Ayrton Senna

Race Car Driver

Ayrton Senna was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 21st, 1960 and is the Race Car Driver. At the age of 34, Ayrton Senna biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
Ayrton Senna da Silva, Beco, Magic Senna
Date of Birth
March 21, 1960
Nationality
Brazil
Place of Birth
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Death Date
May 1, 1994 (age 34)
Zodiac Sign
Aries
Networth
$400 Million
Profession
Businessperson, Formula One Driver, Philanthropist, Racing Automobile Driver
Ayrton Senna Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 34 years old, Ayrton Senna has this physical status:

Height
175cm
Weight
76kg
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Build
Slim
Measurements
Not Available
Ayrton Senna Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Christianity
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
St. Louis College, Colégio Rio Branco
Ayrton Senna Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, ​ ​(m. 1981; div. 1982)​
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, Adriane Yamin, Maria da Graça Meneghel, Christine Ferracciu, Carol Alt, Marjorie Andrade, Elle Macpherson, Adriane Kelemen Galisteu Iódice
Parents
Milton da Silva, Neide Senna da Silva
Siblings
Viviane Senna (Older Sister) (Entrepreneur, Philanthropist), Leonardo (Younger Brother)
Ayrton Senna Life

Ayrton Senna da Silva (21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991, and is widely considered one of the best Formula One racers of all time.

Senna began his motorsport career in karting and won the 1983 British Formula Three Championships.

He made his Formula One debut with Toleman-Hart in 1984 before heading to Lotus-Renault the following year and winning six Grand Prix over the next three seasons.

He worked with Frenchman Alain Prost at McLaren-Honda in 1988.

They were among the 16 Grands Prix winners this year, with Senna winning just one of the 16 Grands Prix of the year, and Senna claimed his first World Championship.

In 1989 and 1991, Prost claimed the championship, and Senna won his second and third championships.

The Williams-Renault team began to dominate Formula One in 1992.

Senna also won five races and negotiated a move to Williams in 1994, despite being runner-up in the 1993 season. Senna has been consistently named as the best and most influential Formula One acade of all time in various motorsport polls.

He was known for his one-lap qualifying speed, and he held the most pole positions from 1989 to 2006.

He was also praised for his wet weather appearances, such as the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, and the 1993 European Grand Prix.

He wins his sixth grand prix in a row, and he is the fifth-most popular racer of all time in terms of race victories.

Senna has been accused of causing controversies throughout his career, most notably during his tumultuous rivalry with Prost.

The eventual champion of the Japanese Grand Prix of 1989 and 1990, each of which decided the championship of the year, Senna and Prost determined the eventual winner.

Personal life

Senna was a devout Catholic once and said, "Just because I believe in God, not because I have faith in God, does't mean I'm safe." "I'm immortal" doesn't mean I'm immortal (1989). On long flights from San José to Europe, he read the Bible often. Senna's morning of his death, according to sister Viviane, "he awakened and opened his Bible and read a letter saying he would get the most precious gift of all, which was God himself."

Senna expressed worry over Brazil's poor. He was discovered to have secretly donated millions of his personal wealth (estimated at $400 million) to help poor children following his death. He conceived the framework for an association committed to Brazilian children just before his death, which later became the Instituto Ayrton Senna (IAS).

Senna was given the No. 57. In 1988, 1991, 1990, and 1992, the editor of the Autocourse magazine awarded a driver of the year by the editor, as well as taking the runner-up position in 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1992. Senna, on the other hand, was so outraged by the editor's removal of Senna from No. 1 that he was banned from the top of the charts. 1 to No. Despite being given the No. 2 in the 1990 charts as a result of Senna's first corner crash at Suzuka in 1990 with Alain Prost—a piece of driving the editor was completely reckless—despite being given the No. Senna refused to write the usual World Champion's eword by the year's World Champion, but Honda's Head of Racing replaced him with the foreword. Senna was "intense egocentricity and uniquely flawed genius," according to the Autocourse editor in 1993, who called him "matchless genius in the wet." "Senna was the one driver who truly cared where he was ranked in the Top 10 drivers by the AUTOCOURSE team," the editor said in the 2000 edition of Formula 1, according to Senna's personal slight "placed below his rivals."

Senna was often portrayed as using riding as a means of self-discovery and racing as a metaphor for life, and she said, "The more I push, the more I discover inside myself." I am always searching for the next step, a new world to enter, and places where I haven't been to before. Driving a Grand Prix car is lonely, but it's also absorbing. I've had new sensations, and I want more. "I am excited, and I am motivated."

Senna became increasingly preoccupied with the dangers of his trade as he approached the end of his career. He began the reorganisation of the GPDA safety committee on the morning of his death, with which he had intended to continue to work to improve the safety of his sport.

Senna owned several buildings, including an organic farm in Tatu, Brazil, an apartment in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, an apartment on the Portuguese Riviera, and a house in Algarve, Portugal. Senna let Adriane Galisteu, Senna's last girlfriend, stay for the first leg of the F1 season in 1994. The pair met as a hostess at a McLaren sponsorship, Shell, a year before, as part of the Brazilian Grand Prix for which Galisteu had to apply through a modelling company in order to serve as a hostess.

Senna enjoyed a variety of sports, including rowing, waterskiing, jet skiing, and paddleboarding. He had other interests, including flying real and model planes and helicopters, boating, fishing, and riding his favorite Ducati motorbikes. His personal jet, a British Aerospace 125, was also piloted his own helicopter between his Brazilian homes and racing. Senna was flown by the Brazilian Air Force on 1989, his 29th birthday (a Dassault Mirage III), which is on display at the Aerospace Museum of Rio de Janeiro.

Senna was close friends with McLaren coworker Gerhard Berger, and the two were always laughing out loud jokes about each other. "He taught me a lot about our sport, but he taught him to laugh," Berger said. Frank Williams, who made the documentary film The Right to Win in 2004, honors Senna, says that he was still a better driver inside as well as inside, and that "he was even bigger man outside of the car than he was inside it."

After riding a Porsche at 121 mph (194.7 km/h) on the M25 near London in 1992, Senna received a fine and a temporary driving ban in the United Kingdom.

Senna was married to Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza from 1981 to 1982. Vasconcelos, who had been living in England since childhood, had a difficult time adjusting to her husband's racing life. "It was his second passion," Vasconcelos later admitted. Racing was his first passion... Nothing more significant in the world than his family, not wife, not nothing." Senna, who didn't have much money early in his racing career, insisted on helping his wife with no help from his father out of a sense of pride. The marriage ended in divorce. Senna then courted Adriane Yamin, the daughter of an entrepreneur from So Paulo who was 15 years old when they first started the business in 1985 and was often chaperoned by her mother at meetings with Senna. They were briefly engaged, but Senna broke it off in late 1988. Senna was a child of Brazil's Xuxa TV star from late 1988 to 1990. Christine Ferracciu, who lived with him at his Monaco and Portugal homes, was dated between 1990 and 1991. Senna also had a relationship with American model Carol Alt, and we briefly dated models Marjorie Andrade and Elle Macpherson. Senna was in a relationship with Brazilian model and later TV actress Adriane Galisteu at the time of his death.

Edilaine de Barros, a former model better known as Marcella Praddo, made one of Senna's oldest allegations involving Senna's former employees. The woman dated from 1992 to 1994, according to her. Victoria Barros' child, Senna, was born weeks after Senna's death and claims that Senna was the father were soon established but then abandoned after the Senna family's rejection. Years later, after joining a religious faith, the former model was convinced to sue Senna's estate. DNA tests of hair and saliva samples obtained by Senna's children in 2000 showed that he was not the father of de Barros' child.

Senna was the subject of Nelson Piquet's first Formula One campaign, from Senna being seen as a taxi driver to being homosexual given his failed marriage. Senna said he lost his virginity at 13 years of age to a prostitute arranged by his cousin, and he also denied that he had a romantic affair with Piquet's would-be wife (hence Piquet's acrimony).

Bruno Senna, the nephew of Senna (his sister Viviane's son), who said in 1993: "If you think I'm fast, wait until you see my nephew Bruno." Bruno started racing at his family's insistence despite his uncle's death. He competed in Formula One between 2010 and 2012, a move that, according to reports, had a huge emotional effect on the Senna family and was seen by others as a sign only resulting from Bruno's fame and the money it could bring.

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Ayrton Senna Career

Early life and career

Senna was born at 2:35 a.m. (05:35 GMT) on Monday, March 21, 1960, in the Pro-Matre Maternity Hospital of Santana, a suburb of So Paulo, a neighborhood of So Paulo. He was born to landowner and factory owner Milton Guirado da Silva and his partner Neide Senna da Silva; he had an older sister, Viviane, and a younger brother, Leonardo. He was left-handed. Senna's mother was the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, while his father was born to a Spanish mother (from Tjola, Province of Almer) and a Brazilian father from So Paulo.

Senna's father, Joo Senna, owned the house where he lived for the first four years of his life. It was located in Avenida Aviador Guilherme's corner with Avenida Gil Santos Dumont, less than 100 meters from Campo de Marte, a large area where they operated the Aeronautics Material park and an airport. Senna was a natural performer, excelling in gymnastics and other sports, and she attracted an interest in cars and motor racing at the age of four. However, as a young boy, he had poor motor coordination and had trouble scaling stairways by the age of three. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was unremarkable (i.e. There were no abnormalities detected (see, above). Senna's parents dubbed him "Beco." Senna began riding a Jeep around his family's farm and then learned how to shift gears without using a clutch.

Senna graduated in 1977 with a grade 5 in physics, chemistry, and English from Colegio Rio Branco in the Sagitre neighbourhood of Higienópolis, S. Paulo, and English. He later enrolled in a business administration degree but he was disqualified after three months. His grades climbed to 68% overall.

Senna's first kart was built by his father using a small 1-HP lawnmower engine. Senna debuted at Interlagos and entered a karting competition at the age of 13. He started his first campaign on pole position, facing rivals who were years older than him; despite this, he maintained his lead until colliding with a competitor before retiring. Lucio Pascal Gascon, his father, and his son followed him.

Senna was the first woman to win the South American Kart Championship in 1977. From 1978 to 1982, he competed in the Karting World Championship, finishing runner-up in 1979 and 1980. He was the teammate of Terry Fullerton in 1978, from whom Senna later found was the most enjoyable racing against also due to a lack of funds and politics at that time.

Senna began single-seater racing in 1981 near Norwich, England, winning the RAC and Townsend Thoresen Formula Ford 1600 Championships that year with the Van Diemen team.

Despite this, Senna did not believe he would continue in motorsport at all. Senna announced his departure from Formula Ford and back to Brazil at the end of the season, under pressure from his parents to take up a part in the family company. Senna was given a ride with a Formula Ford 2000 team before leaving England, but not before leaving England, however. He returned to England after being back in Brazil and rejoined the country. Senna, his mother's maiden name, became the most common Brazilian surname, as da Silva is the most common Brazilian surname. Senna went on to win the 1982 British and European Formula Ford 2000 championships. Senna received assistance from Banerj and Pool for the upcoming season.

Senna competed in the British Formula Three Championship for the West Surrey Racing team in 1983. He dominated the first half of the season before Martin Brundle, who was driving a similar vehicle for Eddie Jordan Racing, closed the gap in the second part of the championship. Senna captured the title in the final round of a closely fought and, at times, tense contest with the Briton. Senna also triumphed at the inaugural Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix with Teddy Yip's Toyota-powered Theodore Racing Team in November.

Senna was aided by Domingo Piedade for the bulk of his his career.

Formula One career

Senna tested for Formula One teams Williams, McLaren, Brabham, and Toleman in 1983. Peter Warr of Lotus, Ron Dennis of McLaren, and Bernie Ecclestone of Brabham all made bids for testing in 1984 and proposed long-term contracts that linked Senna to driving later on. Senna completed 40 laps and was quicker than other competitors during his Williams test at Donington Park (1.957-mi) Donington Park circuit, including Williams' reigning World Champion Keke Rosberg. Neither Williams nor McLaren had a vacant seat in the 1984 season. Both Williams and McLaren chief Ron Dennis said Senna insisted that he should run their cars before anyone else (other than their regular users such as Rosberg) so he would have the best chance of a good showing by having a new car.

Peter Warr needed to replace Nigel Mansell with Senna at Lotus, but Imperial Tobacco, a British-based title sponsor, wanted a British driver, not a British one. Senna, on the other hand, was determined to drive that season and certainly on his own terms. Senna's Brabham test took place at Circuit Paul Ricard in November 1983. Senna impressed the Brabham team and was appointed to their second seat. However, Parmalat, the team's main sponsor, needed an Italian driver. Brothers Teo and Corrado Fabi later shared Brabham's second car, while Piquet convinced Ecclestone to hand over Roberto Moreno as the test driver. Senna then joined Toleman, a relatively new team, using less durable Pirelli tyres. Johnny Cecotto, a former Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion, was his teammate. Senna Cobra was hired by Senna in 1984 to look at his physical condition due to his insecurity over his poor weight.

Senna made his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro, where he finished 17th, but he resigned after the Hart 415T turbocharger failed on lap 8. In his second race at the South African Grand Prix in Kyalami with severe neck and shoulder pains, he placed sixth in his second race, and he repeated the effect two weeks later at the Belgian Grand Prix.

His inability to qualify for the San Marino Grand Prix due to a combination of tyre problems and a fuel shortage, the only time this has occurred during his career. During Friday qualifying at Imola, Toleman decided not to run both cars due to a dispute with tyre manufacturer Pirelli (Toleman was converting from Pirelli to Michelin). Senna then had a fuel-pressure problem in Tosa's wet Saturday session (the furthest point on the circuit from the pits), but he didn't have enough time to get it to be determined in time for him to make the grid. Senna's best showing of the season came at the Monaco Grand Prix, the first wet-weather race of the season. On lap 19, he climbed to the top, finishing third, passing Niki Lauda for second. He quickly reduced the gap to race leader Alain Prost, but the race was postponed for safety reasons until Prost could attack Prost, as the rain had gotten even heavier. Senna was catching Prost by about 4 seconds per lap at the time, though Tyrrell-Ford of Stefan Bellof was catching both at the same time, but he was eventually disqualified due to weight restrictions broken by Tyrrell).

Senna was known for his ability to provide very detailed technical information about his cars' results and track conditions long before the telemetry revolution was invented; this ability inspired Senna's first F1 race engineer, Pat Symonds, to see the Dallas Grand Prix in the United States as the first highlight of Senna's debut season, rather than Monaco.

Symonds recalled in an interview:

Senna earned two more podium finishes this season, third at the British and Portuguese Grands Prix, and ninth overall in the Drivers' Championship. He did not participate in the Italian Grand Prix after being banned by Toleman for being in breach of his employment by starting talks with Lotus for 1985 but not forming the Toleman team first. Despite the fact that Senna had a £100,000 buyout clause in his deal, the team had to be notified before beginning negotiations with another team. Senna was the first driver to sign Lotus without being consciously chosen by team founder Colin Chapman, who died in 1982.

Senna had Bell's palsy, possibly from a virus at the end of the year. Sid Watkins, one of his face had been completely paralysed, gave Senna steroids to keep the possibility of recovery intact.

Senna was partnered by Italian driver Elio de Angelis in his first year at Lotus-Renault. He had the fastest testing times at Rio, but he had to return due to electrical problems during the race weekend. Despite that the Renault-powered Lotus 97T was quick and nimble, and it had perhaps the best suspension of any vehicle this year, Senna made a few mistakes out of inexperience, and Senna made a few mistakes due to inexperience. Senna's first pole position of his Formula One career came in the second round of the season. He converted it into his first victory in the race, which was held in very wet weather, winning by more than a minute from Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari and lapping everyone up to and including 3rd placed Patrick Tambay. Senna's first 'Grand Slam' race in his career, as well as the fastest lap of the season. He would later argue that it was the best drive of his career, according to race engineer Steve Hallam, who acknowledged Senna's "truly exceptional" talent.

Senna was leading the San Marino, Monaco, British, and German Grand Prix but had to stop all these races premature or out of fuel, and he suffered a catastrophic crash in the middle of the track. Despite taking pole three times in the intervening period, he did not finish in the points until finishing second at the Austrian Grand Prix. (His determination to take pole at the Monaco Grand Prix had enraged Alboreto and Niki Lauda; Senna had set a fast time early and was accused of deliberately torturing the other drivers by running more laps than was necessary, but charges in Canada erupted, prompting others to abandon line and lose time). Senna won his second time in rainy weather at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, with two more podiums following in the Netherlands and Italy. Senna's relationship with De Angelis ended over the year, as both drivers demanded top driver status within Lotus and, after six years on the team, De Angelis departed for Brabham at the end of the year, convinced that Lotus were getting laser-focused on the Brazilian driver. Senna and De Angelis ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the driver rankings this year, separated by five points. Senna had begun to establish himself as the best in the field, with a total of seven poles in the season far more than those of any of the other competitors (Renault's V6 qualifying engines were expected to produce over 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS)).

After Senna blocked Derek Warwick from joining the team, De Angelis was replaced by Scotland's Johnny Dumfries, claiming that Lotus could not produce competitive cars for two top drivers at the same time. Senna reportedly begged for his old flatmate and fellow Brazilian Mauro Gugelmin to join the team as a pure number two driver, but the team's major sponsor, John Player & Sons, insisted on a British driver, which resulted in the signing of Dumfries. "It was bad, bad." Senna later admitted that it was wrong. I had a positive relationship with Derek up until this point. Senna started the season well, finishing second in Brazil behind fellow countryman Nelson Piquet and winning the Spanish Grand Prix by just 0.014s from Piquet's teammate Nigel Mansell in one of the fastest finishes in Formula One history, who now finds himself leading the World Championship after two races. Despite the fact that the 98T was similar to the 97T, a fast and bumpy road with a high rate of reliability, it was also known that he drifted behind Mansell and Piquet in the second half of the season, as well as former and eventual champion Alain Prost. Nevertheless, Senna was once the best qualifier with eight poles, with another win at the Detroit Grand Prix, putting the season's top finish in the driver's standings again. Senna's 98T produced over 1,300 bhp (969 kW; 1,318 PS) in qualifying and 862 PS in the championship, with Senna's 98T delivering over 1,300 bhp (969 kW; 862 PS).

Senna, who had been barred from the 1986 FIFA World Cup by France, requested a trackside defender for the Brazilian flag after winning the Detroit Grand Prix from Frenchmen Prost and Jacques Laffite, who took place a day after Brazil was barred from the 1986 FIFA World Cup by France. He continued doing this ritual every time he won a contest. During an interview with American television, he used equine words to describe his agony of having to go into the pits earlier than expected due to a deflating rear tire. Senna also went back to rallying where he tried out a Vauxhall Nova, a MG Metro 6R4, a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, and a Ford Escort on a stretch of land that had been closed to the public.

In 1987, Team Lotus had a new engine contract, using the same turbocharged Honda V6 engines that Williams had used to win the previous year's Constructors' Championship, and with him came a new teammate, 34-year-old Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima, who was a Honda test driver employed solely by Honda. Senna received contractually preferential treatment over Nakajima in terms of equipment exchange, according to the team. Senna's season started with mixed fortunes: a podium at the San Marino Grand Prix was dampened by controversies, including Mansell's collided with Mansell, and a tumultuous Mansell grabs Senna by the throat and had to be restrained by Lotus mechanics later in the race. Senna later won two races in a row, helping him to take the lead in the World Championship: the ensuing Monaco Grand Prix (the first of his career's six victories) and the Detroit Grand Prix, his second victory in two years and the first for an actual suspension F1 vehicle. The Williams cars lended the top of the field, but it became abundantly clear as the championship progressed, where Mansell and Piquet in the better Williams cars lapped the Lotuses of Senna and Nakajima, who finished third and fourth respectively. Senna became dissatisfied with his Lotus career, and it was announced that he would join McLaren for 1988. Senna's season came to an end, finishing second in the final two races in Japan and Australia, but post-race scrutineering at the final race discovered his Lotus brake ducts to be wider than permitted by the rules, and he was disqualified, effectively ending his season as a result. Senna finished third in the final standings, with 57 points, six podium finishes, and just one pole position. Senna's career came to an end this season as McLaren arranged Williams' supply of Honda's V6 turbo engines for 1988.

Senna joined the McLaren team in 1988 due to his close friendship with Honda during the 1987 season, and the possibility of a second world champion, Alain Prost, joined the team. Senna and Prost were founded as a tense race erupts, culminating in a string of dramatic race clashes over the next five years. However, the veteran pair soon discovered that despite their personal rivalry, they still had to work together, especially in testing, to remain ahead of their main rivals, Ferrari, Williams, Benetton, and Lotus.

Senna led by 1.4 seconds out-qualified Prost by 1.4 seconds and led for the majority of the race before crashing on lap 67, perhaps the year's best event of the year. Senna was so distraught by his own error that he went back to his apartment and did not contact the team until he walked into the pit garage later that night. Senna was also devastated by his own error after team manager Jo Ramirez called him through his Monaco apartment's maids just hours after he had crashed. Team manager Ron Dennis didn't know what caused his DNF until then, although Prost speculated that Senna had clipped the inside wall at Portier, throwing him into the outside guard rail. Prost got off to a much faster start than Senna, but the Brazilian, who would a number of times, crashed into the fast first corner ahead. Prost responded and Senna was passed at the end of the first lap. Senna swerved to stop Prost from being launched, causing the Frenchman to almost crash into the pit wall at 290 kilometres per hour (180 mph). Prost stayed his foot down and Senna came out of the first corner and started pulling away. Senna's manoeuvre angered Prost, who was normally a patient, and the Brazilian got away with a warning from the FIA. Prost expressed his displeasure with the step that prompted Senna to apologize to Prost for the incident during a debriefing session. In 1988, Senna took 15 of 16 races in the iconic McLaren MP4/4, with Senna coming out on top, winning his first Formula One world championship title by eight wins to Prost's seven. Prost gained more points over the season, but Senna lost by three points in three of the 11 best scores counted, meaning Senna defeated Prost by three points.

However, the year's biggest incident occurred at Monza's Italian Grand Prix. Senna led by five seconds over Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto, who were closing in on the McLaren (Prost had earlier retired with a badly failing engine). Senna closed on the Williams of Jean-Louis Schlesser (standing in for the unwell Nigel Mansell) as the Rettifilo Chicane began. Senna was seated wide, trying to give Senna space to lap before regaining control to prevent Senna from collapsing into the sand trap, and Senna's car was stranded on top of a curb and had stalled; Senna's was stranded. Ferrari's founder Enzo Ferrari died in an Italian Grand Prix for the first time since the team's founder Enzo Ferrari's death. This was the only sport McLaren did not win in 1988.

Senna rewrote the record books during the season. His eight victories ties over the old record of seven jointly owned by Jim Clark (1963) and Prost (1984). His 13 pole positions also beat Nelson Piquet (1984)'s record of nine pole positions.

Senna and Prost's rivalry in the ensuing year erupted into a slew of wars, as well as a psychological confrontation off the track. Following Ron Dennis' announcement that they discovered consistent differences between the Honda engines from Prost and Senna in the detriment of Prost, there was also some doubt. Senna's tensions and mistrust among the two drivers soared when Senna overtook Prost at the start of the San Marino Grand Prix, a charge that Prost alleged violated a pre-race deal, although Prost denied any such link, but Prost's story was backed up by John Hogan of the team's main sponsor, Marlboro). During a practice session on the Pembrey circuit in Wales, a meeting between the two drivers and Dennis revealed the team of Senna and Prost's personal animosity. Senna led the way in the championship early in the season with victories in San Marino, Monaco, and Mexico. Senna also achieved the feat of leading every lap of those races, which was not equalled until Sebastian Vettel in 2012. Senna has also won in Germany, Belgium, and Spain. However, unreliability in four consecutive races in Phoenix, Canada, France, and Britain, as well as accidents in Brazil and Portugal, swung the title in Prost's favour.

After a collision with Senna at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, the season's penultimate race, which Senna must win to remain in contention for the title, Prost took the 1989 world championship. Prost managed to leave the grid faster than Senna by removing the gurney flap from his vehicle, which was unnoticeable to Senna. Prost's car was quicker on straights, but slower through corners, a clever move to make it even more difficult for Senna to travel on a circuit that is still difficult to pass. Senna had finally arrived next to Prost and attempted a pass on the inside of the tight last chicane on lap 46. Prost pounded right into the upcoming corner, removing Senna from his suit and tangling wheels with him. Both McLarens were forced to halt in the middle of the road ahead of them, causing them to crash. At that point, Prost ended the race, while Senna begged marshals for a boost, which he received, then resumed the contest after a pit stop to repair the cracked nose on his car. He took the lead from Benetton's Alessandro Nannini and went on to win, but later was disqualified after a stewards meeting after the race. Senna was disqualified for getting a kick start, cutting the chicane after the collision with Prost, and crossing into the pit lane entry, which was not part of the agenda. In the winter of 1989, he received a substantial fine and a temporary suspension of his FIA Super License, as well as an irate Senna's public chastised for his expulsion in Japan. Senna's contention that Balestre had compelled the race stewards to disqualify him so that his fellow Frenchman Prost could win the championship, but the meeting's stewards denied that Balestre had to have ruled against him, saying he was not present when the decision was made. Senna finished second in the season, with six victories and one second place. Prost, who couldn't cope with Senna in what he felt was a hostile environment, left McLaren for rivals Ferrari the following year. Even with Ron Dennis after a trophy-related incident in Italy, the prost had set fires on bridges.

Senna took the championship by a landslide in 1990 with six victories, two second-places, and three thirds. Prost was also a new colleague in Austrian driver and friend Gerhard Berger, who was driving for Ferrari. Among his victories were the first round of Phoenix, in which he argued for the lead for several laps with Jean Alesi's Tyrrell before coming out on top, and in Germany, where he fought Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini throughout the competition for the win. Senna won six races, including another in Monaco, and the season's final quarter, but Alain Prost of Ferrari defeated the opposition by winning five races, including a crucial victory in Spain, where he and teammate Nigel Mansell finished 1–2 for the Scuderia. Senna had been thrown out with a defective radiator, and the Senna-Prost gap had been reduced to 9 points with two races remaining.

Senna took pole position in Suzuka, where Senna and Prost collided the previous year. Senna had requested promises from the organisers to advance pole position left on the right side of the racetrack, but FIA president Balestre refused Senna's request, prompting Senna to start on the olek side of the equation, favouring Prost on the left. In addition, the FIA had warned that approaching the yellow line of the pit exit on the right to better position oneself at the first corner would not have been beneficial, angering Senna. Prost came out at the start of the contest, leading Senna, who began to repass Prost at the first corner. Although Prost came out, Senna stayed on the accelerator and the cars collided at 270 km/h (170 mph) and went off the track, leaping into the tire barrier, making Senna the world champion.

Following Senna's second championship-deciding accident in two years, Jackie Stewart interviewed Senna (where Senna won pole and led for 61 laps before gearbox malfunction forced him to abandon a tyre barrier) and brought up a number of other unpopular accidents in which Senna had more contact with other vehicles and drivers in the last four years than any of the champions before him. "Being a racing driver means you are racing with others," an irritated Senna wondered, knowing the pressure under which drivers raced and said, "being a racing driver means you are racing with other people," he said.

Senna admitted that he had deliberately crashed into Prost at the previous year's Japanese Grand Prix, a year after winning his third world championship, and he then told the media his activities and motives at Suzuka that year. He maintained that before qualifying fastest, he had requested and received promises from race officials that pole position would be changed to the left, clear side of the track (where the racing line was), but was surprised to find this decision reversed by Jean-Marie Balestre after he had taken pole. Senna said he was not going to accept Balestre's unfair decision-making, including 1989 disqualification and the incorrect pole position in 1990. Senna said that no matter what happened, he would not yield the corner, and that Prost taking his normal racing line would result in an accident. Prost later went on record condemning Senna's behavior as "disgusting," saying he seriously considered quitting the sport after that occurrence. Senna had seen the Honda engine telemetry at Suzuka and that it showed that Senna had stayed his foot flat across the 4th gear corner when he had struck Prost- Senna in fourth place, revealing that Senna had taken Prost out on purpose.

Senna made history by winning seven titles and raising his pole position record to 60 from 127 events in 1991. Prost, who remained a major competitor despite the downturn in Ferrari's results, was no longer a judicious competitor. Senna expressed misgivings about the car's competitiveness with the latest Honda V12, saying that the engine was not as strong as the previous year's V10. Senna dominated the first four races in Phoenix, Brazil, Imola, and Monaco, beating his opponents who failed to match his speed and stamina. Nigel Mansell, a quick Adrian Newey designed Williams-Renault, was able to put up a fight later this season, having only scored 6 points by the time Senna had 40 points. Senna was hospitalized in a jet-skiing crash near So Paulo, which required stitches on the back of his head before the Mexican Grand Prix. He attempted to get the banked 180-degree Perpetua corner (Mexico City circuit's fastest corner) faster than average, but ended up spinning off the track and rolling over the car after collapsing into a tyre barrier. Senna's car came to a halt on the final lap of the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, but he was not left stranded on the circuit, as race winner Mansell pulled over on his parade lap and allowed the Brazilian to ride on the Williams side-pod back to the pits. Senna's car then crashed 15 feet into the air after a tyre failure, and then turned around several times when getting back to the track. Senna had to spend the night in a hospital in nearby Mannheim because the vehicle had been ruined. However, he was able to participate in the German Grand Prix at the forested Hockenheim circuit right away, but he ran out of fuel just laps before the event ended. Senna and Mansell rode wheel-to-wheel at the Spanish Grand Prix, with only centimeters to spare, at over 320 mph (200 mph) down the main straight, a distance that the Briton eventually won.

Despite Senna's tenacity, the car's reliability, and Williams' unreliability at the start of the season gave him an early advantage, Senna maintained that Honda continue to develop their engine development program and demanded further updates to the vehicle before it was too late. These updates, as well as tweaks introduced in Hungary and variable inlet trumpets at Belgium, allowed him to make a late-season bid, and he secured the championship after Mansell (who had to win) collapsed in Japan when he crashed first and beached his Williams in the gravel trap. Senna came in second, with teammate Gerhard Berger taking the victory at the last corner as a thank-you gesture for his continued help over the season. Senna had intended to join the Williams team for the 1992 season, but Honda CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto had requested that Senna stay at McLaren-Honda, which Senna did out of a sense of patriotism, in contrast to Alain Prost's advice that Senna was an integral part of the team's journey to McLaren, but Senna denied that Senna's participation in the transfer of Senna

Senna received the "International Racing Driver Award" from British magazine Autosport each year, as had been the case in 1988 and 1990. Stirling Moss and Senna was interviewed on stage by Formula 1 commentator Murray Walker, who questioned the award. Senna said during the interview that one of his helmets had been given to Jean-Marie Balestre, Senna's most popular opponent, because of the sincere atmosphere that surrounded it and as an insulting psychological gesture.

Senna's resolve to win in 1992 revealed itself in dismay at McLaren's inability to face Williams' all-conquering FW14B sedan. The FW14B was much quicker than any other vehicle this season, thanks in large part to its aerodynamic-enhancing active suspension and a powerful Renault V10 engine. McLaren's latest model for the season had several flaws. A delay in getting the new MP4/7A running (it was McLaren's first car with a semi-automatic gearbox and debuted in the third race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix) was unfortunate, while the new car's Honda V12 engine was no longer the most responsive on the track). Senna and other drivers were highly critical of his car's speed during practice for the second race of the season on a poorly maintained and brisk track in Mexico, which led to a loss of downforce and a hard crash into a concrete retaining wall. He had to be pulled out of the car by circuit doctors wearing a neck brace, but the next day, he returned from the sport despite suffering from gearbox failure. Senna also won in Monaco, Hungary, and Italy last year. During qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, French driver Érik Comas crashed heavily, and Senna was the first to arrive at the scene. Senna could hear the stricken vehicle's engine revving at maximum RPM, and he rushed across the road to help the Frenchman and put the car's screaming engine to a halt (which might have blown and started a fire at any time), disregarding his own safety in an attempt to assist a fellow driver. He stayed in Comas later in the hospital. His activities earned widespread kudos from Formula One and helped to tilde his hardnosed image. Senna came in fourth overall in the championship, behind Mansell and Riccardo Patrese of Williams and Benetton's Michael Schumacher.

Senna's friendship with German rising star Michael Schumacher, who was putting on stellar form in every race, was never a positive one, perhaps because Senna regarded Schumacher as a threat to his supremacy in F1. Schumacher accused Senna of 'playing around' when trying to overtake Senna, who had a problem with his engine during the 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix. Schumacher collided with Senna, resulting in Senna's retirement. Senna was later confronted by Schumacher, who admitted to blame for the crash. Senna and Schumacher were a conflict in the pits, with Senna grabbing Schumacher by the collar and accusing him of endangering him by blocking him from entering the track.

Senna's plans for the forthcoming 1993 season lingered through 1992, as he did not have a deal with any team until the end of the year. Senna had discussed with Niki Lauda but decided not to accept it. He believed that McLaren cars were becoming less competitive than in previous years, particularly considering Honda's decision to abandon the sport early in 1992 due to economic challenges and McLaren's lack of active suspension relating to rival Williams.

Senna obtained an IndyCar testing session with Emerson Fittipaldi, a compatriot and Penske pilot. Senna visited Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona, near Phoenix, Arizona, in December 1992, to try a 1992 Penske PC-21 CART Indianapolis vehicle. Unlike the more modern F1 vehicles, this IndyCar had a conventional transmission with clutch pedal and iron brakes, and it was considerably larger than a smaller Formula One vehicle; IndyCar teams had significantly less budgets than Formula One cars and did not have to make their own cars; this IndyCar was powered by a turbo Chevrolet-Ilmor V8. Senna began running 14 very slow laps before completing a further 10 laps on the same tyres and recording a new personal record of 49.09 seconds. Fittipaldi had a record of 49.70 seconds, which he later reduced to 48.5 seconds, but only after using the new 1993 Penske PC-22 at his disposal during this testing session. Fittipaldi revealed in a 2018 interview that Penske boss Roger Penske was about to enter a third Penske vehicle in the 1993 Indianapolis 500, one of the world's most prestigious and prestigious races, but McLaren boss Ron Dennis denied Senna from competing at Indianapolis, although defending champion Mansell had not.

McLaren chief Ron Dennis' 1993 tries to obtain a supply of the popular Renault V10 engines with which Williams had a field day. Senna returned to Williams himself and attempted to take one of their two open rides when others failed, and former champion Nigel Mansell joined the IndyCar Series for 1993 and former second driver Riccardo Patrese was forced to drive at Benetton with Michael Schumacher. However, despite Senna's going so far as to cancel his annual salary in order to drive one of Williams' Renaults, this too will fail. Alain Prost was returning to F1 for the first time since the 1991 season's penultimate race (he had been fired by Ferrari prior to the 1991 season), received a significant compensation package as part of a non-compete clause, and he resigned from service for the 1992 season) and filled one of the open seats. Prost had a clause in his contract that he had veto power over who he would serve with in the other car for 1993; he then had to miss Senna and force him into what was then a lame-duck season for the Brazilian at McLaren. An infuriated Senna called Prost a coward during the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril Circuit, but some commentators claimed that Senna's chances of winning the championship were much higher in 1993 than Senna's.

By this time, McLaren was obliged to obtain a Ford V8 engine from a customer, which was two versions behind Ford's then factory team, Benetton. McLaren intended to make up for the inferior performance with mechanical sophistication, which included a quick active suspension system, but the procedure itself was complicated at times, especially for new teammate Michael Andretti. Dennis was eventually persuaded Senna to remain with McLaren as a result of his campaign. The Brazilian, on the other hand, decided to do so only for the first race in South Africa, where he would determine whether McLaren's equipment was robust enough for him to put in a good season. Senna said the well-balanced new MP4/8 vehicle had surprising performance, even though it had a smaller engine on power relative to Prost's Renault V10 and less so on Benetton's factory V8. Senna's deal with McLaren was therefore extended on a race-by-race rather than a full year, with no one remaining for the entire 1993 period. This involvement was on a $1 million a race basis, and although midseason testing with a Lamborghini V12 was encouraging, with McLaren and Peugeot concluding an engine supply agreement for the 1994 season, it was insufficient to maintain Senna past 1993.

Senna came in second place in the first race in South Africa after recovering from a collision with Schumacher. Senna has won in Brazil and Donington under difficult circumstances. The latter has often been regarded as one of Senna's top victories, while still setting a new record for the fastest lap in an F1 race, when driving through the then-speed-unrestricted pit lane. He was fifth in the first corner of England in April and led the way in a race where up to seven pit stops were required by some drivers for rain or slick tyres. Senna won a second-place finish in Spain and a record-breaking sixth victory at Monaco, beating Graham Hill's record of five. Senna led the Williams-Renault championship after Monaco, the sixth race of the season. As the season progressed, Alain Prost and Damon Hill defended the superiority of their Williams-Renault cars, while Senna suffered mechanical failures in Imola, Canada, Hungary, and Portugal, where Prost claimed to have no expertise beyond his 1992 sabbatical. Senna captured the penultimate race of the season in Japan, which was characterized by an incident involving Jordan's rookie Eddie Irvine twice unlapping himself against Senna. Senna erupted into the Jordan team's garage and told the Irishman, "You're driving like a jerk!" Immediately after the race, Senna yelled at him. You're not a racing driver, but you're a f***ing idiot!" before punching him in the head. Following that incident, the stewards banned Senna from running for two races in 1994. However, after a lengthy debate between Senna and the president of the FIA, a compromise was reached by removing the ban, considering Senna's exemplary behavior towards his fellow drivers. The decision sparked some controversy back in the day, both amongst drivers and journalists, considering that during the 1993 season, Prost was banned from using words to criticize the president of the FIA, which means punching a fellow driver in the face was not as bad as criticizing the FIA.

Senna's 41st and last F1 victory, as well as Senna's last victory for an active-suspension F1 car (ironically, Senna won the first time for a car with this technology in Monaco 1987). Senna's win in Adelaide was a psychological one, with Senna's return to McLaren and his biggest challenge, Prost, defeated for the first time. Senna surprised the F1 community by openly congratulating Prost on the top step of the podium, which some believe to be a sign of peace between the two teams. Senna came in second place in the championship to Prost, with a second place behind him.

Senna's 1994 move to Williams after Prost retired and was reported to have received a $20 million salary. Senna was given the number two, with teammate Damon Hill driving the number 0 due to Prost, who would have been assigned number 1 if he had returned to work after retiring. Senna's arrival brought a new sponsor. Rothmans International came on board as Williams' primary backer, with Senna being one of the first drivers in the iconic white and navy livery.

For 1994, there were no rules governing active suspension, traction control, or ABS. The new Williams FW16 vehicle displayed no of the FW15C and FW14B vehicles that preceded it, and Senna discovered himself close to competing with Michael Schumacher's Benetton B194 chassis. Senna expressed his dissatisfaction with his car's handling, saying, "I have a really bad feeling about driving the car and driving it on the highway." All of this is due to a lack of technological change. In addition, the car has its own characteristics that I am not completely confident in yet." "It's going to be a season of a lot of accidents," Senna continued. I'll risk saying we'll be lucky if something really serious does not happen."

Senna took pole position in the first race of the season at Interlagos, Brazil. He took the lead early, but Schumacher's Benetton was never far behind. After passing Senna in the pits, Schumacher took the race lead. On lap 56, he pushed too hard and spun the car out of Junço corner, stalling it and pulling it out of the competition. Senna's car was placed on the pole in Aida for the second time in the inaugural Pacific Grand Prix. However, after being beaten to the first corner by second-qualifier Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, was struck from behind in the first corner by Nicola Larini T-boned the Williams, bringing his race to a close close. Both drivers recovered after suffering front-suspension damage. Hill had transmission issues as a result of his transfer, but Schumacher won the match once more.

Despite being pole position both times, Senna's off to a slow start to a Formula One season was off to a slow start. Senna was leading Senna by 20 points in the Drivers' Championship. Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo revealed that on the 20th anniversary of Senna's death on April 27, 1994, he and Senna held talks about a potential Ferrari engagement.

The 1994 season saw sweeping legislative reforms, most notable banning the use of electronic "driver aids" like active suspension, anti-lock brakes, traction control, and launch control. Senna was reported to have been troubled from the get-goal start. Senna, for example, opted to stand near the first corner and watch the cars complete the race to see if any now banned traction control system was being used. After the race was suspicious that the Benetton vehicle was illegal, he returned to the Williams box. Indeed, Senna had "concluded" that "unique noises from the engine, which he described as "unique," giving Benetton a leg up.

The season came to an end at the Adelaide Grand Prix, where the first-corner chicane was renamed "Senna Chicane." After a crash that resulted in his resignation and that of his coworker, Senna's colleague, Damon Hill, Schumacher, went on to win the driver's world championship series in a turbulent way. The German dedicated his title to Senna at the official FIA conference after the race.

Motorsport career outside Formula One

Senna did not participate in any other motorsport until he reached Formula One.

He participated in the 1984 Nürburgring Race of Champions, an exhibition competition in which all drivers competed in identical examples of the then-new Mercedes 190E 2.3–16 with minor race adjustments. The event was held on the then-opened Nürburgring GP Track until the European Grand Prix was over. Nevertheless, this race featured many current and former Formula One racers, including Stirling Moss and former World Champions Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, and Alan Jones, who all rode identical touring cars. Alain Prost started from pole position, but Senna took the lead in the first corner of the first lap, defeating Niki Lauda and Carlos Reutemann. Senna was quoted as saying, "Now I know I can do it." Following the race, Senna was quoted as saying, "Now I know I can do it." Senna was a last-minute addition to the Mercedes race, taking over Emerson Fittipaldi's position.

Henri Pescarolo and Stefan Johansson competed in the 1984 World Sportscar Championship in Nürburg, Ohio, driving a Porsche 956 for New-Man Joest Racing. He finished in eighth place, but the team and his co-drivers were impressed, and he was commended.

In 1993, he competed in the Masters Karting Paris Bercy tournament, which was held on a temporary basis at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. This performance is notable for being the stage for Alain Prost's last on-track duel with Ayrton Senna.

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F1 legend Ayrton Senna's famous sports car is up for sale on Auto Trader... but fans will have to pay £500,000 to own the iconic red Honda NSX

www.dailymail.co.uk, April 23, 2024
A rare sports car once owned by F1 legend Ayrton Senna has gone up for sale for a whopping £500,000. Senna raced in Formula One between 1984 and and 1994, winning three world championships with McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991.  The Honda NSX, of which only a handful of models are currently in existence, goes up for sale nearly 30 years after Senna tragically lost his life at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola Circuit. 

Sky Sports creates the ultimate Formula 1 track on the planet: Sky Sports' legendary Eau Rouge de Spa and Circuit of the Americas' uphill climb are among the most spectacular Formula One tracks on the planet

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 26, 2024
Sky Sports interviewed fans about their aspiration F1 track and brought it to life in images and an animation ahead of the new season. The 3.7-mile-long circuit includes elements from several Grand Prix series, including the Suzuka ferris wheel in Japan, Eau Rouge of Spa in Belgium, the Hairpin Hotel in Monaco, and the uphill climb at Circuit of the Americas. Silverstone is incorporated in the pouring rain, with the venerable RAF Red Arrows flying overhead to add some colour to a typical British summer day.

Lewis Hamilton goes double-leather in a bright green Ayrton Senna tribute outfit to honour the Formula One icon at his home Grand Prix in Brazil

www.dailymail.co.uk, November 2, 2023
Hamilton's jacket had a photograph of Senna sporting a helmet with his name in italics underneath. Senna died in 1994 after suffering a car accident in Imola, Italy, during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Hamilton has previously described him as "the guy who inspired me as a child."