ARYTON SENNA – A NATIONAL TREASURE; A BORN WINNER

As we head towards Interlagos this weekend, it only seems right to look back at a true icon of not only the sport, but the country of Brazil. Someone whose name is shared with those famous first two corners, and whose generosity would be remembered for generations to come. Aryton Senna.

When Aryton Senna was declared dead after crashing into a concrete barrier whilst leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the world was left shocked. The race had already started on a heavy note as Roland Ratzenberger, the Austrian newcomer to Formula 1, who had only entered his third race, died during qualifying the day before. The Brazilian Formula 1 driver donated an approximate $400 million of his personal fortune to children’s charities, especially in his homeland, and had touched the hearts of millions throughout his career. Such was the popularity of Senna that Brazil declared three days of mourning following his death. As Jeremy Clarkson said on the Top Gear tribute about Senna’s incredible driving ability, “If you had seen his funeral, you would have known he was a bit more than that.” Senna proved that creating a legacy in Formula 1 wasn’t just about being the fastest driver on the track. However, on the day, being the fastest driver on the track was exactly what he did.

Senna first competed in Formula 1 in 1984 as an aspiring young driver whose dream was to drive amongst the best. It was that same year that Senna firmly planted his name on the map of the greats. On a rain-soaked Monaco track, the young Brazilian was able to pull his Toleman car, a team that was used to hanging off the back of the grid, from 13^th to an amazing second place finish. Critics and fans were impressed by young Senna’s performance, showing his genius in wet conditions. A slippery track did not scare Senna, in fact he spoke on how “the danger sensation is exciting. The challenge is to find new dangers,”. There is no surprise then that Senna gained the name, “The King of Monaco,”and holds a record six wins on what is one of the most dangerous tracks in Formula 1.

In 1988, Senna’s first year for McLaren, he performed what McLaren dubbed the “greatest lap you’ve ever seen.” Senna had grabbed pole position, out-qualifying four-time world champion teammate Alain Prost by an extraordinary 1.4 seconds. To give an idea of how huge of a margin this is, in Lewis Hamilton’s 100 pole position laps, the average pole margin was 0.273 seconds. Senna famously exclaimed…

“Suddenly I realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously… I was driving it by a kind of instinct.”

Senna’s mind was the engine, his body the vehicle; a true machine.

Known on the track for his aggressive, wall or win driving style, Senna was a big family man when he was away from the track. Senna would credit his focus and instinct in the car to his Catholic faith. Full of compassion for the less fortunate in his home country of Brazil, Senna was loved by the people of his country of birth because of his generous donations and continuous support. Senna’s care for humanity was viewed globally in the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix during qualifying when he stopped his car in the middle of a busy track to save Erik Comas, who had crashed heavily and was knocked unconscious with his foot still hard on the throttle. If it wasn’t for Senna’s brave actions, Coma’s story could have been very different.

Yet Senna was not always an angel on the track. Just two years earlier in the 1990 title deciding race in Japan, Senna had wiped out his championship rival Alain Prost in the first corner, putting both their lives at risk. The Brazilian driver was a man of two characters. Following the dangerous incident in Japan, Senna had the chance to sit down with 1971 World Champion Jackie Stewart for an interview. Arguably Senna’s most famous quote, the one that perfectly encapsulates his driving style, left Stewart speechless following his attacking questions at the young Brazilian driver.

“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you’re no longer a racing driver”
SENNA

Proved the uncompromising nature of Senna’s driving style. At that first corner in Japan, Senna had refused to yield; the desire to win had conquered his worry for death. As the Brazilian said in that same interview, “I am not designed to come second or third. I am designed to win.” Senna did not see second position as a chance to stand on the podium, he saw it as the first of those who lost. That was the mindset that made him such an attacking driver, but most importantly, a winner.

The greatest lap of all time can be widely debated among the Formula 1 community but Senna’s “Lap of the Gods” is difficult to contend with.It was the opening lap of the 1993 European Grand Prix where Senna shut down the criticism that F1 placed too much emphasis on the machinery and instead, showed them that being a great driver is what made the difference. In the wet conditions that Donnington Park provided that day, Senna seemed to hold an extra-sensory awareness over the other drivers that made them look like rookies. Rookies they were not. He passed five drivers, including Prost, Hill and Schumacher in the opening lap to reach first place. From beginning the race in fifth, he had managed to finish with a margin of over one minute to the next driver. Even though Senna had dominated that entire race through incredible tire management and the ability to adapt to different weather scenarios, the race was truly won on that first lap. An inferior car meant nothing to such a determined driver who never entered a race to do anything but win. The pure one lap pace from Senna was impeccable throughout his career, achieving 65 pole positions from his 162 race entries. 25% of the races in which Senna entered he had won. When he went onto the track and set a time, every driver knew that was the time to beat. As Senna noted…

“Each driver has its limit. My limit is a little bit further than others”.
AYRTON SENNA

Over three million people lined the streets for Senna’s funeral procession. Formula One drivers such as Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, men who had despised him for his unmatched driving style across the years were there to recognize and celebrate one of greatest of all time. Senna wasn’t just a driver to the people of Brazil; he was a national treasure. Aryton Senna’s sister continued his commitment to helping others by creating the Aryton Senna Foundation that supports street children in Brazil. A symbol of hope, a fearless driver, a name etched into the track forever. Aryton Senna will always go down as one of the greatest drivers to ever race in Formula 1.