“Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose.”- Ayrton Senna
Senna may not be a household name in India today, but make no mistake, Ayrton Senna was a legend. Senna was a true great of Formula 1 and an inspiring human.
Born in Sao Paulo in Brazil, Ayrton was destined for great things. In 1981, at the young age of 21, the Brazilian moved to England to pursue his dreams of motorsport. After showing his once-in-a-generation talent, Senna got the opportunity to drive in F1 with the Toleman team in 1984 at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He proved that he was truly a force to be reckoned with at that year’s Monaco Grand Prix. At the narrow and twisty circuit, where overtaking was nearly impossible, Senna qualified 13th in a very mediocre car. On the day of the race, the heavens opened. Rain poured like there was no tomorrow. Senna delivered a masterclass and by the 19th lap, he was already in second place, overtaking greats like Niki Lauda (three-time F1 world champion) and Keke Rosberg (one-time F1 world champion). He swiftly caught another great of the sport, Alain Prost (four-time F1 world champion), and was very close to passing him, when the race was deemed too dangerous to continue. The entire F1 world took notice of this man, who would go on to be engraved in motorsport history.
In 1985, Senna moved to the acclaimed Lotus team. In just his second race, the Portuguese Grand Prix, with the team, Ayrton took his first-ever pole position. He went on to dominate the race and score his first race win. Senna performed wonderfully and won again at the rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix. He proved his amazing pace by taking seven pole positions in the sixteen race season. The next year as well, Senna performed brilliantly and came fourth in the championship. 1987 was another successful year as Senna came third in the championship, winning two races.
However, by now, it was very clear that the Brazilian was destined for greater things. Ayrton moved to the McLaren team for 1988 and he exploded onto the scene. 1988 was a pivotal year in Senna’s story. Alain Prost, then double world champion, was to be his teammate at McLaren. McLaren, Honda engines, had built a phenomenal car for the 1988 season, the McLaren MP4/4. With this car, Senna and Prost together won fifteen out of the sixteen races in the season. A fierce and bitter rivalry developed between the two, which would define both their careers. Senna ultimately came out on top to win his first-ever world championship in 1988. The next season saw their rivalry intensify. Prost managed to gain the upper hand going to the final race of 1989, the Japanese Grand Prix. Senna and Prost had a collision at this race and Senna went on to win the race. However, he was later disqualified for causing the collision and for receiving a push start back on to the track. Thus, it would be Alain Prost, the Frenchman who won the title. Prost moved to McLaren’s rivals Ferrari for 1990. Another season filled with tough battles and bitter comments unraveled, with both drivers at the absolute pinnacle of racing.
Again, at that year’s Japanese Grand Prix, a collision between the two took place. This time, Senna became the world champion for the second time in his career.
In 1991, Senna won his third and final world championship, challenged by Nigel Mansell, as Prost’s car was not on the same level as Senna’s and Mansell’s. However, Senna won comfortably. The 1992 McLaren, however, was not as good as its predecessors. Senna could only manage to finish fourth behind the two all-conquering Williams cars and a young man by the name of Michael Schumacher. In 1993, after much speculation, Senna remained with McLaren. The car, now with Ford engines, performed better than expected, but Senna could not win the championship, finishing second behind Williams driver Alain Prost. Senna won the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, which would sadly be the last win of his career. After Prost’s retirement at the end of 1993, their relationship improved greatly and the two began to understand each other.
Senna left McLaren and joined Williams for 1994. At the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola racetrack, Senna suffered an accident at the Tamburello corner. This accident took Ayrton Senna’s life and took away one of the greatest talents in F1 history. Well, if Senna only won three championships, compared to names like Fangio (5), Hamilton (6) and Schumacher (7), why is he considered so great? Senna’s pace in an F1 car was monstrous. The whole world took notice of the Brazilian’s raw speed, wet weather skills, and racecraft. Senna's untimely death took away an immense talent from the racing world. Ayrton Senna will never be forgotten.
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