SENNA REMEMBERED
05-01-2009, 09:59 AM
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05-01-2009, 11:37 AM
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Remembering Ayrton Senna
01 May 2009
Friday 1 May 2009 marks the fifteenth anniversary for the death of Ayrton Senna. The São Paulo-born driver, who claimed 41 Grand Prix wins, 65 pole positions and 3 World Championship titles between 1984 and 1994, was killed tragically on this day in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when leading the race for Williams. With work beginning on a feature film dedicated to the great man this month, GPUpdate.net takes a moment to celebrate the life of a sporting legend.
A man of great mental strength as well as physical, Senna's clear overall determination and will to win a motor race was only strengthened by his aggressive driving on-track and seemingly eternal mystique off it. Never shy to make his feelings known, the Brazilian will forever be remembered for his ultra-cool approach to dominating races combined with an outspoken character when expressing a point of view.
Born Ayrton Senna da Silva on 21 March 1960, he grew up in his beloved São Paulo where, as a toddler, he was given his first go-kart. After winning the South American Karting Championship at the age of 17, he went on to finish runner-up in the World Championship in both 1979 and 1980.
Senna leads the 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix for Lotus
Having beaten Martin Brundle to the British Formula 3 title after a year-long duel in 1983, Senna immediately progressed to the Toleman team in Formula 1 the next season; the highlight of the year came with a hypnotic drive in an underpowered car to second overall in the soaking Monaco Grand Prix, rapidly closing in on Alain Prost's McLaren before the race was finally stopped. Senna's first win came for Lotus a year later in Portugal, sailing away from the field in yet more torrential conditions.
Mentally driven, Senna also showed signs of controversy amidst the heat of the intense battle on circuit; his title decided incidents with Prost at Suzuka are marked in history as two of the most poignant memories in the sport. Having moved to McLaren to join the Frenchman in 1988, Ayrton clinched his first title in Japan after a storming drive following a stall at the start.
Senna and Prost come together in the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix
A year later came the infamous collision between the two team-mates at the chicane; Senna went on to win the race but Prost was declared Champion after the Brazilian's disqualification. In 1990, the same circuit hosted the penultimate round of the season for which Senna asked for pole position to be moved to the opposite side of the track. Although Prost agreed, the organisers did not and Senna - starting from pole - threatened to drive his former team-mate's Ferrari off the road if ahead by the first corner. Sure enough, the Frenchman was ahead at Turn 1 as Senna, throttle wide open, duly removed both cars from the race in a dramatic and symbolic collision.
There was another side to Senna, though - a comical one. Laidback and mellowed away from the racing circuit, the incomparable Paulista was particularly recognised for his tomfoolery whilst working with McLaren team-mate Gerhard Berger, creating a joy for his team, the media and viewing public. He was also a successful businessman in creating Senninha, his cartoon companion, thoroughly popular with children across his home nation of Brazil as well as globally.
The move to Williams came in Ayrton's final season
His third and final title came in 1991 for McLaren although, with dominant Williams cars heading the field for the next two seasons, Senna knew where his aspirations lay. Finally signing for the Didcot-based team in 1994, Senna was leading the third round at Imola when a tragic San Marino Grand Prix weekend claimed its second fatality in a high speed accident. Brazil was brought to a standstill as a nation came to realise the loss of a hero; Formula One's seemingly immortal figurehead was gone, leaving an irreplaceable hole in the sport.
" Given the circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit and you think 'okay this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further.
With your mind power, your determination, your instinct and the experience as well, you can fly very high. "
- Ayrton Senna
01 May 2009
Friday 1 May 2009 marks the fifteenth anniversary for the death of Ayrton Senna. The São Paulo-born driver, who claimed 41 Grand Prix wins, 65 pole positions and 3 World Championship titles between 1984 and 1994, was killed tragically on this day in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when leading the race for Williams. With work beginning on a feature film dedicated to the great man this month, GPUpdate.net takes a moment to celebrate the life of a sporting legend.
A man of great mental strength as well as physical, Senna's clear overall determination and will to win a motor race was only strengthened by his aggressive driving on-track and seemingly eternal mystique off it. Never shy to make his feelings known, the Brazilian will forever be remembered for his ultra-cool approach to dominating races combined with an outspoken character when expressing a point of view.
Born Ayrton Senna da Silva on 21 March 1960, he grew up in his beloved São Paulo where, as a toddler, he was given his first go-kart. After winning the South American Karting Championship at the age of 17, he went on to finish runner-up in the World Championship in both 1979 and 1980.
Senna leads the 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix for Lotus
Having beaten Martin Brundle to the British Formula 3 title after a year-long duel in 1983, Senna immediately progressed to the Toleman team in Formula 1 the next season; the highlight of the year came with a hypnotic drive in an underpowered car to second overall in the soaking Monaco Grand Prix, rapidly closing in on Alain Prost's McLaren before the race was finally stopped. Senna's first win came for Lotus a year later in Portugal, sailing away from the field in yet more torrential conditions.
Mentally driven, Senna also showed signs of controversy amidst the heat of the intense battle on circuit; his title decided incidents with Prost at Suzuka are marked in history as two of the most poignant memories in the sport. Having moved to McLaren to join the Frenchman in 1988, Ayrton clinched his first title in Japan after a storming drive following a stall at the start.
Senna and Prost come together in the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix
A year later came the infamous collision between the two team-mates at the chicane; Senna went on to win the race but Prost was declared Champion after the Brazilian's disqualification. In 1990, the same circuit hosted the penultimate round of the season for which Senna asked for pole position to be moved to the opposite side of the track. Although Prost agreed, the organisers did not and Senna - starting from pole - threatened to drive his former team-mate's Ferrari off the road if ahead by the first corner. Sure enough, the Frenchman was ahead at Turn 1 as Senna, throttle wide open, duly removed both cars from the race in a dramatic and symbolic collision.
There was another side to Senna, though - a comical one. Laidback and mellowed away from the racing circuit, the incomparable Paulista was particularly recognised for his tomfoolery whilst working with McLaren team-mate Gerhard Berger, creating a joy for his team, the media and viewing public. He was also a successful businessman in creating Senninha, his cartoon companion, thoroughly popular with children across his home nation of Brazil as well as globally.
The move to Williams came in Ayrton's final season
His third and final title came in 1991 for McLaren although, with dominant Williams cars heading the field for the next two seasons, Senna knew where his aspirations lay. Finally signing for the Didcot-based team in 1994, Senna was leading the third round at Imola when a tragic San Marino Grand Prix weekend claimed its second fatality in a high speed accident. Brazil was brought to a standstill as a nation came to realise the loss of a hero; Formula One's seemingly immortal figurehead was gone, leaving an irreplaceable hole in the sport.
" Given the circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit and you think 'okay this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further.
With your mind power, your determination, your instinct and the experience as well, you can fly very high. "
- Ayrton Senna
05-01-2009, 11:44 AM
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when i lived in the Netherlands in 92, my son and I went to every european F1 races. For the German GP we had a hotle screw up and ended up in the same hotel as the McClaren team. My son (age 15 at the time) ended up meeting both Berger and Senna in the hotel and I have his autograph on the back of my business card. Berger bought him a Coke in the hotel cafe and drew him a picture of the then new paddle shifter steering wheel.
Was a great year, and it is sad to think that he has been gone so long.
b
PS, also met Schumacher standing in the rental car line at Barcelona!!
Was a great year, and it is sad to think that he has been gone so long.
b
PS, also met Schumacher standing in the rental car line at Barcelona!!
05-01-2009, 12:22 PM
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when i lived in the Netherlands in 92, my son and I went to every european F1 races. For the German GP we had a hotle screw up and ended up in the same hotel as the McClaren team. My son (age 15 at the time) ended up meeting both Berger and Senna in the hotel and I have his autograph on the back of my business card. Berger bought him a Coke in the hotel cafe and drew him a picture of the then new paddle shifter steering wheel.
Was a great year, and it is sad to think that he has been gone so long.
b
PS, also met Schumacher standing in the rental car line at Barcelona!!
Was a great year, and it is sad to think that he has been gone so long.
b
PS, also met Schumacher standing in the rental car line at Barcelona!!
05-01-2009, 12:29 PM
#7
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Although Prost agreed, the organisers did not and Senna - starting from pole - threatened to drive his former team-mate's Ferrari off the road if ahead by the first corner. Sure enough, the Frenchman was ahead at Turn 1 as Senna, throttle wide open, duly removed both cars from the race in a dramatic and symbolic collision.
- nice.
- nice.
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05-01-2009, 12:33 PM
#8
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Truly one of the GREATs! 
Monte Carlo, 1988:
"...so it was lap after lap. I was on the pole, then the next lap with a bigger margin, and I was going more and more and more...
...I was able to experience something that I never did before, to a level never reached before...out of that day I could not have told myself 'I could have done a little more here or there'. That was the maximum for me, no room for anything more. I have not really reached that feeling again.
...I felt at one stage that the circuit was no longer really a circuit, just a tunnel of Armco..."
- Ayrton Senna in interview with Denis Jenkinson, The Racing Driver
Monte Carlo, 1988:
"...so it was lap after lap. I was on the pole, then the next lap with a bigger margin, and I was going more and more and more...
...I was able to experience something that I never did before, to a level never reached before...out of that day I could not have told myself 'I could have done a little more here or there'. That was the maximum for me, no room for anything more. I have not really reached that feeling again.
...I felt at one stage that the circuit was no longer really a circuit, just a tunnel of Armco..."
- Ayrton Senna in interview with Denis Jenkinson, The Racing Driver
05-01-2009, 01:27 PM
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is that the race some others passed away as well. That sucks, never want to see a driver killed.
05-01-2009, 02:37 PM
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Regarding Mikes' comments:
As stated before, things are far different today than they were then. The fact that Senna had admitted he was going to take out Prost because he wasn't allowed to switch pole position from one side of the track to the next (EVENTHOUGH Prost had agreed to the switch) will forever be a black eye on Senna's reputation. History would not have been kind to Senna if Prost or himself were killed in that premeditated action.
05-01-2009, 02:42 PM
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Yes, that weekend was very strange and tragic.
Regarding Mikes' comments:
As stated before, things are far different today than they were then. The fact that Senna had admitted he was going to take out Prost because he wasn't allowed to switch pole position from one side of the track to the next (EVENTHOUGH Prost had agreed to the switch) will forever be a black eye on Senna's reputation. History would not have been kind to Senna if Prost or himself were killed in that premeditated action.
Regarding Mikes' comments:
As stated before, things are far different today than they were then. The fact that Senna had admitted he was going to take out Prost because he wasn't allowed to switch pole position from one side of the track to the next (EVENTHOUGH Prost had agreed to the switch) will forever be a black eye on Senna's reputation. History would not have been kind to Senna if Prost or himself were killed in that premeditated action.
05-01-2009, 11:40 PM
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Hard to believe it's been 15 years- remember picking up the tape at my mother in law's condo because we didn't have sat. tv yet and no cable in our rural setting. Stopped to pick up the tape and the race was still on because of the delays... knew it wasn't good... still have that tape... along with that other bad day at Fontana- saw that one live unfortunately...
05-01-2009, 11:41 PM
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what happened at fontana?