He was a Brazilian racing driver and triple Formula One world champion. His death in 1994 San Marino Grand Prix marked the beginning of a new era in Formula One racing oriented to driver safety. He remains the last Grand Prix driver killed while driving a Formula One car.
A kart racer from an early age, he won the British Formula 3 championship in 1983 and made his Formula One debut the next year. He moved to Team Lotus in 1985 and won six races there over the course of three seasons. He joined Frenchman Alain Prost in 1988 and won the Formula One World Championship. He developed a rivalry with Prost, one of the most bitter in F1 history. Senna won the championship twice more, in 1990 and 1991, the former decided in a controversial manner by a collision in one of the final races with Prost who was then a Ferrari driver. In the next two years with McLaren, despite driving an inferior car, Senna won eight races and finished runner-up for the world title in 1993.
Also notable was the unique duality of his character. Senna's intense and unyielding will to win on the track, was in stark contrast to his humane and compassionate exploits off it. A deeply religious man, he reportedly donated the bulk of his fortune to create the "Ayrton Senna Foundation", with the aim of helping poor and needy young people in Brazil and around the world. Eventually becoming concerned with the potential dangers of his sport, he helped to push for the organization of a driver safety group shortly before his final race
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 million people lined the streets to give him their salute. Most of Formula One attended Senna's state funeral. However, FIA President Max Mosley did not, as he attended the funeral of Ratzenberger instead which took place on May 7, 1994 in Salzburg, Austria. 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.
For the next race at Monaco, the FIA decided to leave empty the first two grid positions and painted them with the colors of the Brazilian and the Austrian flag, to honour Senna and Ratzenberger.
A kart racer from an early age, he won the British Formula 3 championship in 1983 and made his Formula One debut the next year. He moved to Team Lotus in 1985 and won six races there over the course of three seasons. He joined Frenchman Alain Prost in 1988 and won the Formula One World Championship. He developed a rivalry with Prost, one of the most bitter in F1 history. Senna won the championship twice more, in 1990 and 1991, the former decided in a controversial manner by a collision in one of the final races with Prost who was then a Ferrari driver. In the next two years with McLaren, despite driving an inferior car, Senna won eight races and finished runner-up for the world title in 1993.
Also notable was the unique duality of his character. Senna's intense and unyielding will to win on the track, was in stark contrast to his humane and compassionate exploits off it. A deeply religious man, he reportedly donated the bulk of his fortune to create the "Ayrton Senna Foundation", with the aim of helping poor and needy young people in Brazil and around the world. Eventually becoming concerned with the potential dangers of his sport, he helped to push for the organization of a driver safety group shortly before his final race
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 million people lined the streets to give him their salute. Most of Formula One attended Senna's state funeral. However, FIA President Max Mosley did not, as he attended the funeral of Ratzenberger instead which took place on May 7, 1994 in Salzburg, Austria. 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.
For the next race at Monaco, the FIA decided to leave empty the first two grid positions and painted them with the colors of the Brazilian and the Austrian flag, to honour Senna and Ratzenberger.
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