In 1977 Ayrton became Pan-American champion and was twice runner-up in the World Championships, in 1979 and 1980, but he never managed to win the Kart World Champion Title. In November 1980, his fellow countryman, Chico Serra, introduced Senna to Ralph Firman, Managing Director of Van Diemen. Firman then offered Senna to test a works Van Diemen Formula Ford 1600 car at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk, which the young Brazilian gladly accepted. But Senna was not impressed by his own performance because he had, surprisingly enough, found the car difficult to drive. But Ralph Firman had seen enough and Senna was offered a works drive for 1981.
During his first year in Formula Ford 1600, Senna managed to win 12 races and two championship titles. But by the end of 1981 Senna’s motorsport suffered its only real crises. His newly formed marriage with Lilianea (a school time sweetheart) was cracking, and he had a difficult time finding sufficient sponsorships, and furthermore his father wanted him to go back to Brazil to help with the business. So Senna eventually went back to Brazil without being able to finish the season.
But over the winter Senna realized that his life belonged to racing and not to the family business, which meant that he had to go back to Europe. Senna’s father, Milton, was not amused but accepted his sons wish. But for Senna’s young wife, Lilianea, it was an unacceptable choice, as she wanted to stay in Sao Paulo, where she had her family and her social life.
With a promise of a Formula Ford 2000 works drive from Ralph Firman on his hand, Senna was determent to go back to England. So the young couple agreed terms of a divorce. Now free of any obligations Senna moved back to England, and with a one-year sponsorship in his bag. It came from his father, which was quite a gesture from a man who in his heart wanted it otherwise. A great love and care for his son, must be the only answer.
In Formula Ford 2000, he won 22 races and another two championships. Some of those European series wins at Grand Prix meetings brought him to the attention of the Formula 1-team managers. After Senna had also won a trial Formula 3 race, he even received two Grand Prix offers, one of them from McLaren.
But Senna, however, decided to concentrate on Formula 3, racing a Ralt-Toyota for West Surrey Racing. He won the British championship with 12 wins, after a long battle trough-out the whole season with Martin Brundle. Obviously, Ayrton was then offered Formula 1 tests with McLaren, Williams, Toleman and Brabham.
The move into Formula 1 came in 1984 with Toleman, after Nilson Piquit had rejected to have Senna as teammate in the Brabham team. But even in the Toleman, Senna quickly exposed his potentials by taking his first World Championship point in only his second Grand Prix, at Kyalami. And Senna continued to impress in the Hart powered Toleman throughout the season.
The highest point was an outstanding drive in very wet conditions on the streets of Monte Carlo. Senna could very well have scored his maiden Grand Prix victory had the race not been stopped prematurely by the Clerk of Course, Jacky Ickx, as the whole race threatened to floss into the harbor. Some people still claim that the real reason was to prevent Senna from wining and Ickx was heavily criticized for his action. But it would have been pure insanity to proceed under such conditions. Well done, Jacky.
The following year Senna took full advantage of the buy-out clause in his Toleman contract, and joined Team Lotus alongside Italian, Elio de Angelis, whom he quickly outran. Senna's first Grand Prix victory came after a great drive at Estoril, and yet again under very wet conditions. Senna’s second victory that year came in Belgium at the demanding Spa-Francorchamp circuit. Senna scored another four wins for Team Lotus before moving to Marlboro McLaren in 1988.
Starten til det Purtugiske Grand Prix 1986. Copyright The Cahier ArchiveIt was in Senna's first season with McLaren, that he realized his ambitions of becoming World Champion. With eight wins, beating Jim Clark's seasonal record of seven, he emerged victorious from a season-long battle with Prost in the other McLaren. He finally clinched the crown at Suzuka.
At the beginning of 1989 Senna had become so determined to win his second World Championship, that he abolished the ‘no overtaking’ agreement, he had with his teammate, Alain Prost. But he eventually "forgot" to tell the Frenchman about it, and Prost was indeed pissed off. Strong words, I know, but I think it just about covers the situation. The twist between the two escalated to an even higher level, when they where involved in a collision at Suzuka. After the collision both cars came to rest in a run-off area. Prost left his car, but Senna on the other hand called for help from the marshals, who eventually pushed Senna back on the track. Senna thereafter won the race, but was thereafter disqualified for receiving outside assistance and the Championship was lost. Lost to Alain Prost!
With Gerhard Berger as his new teammate Senna emerged even more motivated in 1990, scoring a dominant victory in the opening race at Phoenix. More wins came at Monaco, Montreal, Hockenheim, Spa and Monza. By that time Prost and Senna had decided to end their dispute, but the cease-fire was to be short-lived as the two collided once more and yet again at Suzuka. Looking at it at first, Senna was clearly to blame, but if you look at it again more closely, Prost clearly hesitate to close the door on the run for the first corner, leaving a small gap. For a driver like Senna it was like an open invitation and he went for it. And when none of them backed off, there was only one outcome, which culminated in a second incident, causing yet more controversy.
And this time it was not to be ended before they both stood on the winner podium at the 1993 Australian Grand Prix. At this time they both knew that they would never race each other again. With Prost ambitions to become a team owner, he knew that they maybe some day would need each other.
In 1991 Honda introduced a new V12 engine and with it, Senna scored four wins in the first four races. And two more victories helped him to secure his third World title, with a second place at Suzuka, where he selflessly allowed his teammate, Gerhard Berger, to win. Repaying the Austrian for not overtaking him in the Belgian Grand Prix, where Senna ran with an engine problem in the closing stage.
Senna began defending his title with a third place in South Africa, racing the team’s 1991 car, and did not introduce the new MP4/7A until Brazil. He ran third with it in Spain, before finishing third at Imola. In Monaco he took advantage of Mansell's freak tyre problem to score his fifth Monaco win, but at that time it was clear that not even Senna was a match to the two Williams Renault’s of Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patrese. Despite the hard competition Senna managed to win twice more in Hungary and Italy. Ending a disappointed fourth in the World Championship.
Ayrton stayed with McLaren during 1993, despite the withdrawal of Honda from Formula 1, which left McLaren with a second hand engine deal with Ford, for their Cosworth HB V8 engine. The first success of the season came when Senna secured McLaren’s 100th Formula 1 victory, by winning at Interlagos, in front of his almost fanatic home crowd. Later that season his fabulous success at Monaco established a new record on the streets of the Principality: Senna's fifth successive win there eclipsed the late Graham Hill's record of five victories, and Senna became the new Mr. Monaco.
Senna’s fourth victory of the season came at Suzuka, where he won the Japanese Grand Prix. It was another virtuoso performance that confirmed his great skill in wet track conditions. During the race Eddie Irvine held up Senna for quite some time, and the Brazilian was so angry about it, that he went to see Irvine in the Jordan garage after the winner press conference. There Senna started lecturing Irvine in driving behavior, but the verbal assault had little impact on the Irishman, who just replied "I was racing". Then Senna lost his temper, and suddenly he turned the meeting into a physical affair, where he punched his fist into the left side of Irvine’ s face. After that the meeting was quickly adjourned with help from bystanders from both teams.
The Jordan team was far from amused by Senna’s direct action and the team reported the incident to FIA, and despite some support from Bernie Ecclestone, Senna received a suspended three-race license withdrawal in December. Earlier, in Portugal, Senna had announced that he would leave McLaren at the end of the season, to join Williams-Renault.
Ayrton Senna in a Williams Renault clearly will become World Champion, people said. And it started off all right. Senna took Pole and in the mind of the Brazilian fans the race was already won. So it came as a big surprise when Senna was out-run by a flying Michael Schumacher and on Brazilian home ground at Interlagos, Senna tried so desperately to catch up with Schumacher, that he eventually spun out of the race after 55 laps. Only a few minutes later the Brazilians spectators started to leave the circuit in huge numbers.
At the Pacific Grand Prix three weeks later, Senna once more took Pole Position, but he was put out of the race by Mika Hakkinen, who ran into the back of Senna’s car at the first corner right after the start. Michael Schumacher won the race in the Benetton Ford, now apparently the combination to beat.
At the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna was fully aware that he was a full 20 points adrift and that Imola had to be the turning point, otherwise it may be to late. Senna took his third successive Pole Position although he had a difficult time at Imola. Rubens Barrichello had a near fatal accident during the Friday’s practice. Senna paid Barrichello a visit later that day at the hospital deeply moved by the situation. The next day Roland Ratzenberger was killed in a high-speed accident at the Villeneuve curve. Senna visited the spot together with Prof. Sid Watkins and once again he was deeply moved by what the experience.
Sunday came and Ayrton Senna headed the warm-up being nearly a second faster than his teammate Damon Hill. So he was confident when he lined up for the start. Then the green light came. Senna took the lead closely followed by Schumacher. But JJ Letho, in the second Benetton, was stuck on the grid and was hit from behind by Pedro Lamy, who had not been able to see the stranded car. The pace car went out and stayed out for four laps. On lap five the race was given free, and Senna once more drove clear of Schumacher, but on the following lap tragedy stroke again as Senna went off at the exit of the ultra fast Tamburello curve, and he hit the concrete. The race was stopped and Senna was treated on the spot by the medical staff, but as soon as his helmet was removed it probably became clear, that this was a matter of time. Pieces from the right side front suspension had penetrated Senna’s helmet and caused multi head injuries. Senna was airlifted to the nearby Bologna hospital where he later died.
But what had gone wrong. Many theories had been made. But too many are looking away from the facts that we are left with from the seconds just before the fatal crash. From Michael Schumacher’s onboard camera it is clear that the bottom left side slams against the asphalt as sparks and a small cloud of smoke came from the left rear side of Senna’s car. And only a fraction of a second later the Williams change its course towards the concrete wall, while the rear end was drifting a bit from side to side. This could indicate that the car lost traction on the left rear, when the bottom slammed the asphalt.
This view is backed by the fact that the spot, where the bottom slams the circuit, had recently been resurfaced and the asphalt on the spot was therefore darker and therefore clearly exposed some fresh skid marks. The skid marks are clearly seen, when Schumacher drives past them at the same time as the Williams hit the concrete wall. If you have the race on tape, try to take a look at it your self.
The Italian authorities on the other hand claimed that the steering had broken, probably because the steeringwheel was hanging on the left side of the wrecked car. The Bologna university, that later investigated the car, hold on to that claim. But several things speak against that theory:
1. A steering breakage doesn’t cause the bottom of the car to slam into the asphalt. But a high fuel load at high speed does. 2. Furthermore it raises the question, how Senna could compensate for the drifting rear end if the steering had broken? 3. If the skid mark on the track wasn't made by Senna’s car, why have 20 cars passed it five times and not left any rubber marks on it? It’s on the race line.
What could have happened is this: The bottom of Senna’s car for some reason slams the circuit, and in fact a spark is clearly seen, but whether it was caused by a high fuel load at highspeed or by a suspension failure, we can’t say. The telemetry indicates that there was no puncture.
When the bottom slammed the track the left rear tyre spins, and smoke comes from the left rear wheel. It may have caused the "nervous" car to turn slightly to the inside, with Senna compensating within a split of a second, but he overdid it, and the car then turns towards the concrete wall. At this point Senna hits the brakes reducing the car’s speed from 193 mph to 132 mph at the time of the impact. This explanation also match the fact, that Senna had said the car was behaving nervously and was suffering from understeering during the whole weekend.
From a bystander’s point of view, it makes far more sense than the theory about the broken steering. If you where to put your money on one or the other: one) The steering brakes while it’s exposed for what it is constructed for, or two) It breaks during a 132 mph high-speed impact with a concrete wall. Which one would you choose? We will never know for sure.
At 6 PM that Sunday evening, the doctors turned off the respirator, and one of the very best racing drivers the world had ever known, past away only 34 years old.
As soon as the news spread, people gathered in silence outside the Bologna hospital, where they put flowers and lighted candles. Senna was later flown home to Sao Paulo, where he was buried on the following Thursday. During the 24 hours before the funeral more than 1,5 millions Brazilians had paid there respect to their bellowed hero.
Copyright CSM Media
When Senna past away, he had in some way become immortal. And Senna has now become, to Formula One, what James Dean is to the world of movies. A legend and legends lives on!
by Christian Sædder
For F1 Today 1st. May 1999
