Ayrton Senna
Created | Updated Jul 12, 2006
This Brazilian driver,born in Sao Paulo,Brazil,on 30 March 1960,made it into British FF1600 in 1981,winning the championship.In 1982,Senna took both the British and European FF2000 titles,and in 1983 the British Formula Three crown.
For the 1984 season,Senna made his Formula One debut with the Toleman* F-1 team,with a best finish of 2nd place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
For the 1985 season,Senna moved to the Lotus+ F-1 team,where in his 3 seasons(1985-1987),he captured 16 pole positions,6 fastest race laps,and 6 victories.
In 1988,Senna moved to the McLaren team,where in 1988,1990,and 1991 he captured the World Championship,as well as 46 pole positions,13 fastest laps,and 35 victories.
For the 1994 season,Senna drove the Williams,winning pole in the three statrs he was to have with the team,as sadly on 1 May 1994,while leading during the 7th lap of the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola,Italy,Senna left the circuit at the Tamburello corner due to a steering failure,crashing fatally.
As a tribute to Senna(as well as Austrian Roland Ratzenberger,also killed at Imola),the front row at the next race,the Monaco Grand Prix(won on 6 occasions by Senna-1987,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993)was left open as a fitting tribute.
Also,the death of Senna touched off a frenzy of mourning in his native Brazil,with the honour of a State Funeral granted to Senna.
As a driver,Senna was on of the most intense and commited drivers on the circuit,at times frighteningly so. Of the other drivers,it must be noted he was not well-liked by hem,especially by Piquet,Prost amd Mansell,with all bar Piquet it getting into on-track collisions that were infamous in F-1(with Mansell;1986 Brazil,1989 Portugal: with Prost;1989 and 1990 Japan,and an attempt in Portugal 1988 to run Prost into the pit wall).
*-This team became known as Benetton Formula in 1986.
+-This great team sadly withdrew from Formula One after the 1994 season.
For the 1984 season,Senna made his Formula One debut with the Toleman* F-1 team,with a best finish of 2nd place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
For the 1985 season,Senna moved to the Lotus+ F-1 team,where in his 3 seasons(1985-1987),he captured 16 pole positions,6 fastest race laps,and 6 victories.
In 1988,Senna moved to the McLaren team,where in 1988,1990,and 1991 he captured the World Championship,as well as 46 pole positions,13 fastest laps,and 35 victories.
For the 1994 season,Senna drove the Williams,winning pole in the three statrs he was to have with the team,as sadly on 1 May 1994,while leading during the 7th lap of the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola,Italy,Senna left the circuit at the Tamburello corner due to a steering failure,crashing fatally.
As a tribute to Senna(as well as Austrian Roland Ratzenberger,also killed at Imola),the front row at the next race,the Monaco Grand Prix(won on 6 occasions by Senna-1987,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993)was left open as a fitting tribute.
Also,the death of Senna touched off a frenzy of mourning in his native Brazil,with the honour of a State Funeral granted to Senna.
As a driver,Senna was on of the most intense and commited drivers on the circuit,at times frighteningly so. Of the other drivers,it must be noted he was not well-liked by hem,especially by Piquet,Prost amd Mansell,with all bar Piquet it getting into on-track collisions that were infamous in F-1(with Mansell;1986 Brazil,1989 Portugal: with Prost;1989 and 1990 Japan,and an attempt in Portugal 1988 to run Prost into the pit wall).
*-This team became known as Benetton Formula in 1986.
+-This great team sadly withdrew from Formula One after the 1994 season.
