT 5 |
ITA 2 |
POR 7 |
ESP 5 |
MEX Ret |
JPN 2 |
AUS DSQ |
3rd | 57 |
| 1988 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/4 | Honda V6 (t/c) | BRA DSQ |
SMR 1 |
MON Ret |
MEX 2 |
CAN 1 |
DET 1 |
FRA 2 |
GBR 1 |
GER 1 |
HUN 1 |
BEL 1 |
ITA 10 |
POR 6 |
ESP 4 |
JPN 1 |
AUS 2 |
1st | 90 (94) |
| 1989 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/5 | Honda V10 | BRA 11 |
SMR 1 |
MON 1 |
MEX 1 |
USA Ret |
CAN 7 |
FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 1 |
HUN 2 |
BEL 1 |
ITA Ret |
POR Ret |
ESP 1 |
JPN DSQ |
AUS Ret |
2nd | 60 |
| 1990 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/5B | Honda V10 | USA 1 |
BRA 3 |
SMR Ret |
MON 1 |
CAN 1 |
MEX 20 |
FRA 3 |
GBR 3 |
GER 1 |
HUN 2 |
BEL 1 |
ITA 1 |
POR 2 |
ESP Ret |
JPN Ret |
AUS Ret |
1st | 78 |
| 1991 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/6 | Honda V12 | USA 1 |
BRA 1 |
SMR 1 |
MON 1 |
CAN Ret |
MEX 3 |
FRA 3 |
GBR 4 |
GER 7 |
HUN 1 |
BEL 1 |
ITA 2 |
POR 2 |
ESP 5 |
JPN 2 |
AUS 1 |
1st | 96 |
| 1992 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/6B | Honda V12 | RSA 3 |
MEX Ret |
4th | 50 | ||||||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/7A | Honda V12 | BRA Ret |
ESP 9 |
SMR 3 |
MON 1 |
CAN Ret |
FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 2 |
HUN 1 |
BEL 5 |
ITA 1 |
POR 3 |
JPN Ret |
AUS Ret |
||||||
| 1993 | Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/8 | Ford V8 | RSA 2 |
BRA 1 |
EUR 1 |
SMR Ret |
ESP 2 |
MON 1 |
CAN 18 |
FRA 4 |
GBR 5 |
GER 4 |
HUN Ret |
BEL 4 |
ITA Ret |
POR Ret |
JPN 1 |
AUS 1 |
2nd | 73 |
| 1994 | Rothmans Williams Renault | Williams FW16 | Renault V10 | BRA Ret |
PAC Ret |
SMR Ret |
MON |
ESP |
CAN |
FRA |
GBR |
GER |
HUN |
BEL |
ITA |
POR |
EUR |
JPN |
AUS |
NC | 0 |
- ‡ Race was stopped with less than 75% of laps completed, half points awarded.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of pointscoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- ↑ "Interview with Bernie Ecclestone.". London: The Independent. April 22, 2004. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/senna-would-have-beaten-schumacher-in-equal-cars-560807.html. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Alan Henry's Top 100 F1 Drivers". London: The Telegraph online.. February 27, 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2293034/Formula-One-Top-100-drivers.html. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ↑ "F1 Racing's Fastest F1 Drivers". F1 Racing from formula1sport.net. http://formula1sport.net/formula-1/senna-named-fastest-formula-one-driver-of-all-time/.
- ↑ Straw, Edd (2009-12-10). "Drivers vote Senna the greatest ever". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80517. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ↑ "Formula 1's Greatest Drivers: 1. AYRTON SENNA". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 2009-12-10. http://f1greatestdrivers.autosport.com/?driver=1. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ↑ Ayrton Senna: Racing in My Blood, Official Video Biography (Kultur Video, 1991).
- ↑ "Ayrton Senna – Racing Career". MotorSports Etc. http://www.motorsportsetc.com/info/senna.htm.
- ↑ Hilton 1999 pp.38-40
- ↑ Hilton (2005), pp.9, 33-43, 154.
- ↑ Hilton, Christopher, Ayrton Senna - The Complete Story (2004) , p 99 - 116.
- ↑ Hilton (2005), p. 43-47, 154.
- ↑ Greg Girard, Ian Lambot, and Philip Newsome, Macau Grand Prix: The Road To Success (Watermark Surrey, 1998).
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 121-122
- ↑ Drackett, Phil (1985). Brabham : Story of a racing team. Arthur Barker. ISBN 0 213 16915 0. pp.134–135
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 138.
- ↑ Mark Hughes and Simon Arron, The Complete Book of Formula One (Motorbooks International, 2003), p. 310.
- ↑ Hamilton, Maurice (1984)) Autocourse 1984-85 p.141 Hazleton publishing ISBN 0-905138-32-5
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 149 - 152.
- ↑ "FIA World Endurance Championship 1984". wsrp.ic.cz. http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1984.html#4. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
- ↑ "Senna - Porsche 956K - Nurburgring". The Nostalgia Forum at AtlasF1. http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50415. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 140.
- ↑ Timothy Collings and Sarah Edworthy, The Formula One Years: A Season-by-Season Account of the World's Premier Motor Racing Championship from 1950 to the Present Day (Carlton Books, 2002), p. 208.
- ↑ Hamilton, Maurice (ed.) (1985) Autocourse 1985 - 1986 Hazleton publishing pp.74 & 104 ISBN 0-905138-38-4
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 427
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 163
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 170
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 428
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 432
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 186
- ↑ Hilton (2004), p 188
- ↑ "Engines: Honda Motor Company," GP Encyclopedia, printed from www.grandprix.com on June 2, 2007.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 prostfan.com - Ayrton Senna by Alain Prost
- ↑ Hughes and Arron (2003), p. 340.
- ↑ Bruce Jones, ed. 50 Years of the Formula One World Championship (Carlton, 1999). p. 221-222
- ↑ Christopher Hilton, Ayrton Senna: The Whole Story (Haynes, 2004)
- ↑ Jones, ed. (1999), pp. 227-228.
- ↑ F1 - Grandprix.com > Features > News Feature > McLaren versus Jean-Marie Balestre
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 106-107.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal(2003), p. 107.
- ↑ "Senna blows his top at Suzuka," printed from www.autosport.com on May 30, 2007
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 129-130.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), pp. 128-129.
- ↑ Jones (1999), pp. 253, 257.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), pp. 244-247.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), pp. 129-132.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), p. 239, 250.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 132.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 130.
- ↑ “Constructors: McLaren International,” GP Encyclopedia, printed from www.grandprix.com on May 30, 2007.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 "History of McLaren: Time Line – the 1990s." printed from www.mclaren.com on May 30, 2007.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 133.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), p. 250.
- ↑ “Grand Prix Results: South African GP, 1993,” GP Encyclopedia, printed from www.grandprix.com on May 30, 2007.
- ↑ “Grand Prix Results: Brazilian GP, 1993,” GP Encyclopedia, printed from www.grandprix.com on May 30, 2007.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), p. 250
- ↑ “Grand Prix Results: European GP, 1993,” GP Encyclopedia, printed from www.grandprix.com on May 30, 2007.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 134.
- ↑ Ian Thomsen, “Senna, Hill and Monaco: Roaring Through the Ghost of a Winner Past,” International Herald Tribune, Monday, May 24, 1993; printed from http://www.iht.com on May 28, 2007.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), pp. 134-135.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), pp. 251-253.
- ↑ Showdown at Suzuka www.themagicofsenna.com Retrieved 2 March 2008
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 138.
- ↑ "Senna retrospective". BBC News. April 21, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/photo_galleries/3636399.stm. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Who's Who: Ayrton Senna". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2007. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/whos-who/whos-who-s/ayrton-senna/. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- ↑ "Interview with Ayrton Senna, 28 May 1994". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iErwQ9Y0q-Y.
- ↑ "History of the F1 Safety Car". enterF1.com. 2009-04-21. http://www.enterf1.com/news/049-the-bite-point.asp. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ↑ Longmore, Andrew (1994-10-31). "Ayrton Senna: The Last Hours". The Times. p. 30. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F9242ED73BC537B&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=63FF7C9CECF24CA8828B27BFD2B2546B. "Back at the track, in the shattered remains of Senna's car, they discovered a furled Austrian flag Senna had intended to dedicate his 42nd grand prix victory to Ratzenberger's memory."
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 "'Senna would have beaten Schumacher in equal cars' - Motor Racing, Sport". London: The Independent. 2004-04-22. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/senna-would-have-beaten-schumacher-in-equal-cars-560807.html. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- ↑ David Tremayne, Mark Skewis, Stuart Williams, Paul Fearnley (1994-04-05). "Track Topics". Motoring News (News Publications Ltd.).
- ↑ "Max went to Roland's funeral". www.f1racing.net. 2004-04-23. http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=48657. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- ↑ "アイルトン・セナの去った夜" (in Japanese). http://www.honda.co.jp/collection-hall/episodes_old/motor/mp44/index.html.
- ↑ Ayrton Senna
- ↑ Gafisa presta homenagem a Ayrton Senna: "morador ilustre a gente não esquece"
- ↑ 75.0 75.1 Philip, Robert (2007-10-17). "Spirit of Ayrton Senna is Lewis Hamilton's spur". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2323502/Spirit-of-Ayrton-Senna-is-Lewis-Hamiltons-spur.html. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ↑ "Hamilton visits Senna's grave". ESPN.com (ESPN). 2009-10-16. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4565293. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ↑ "The Official Formula 1 Website". Formula1.com. http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/45/. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- ↑ Widdows, Rob (2008-02-02). "Instituto Ayrton Senna: Gone but not forgotten". London: Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/2750524/Instituto-Ayrton-Senna-Gone-but-not-forgotten.html. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- ↑ Collings and Edworthy (2002), p. 238.
- ↑ Menard and Vassal (2003), p. 70.
- ↑ Rodrigues, Ernesto (2004) (in Portuguese). Ayrton: o herói revelado. Objetiva. pp. 639. ISBN 9788573026023.
- ↑ http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2009/11/10214.html
- ↑ The Official Formula 1 Website
- ↑ Instituto Ayrton Senna
- ↑ written by Ernesto Rodrigues, Editora Objetiva, ISBN 85-7302-602-2 [1]
- ↑ Noble, Jonathan (2009-10-31). "Campos honoured to give Senna F1 slot". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79887. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ↑ "Alonso voted best driver". Sify (Sify Technologies Ltd.). 2010-07-23. http://sify.com/sports/alonso-voted-best-driver-news-news-khxqOjgjchi.html. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ↑ "Senna film set for autumn release". crash.net (Crash Media Group). 2010-07-13. http://www.crash.net/f1/news/161548/1/senna_film_set_for_autumn_release.html. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
External links
- Official Ayrton Senna Website (Portuguese)
- Instituto Ayrton Senna official site
- Ayrton Senna - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Biography of Ayrton Senna
- Ayrton Senna - Motor Racing Legend
- Ayrton Senna Memorial
- Ayrton Senna Rally driving in Wales
- Article, April 21, 2004 re: Ayrton Senna brand and charitable organization 10 years later (The Times)
- Ayrton Senna Photos
- Ayrton Senna career details
- Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II at MobyGames
- Ayrton Senna statistics
- Ayrton Senna at the Internet Movie Database
- Ayrton Senna at the Notable Names Database
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roberto Moreno |
British Formula Ford Champion 1981 |
Succeeded by Julian Bailey |
| Preceded by Tommy Byrne |
British Formula Three Champion 1983 |
Succeeded by Johnny Dumfries |
| Preceded by Roberto Moreno |
Macau Grand Prix Winner 1983 |
Succeeded by John Nielsen |
| Preceded by Nelson Piquet |
Formula One World Champion 1988 |
Succeeded by Alain Prost |
| Preceded by Alain Prost |
Formula One World Champion 1990–1991 |
Succeeded by Nigel Mansell |
| Preceded by Roland Ratzenberger |
Formula One fatal accidents May 1, 1994 |
Succeeded by Last F1 fatality to date |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by Nigel Mansell |
Autosport International Racing Driver Award 1988 |
Succeeded by Jean Alesi |
| Preceded by Jean Alesi |
Autosport International Racing Driver Award 1990–1991 |
Succeeded by Nigel Mansell |
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