When it comes to perfection at the race tracks, very few names come close to Ayrton Senna da Silva. Born in Brazil, Ayrton Senna da Silva was a racing driver who is considered one of the greatest F1 drivers behind Lewis Hamilton. His heart was filled with racing cars, and his unparalleled reflexes served racing enthusiasts with thrilling career moments.
Also known as Big Beco, Senna was a proven serial winner, and he left a permanent mark in F1’s history, cementing him as one of the best racers in the competition. In 1994 Senna complained about the new Formula One rules, predicting that there’ll be lots of injuries that season. Tragically, he lost his life after a collision with a concrete wall at the San Marino Grand Prix. While his death was one of the darkest moments of the sport, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the legendary driver.
10 Audi Legacy
Shortly before his death, Senna went to Ingolstadt and signed a contract with Audi to import the A3 to Brazil. Whether the sole purpose of this contracting was for just business or personal interest in the A3, we hardly can tell.
Subsequently, Audi Senna Ltd. built a factory that specialized in building the A3 and the VW Golf. The factory still stands in Brazil today and is fully functioning thanks to Senna's contract, though it is now wholly owned by Audi.
9 He Helped Perfect The Acura NSX
In 1989, while Honda was building the Acura NSX, they invited the F1 champion to test run the supercar at Honda’s Suzuka Circuit. Senna, who was always very particular about what he drove, was initially not impressed by the car.
Honda aimed to build the NSX to Porsche and Ferrari’s levels of rigidity, but Senna insisted that the car was too fragile. Thanks to his regular inputs, Honda’s engineering team was able to raise the car’s rigidity by an impressive 50%.
8 Crash Or Pass
Among competing drivers, Senna was notorious for putting his vehicle in positions where his opponents either had to let him pass or crash. More often than not, they let him pass. However, most people forget that passing Senna was also a big problem as only a few drivers ever caught up with him.
The only driver who made this mistake to unlap himself was Eddie Irvine. This ended badly for Eddie because, despite Senna's victory, he still sought him out (after the race) and hit him. Senna claimed that Comas wasn't a real driver as he didn't respect the unwritten Formula one rules.
7 Rivalry With Alain Prost
On the track, Ayrton Senna had a formidable opponent - Alain Prost. While Prost was still driving professionally, they dragged on their cold war for some time. It is not hard to see why their rivalry went on. An already established Prost had to keep his status as one of the best racers in the world, while newbie Senna was striving to usurp Prost’s status.
While they were together at Mclaren-Honda. Senna pipped Prost to the title by one win. In 1989, Prost took out Senna at the Suzuka chicane to win the title, and Senna repaid the favor the next season at Suzuka’s first corner, in what was one of the most controversial F1 moments.
6 Silvastone Circuit
The Silvastone circuit, originally called the Silverstone circuit, was dubbed in honor of the racing legend. The circuit was nicknamed using Senna’s surname - da Silva - even though Senna didn’t use his surname so often.
The three-time champion has a bit of history on the Silverstone circuit, as he won nine straight formula 3 races there. So, whatever way you look at it, the ‘Silvastone circuit’ was home to Senna, in life, and after he tragically passed on.
5 Roland Ratzenberger's Almost Empty Funeral
Even in death, Senna managed to grab the spotlight. A day before Senna’s crash, Roland Ratzenberger died in a collision. This death must have really affected Senna, given that an Austrian flag (instead of his usual Brazillian flag) was found in his car after he crashed.
It was meant to be waved after his victory. Unfortunately for Ratzenberger, Senna's death completely overshadowed his. Virtually everyone in the racing world attended Senna's funeral except Max Mosley, FIA president at the time, who flew in for Ratzenberger's funeral. Reports later said he had reasoned no one would show up for the funeral, and he was right!
4 He Saved Erik Comas' Life
French driver Erik Comas almost lost his life if not for Senna's timely intervention. While practicing for the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, Comas crashed heavily at Blanchimont and lost consciousness. His Ligier's engine was still on and screaming badly, close to an explosion.
Senna, at his own risk, stopped his vehicle and ran to Comas to help. He switched off the Ligier and held Comas head aright till the medical team arrived. This is a testimony to Senna's selflessness, which existed both on and off the track.
3 String Of Victories
By the age of 13, Senna had already started winning kart races, and he would go on to Britain to compete in single-seater racing, where he won five championships in three years. His big break came when he made his F1 debut with Toleman.
Senna would move to Lotus, then McLaren, and finally Williams. In all, he had 41 wins, 65 pole positions, and 3 world championships, staking a claim as one of the world’s best drivers.
2 He Was Extremely Passionate
Apart from his well-known driving skills, what many people did not know about Ayrton Senna was that he wore his heart on his sleeve. It was evident in his press briefings, his obsession with perfection on the track, and virtually every other thing he did. Those closest to him witnessed first-hand the energy he put into even mundane activities, and some thought he was possessed.
Prost famously accused the three-time champion of caring about winning than about living. In yet another statement, Prost described him as a dangerous madman, who thought God was his co-pilot.
1 That Fatal Crash
At the start of the 1994 F1 season, Senna was quoted as saying, “If I ever happen to have an accident that eventually costs my life, I hope it happens in one instant." On May 1, 1994, at the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna led the race in his Williams when it veered off track and collided with the Tamburello corner’s concrete wall.
Those present at the event and millions of others watching worldwide were left in shock. Senna’s passion and skill left an imprint on the landscape of F1, and his tragic death was a hard pill to swallow.