Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver born the March 21st 1960 with Sao Paulo (Brésil) and died the 1 {{er}} May 1994 with Bologna (Italy), following an accident to Imola at the time of the Grand Prix of San Marino.

True god in Brazil where its statute exceeded that of simple sporting champion, it is regarded as one of the largest pilots of the history of the Formule 1.

Biography

Birth of a pilot

Initiated with the joys of piloting as of its more young age, Ayrton Senna disputed its first competitions of karting to adolescence. Champion of South America of kart in 1977, then vice-champion of the world of the speciality in 1978 and 1979, it makes in 1981 the great jump towards the United Kingdom, passage quasi-obligatory to dream with a great international career. In the United Kingdom, Senna was not long in forging a solid reputation in the medium of the automobile sport. Champion of Formula Ford 1600 British in 1981, champion of Ford Formula 2000 (British and European) 1982, it took down in 1983 very snuffed championship of Formule 3 British.

The speed of Senna, allied to a very aggressive style in track did not pass unperceived and already, the most prestigious stables of Formule 1 had the boy with the eye. During the summer 1983, whereas its season of Formula 3 was not completed, it was invited to a test by the stable Williams. A few months later, they are the prestigious teams McLaren and Brabham which tested the young Brazilian hope. But for various reasons, all these large teams were not able to propose in Senna a wheel for the Championnat of the world of Formula 1 1984. It is thus finally within the most modest team Toleman that Senna carried out its beginnings in GP.

If he were then regarded as one of the great hopes of Formula 1, Senna carried out its first steps in the championship of the relatively anonymous world of manner, in the soft belly of the group. But its statute changed suddenly at the time of the GP of Monaco 1984, the fifth GP of its career. Whereas cloudburst fell down on the Principality and reflects in rout the majority of the tenors, Ayrton Senna delivered a service of any beauty. Left the bottom of grid, it was on the heels of the leader Alain Prost when the race was stopped for safety reasons. This performance was worth to him to again see flowing the offers of the largest teams. At the end of 1984, it joined thus the stable Lotus - Renault.

The first successes

At Lotus, within a team able to play the victory regularly, Senna confirmed its potential immediately by gaining the GP of Portugal disputed on April 21st, 1985 under the flood. Later in the year, it is on the very selective layout of Spa-Francorchamps that it gained its second victory. At Lotus, Senna was particularly appreciated because in addition to its qualities of piloting, it showed a rare acuity in the technical dialog with the engineers. In 1986 and 1987, Senna continued to play the first parts in F1, taking down with the passage its first victory in Monaco (as well as the last victory of the Lotus stable at the wheel of the Lotus 99T), but without arriving to truly claiming with the world title, the Lotus stable appearing limited a little vis-a-vis the two large teams which were Williams and McLaren.

Competition with Prost

In 1988, the career of Senna took a new dimension with its arrival (jointly with that of the Honda motor mechanic) at McLaren. For Senna, the arrival at McLaren marked also the beginning of its great competition with Alain Prost, his new team-member, and then considered as the best pilot of the world. 1988 were the season of the dedication for Senna since it gained its first world title. Titrate taken down with the GP of Japan at the time of the penultimate test of the championship following an insane increase made necessary by a completely missed departure.

In 1989, Prost took its revenge on Senna. But as much the season 1988 had been that of the harmony between the two team-members, as much 1989 was that of the polemic. In 1988, it had been certainly question of the preferential treatment of the motor mechanics of Honda in direction of Senna to the detriment of Prost, and Senna had been made guilty of a dangerous operation on Prost at the time of the GP of Portugal, but that had not sullied the relationship between the two men. Change of atmosphere in the days following the GP of San Marino 1989. Prost showing Senna not to have respected a pact at the beginning of the GP (the two men had agreed not to attack the first turn, in order not to risk a stupid fixing), the owner of McLaren, Ron Dennis, undertook to bring together the two men later a few days at the time of a meeting of tests deprived on the layout of Pembrey in England to settle the disagreement. Little time afterwards, Prost entrusted to the French press that sermonized by Ron Dennis, Senna had cried at this meeting. This revelation caused the fury of the Brazilian pilot.

The relationship thus envenimés between the two men led to the fixing of the GP of Japan 1989 at the end of the season. Prost retorted while resisting an attempt at going beyond of Senna at the entry of a baffle, which caused the fixing. Set out again by shorting-circuit this baffle, Senna gained the race (victory synonymous with hopes found in the fight for the title) but was disqualified. Alain Prost taking down its 3rd world title there. This fixing always carries to discussion. Senna starts from rather far for a regular going beyond but the sights of helicopter shows that Prost closes clearly door, which appears normal when it is known that the title was played. This fixing is rather similar to that which opposed Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher to Jerez in 1997. But in 1989, it is the assailing pilot, therefore Senna, which bailed out of a fine and a testing period on the super-license of pilot to have expressed his doubts about the decision of the police chiefs to disqualify it. For him it was about an operation of TRUSTED. " What we see today has truely handling off the '89 Championship" (What see you today is a true handling of Championship 89) he in Adélaïde in November 1989 declares, attracting himself the lightnings of Jean-Marie Balestre.

Prost left to Ferrari in 1990, the fight began again of more beautiful between the two men and leads on a new fixing, always in Suzuka. Irritated that the author of the pole-position (i.e. itself) is placed on the dusty side of the track (in accordance with the payment of the TRUSTED), Senna éperonna voluntarily Prost with the access of the first turn, at high-speed, thus granting its second world title. Simple revenge of the fixing of 1989 for the ones, insane and antisportive operation for the others, the fixing of 1990 completed to do of Senna one of the most discussed pilots of its time. Senna publicly admitted itself the following year having caused voluntarily this accident by severely criticizing the action of the former French president of the TRUSTED, Jean-Marie Balestre, which he implicitly showed to play in favor of Alain Prost. In spite of the fact that he admits today to have understood that this gesture of Senna was not really turned against him but against the federation, Alain Prost considers that this fixing is it only thing which he cannot forgive. Because even if the contact angle and the broad gravel release made that the two pilots did not have anything, they could severely have been wounded. For pilots who saw several their buddies of the bed committing suicide, like Jackie Stewart with Clark, Rindt and François Cevert, this gesture of Senna remains forever incomprehensible.

In 1991, in spite of the rise to power of Williams-Renault, Senna a third world title took down. But in 1992, it was not able to resist invincible the Nigel Mansell and its car equipped with an embarked electronic very powerful, not more than into 1993 vis-a-vis Prost, in its turn at the wheel of Williams-Renault. But in spite of a material which in 1993 was not most competitive of the plate (Mclaren had exchanged V12 Honda for V8 Ford), Senna delivered some splendid demonstrations of the piloting, most famous of them having taken place under the rain of Donington, where Senna passed four cars (of which that of Prost) at the time of a first turn of anthology. But just like Alain Prost, Senna did not like the electronic evolution of F1. He even considered him as its performance of Donington was related to the excellent electronics TAG of its McLaren than to its right foot, which had made him the difference under the flood of Estoril for its first victory. He also was essential for the 5th consecutive time on Monaco.

But the fans will retain the beautiful end of this competition: it was sealed on the podium of the Grand Prix of Australia 1993, where they were reconciled sincerely at the time when Prost completed its career. They will discuss then much together during the intersaison, completing this reconciliation.

The death of Senna

After having vainly tried to join Williams-Renault at the end of 1992 (Prost which had just signed in this stable opposed its veto to the arrival of Senna, which threatened to join the American competitions before finally disputing an ultimate season for the account of McLaren), Senna joined the Anglo-French stable at the end of 1993, Prost having taken its retirement. Presented like the big favorite of the championship 1994, the history however turned to the drama. With the wheel of a car more restive than envisaged, Senna had to undergo the law of Michael Schumacher at the time of the first two races of the season when it signed the pole position each time. Williams-Renault FW16, private of the electronic assistances to piloting (active suspensions, anti-ice-skating, etc) prohibited since the end of the former season, badly exploited the power of its engine.

The third Grand Prix of the season, the Grand Prix of San Marino, disputed on the traced of Imola in Italy them, 29, April 30th and May 1st 1994, turned to the nightmare. Friday, first warning with a violent caper of the young person Rubens Barrichello (Jordan) who drew some wounded. Saturdays, during the tests qualifiers, where Senna signed its 65e and last pole-position, the Austrian pilot Roland Ratzenberger was victim of a fatal accident at the wheel of his Simtek - Ford, just after having lost an aileron, in the turn of Tosa. Senna wanted to go on the spot of the crash landing but it was some prevented. It was deeply affected by this drama, and felt a bad presentiment.

Roland Ratzenberger was doubtless killed on the blow, but its death was marked only during its transfer out of the circuit. However, if it had actually been noted on the spot, the track of Imola would have been placed under seals at ends of inspection and investigation, like wants it Italian justice, which would have automatically involved the carryforward of the Grand Prix.

The race thus took place. The Sunday the 1st er May, at the beginning, an accident occurred as of green light, the Lotus of the Portuguese Pedro Lamy striking the Benetton Finnish JJ.Lehto on the grid, of the remains flying away over the platforms, concerning spectators and a police officer. Neutralized race of entry, the security car thus took along the pack of F1 to the idle during five turns, and deviated. Hardly launched at full speed, at the head in this sixth loop, pursued by Benetton of Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna lost the control of its single-seater which left straight in the high-speed curve Tamburello before going to strike a cement wall with a rare violence (210km/h at the time of the impact), to 14:18. Whereas Senna received emergency care with same the track, before being héliporté towards the Maggiore hospital of Bologna, this disastrous Grand Prix went in its term after an interruption of a score of minutes, not without a new drama occurring in the stands: with 11 towers of the end, Minardi of Michele Alboreto lost a wheel which was going to wound several mechanics in his mad dash.

False rumors circulated around the circuit indicating that Senna was except, but it was possible no to look after it taking into account the gravity of its wounds and its “Brain death” noted as of its arrival at the hospital. Its death was officially shortly after marked 18:30. The direct cause of died of the Brazilian pilot results from an unhappy circumstance. Indeed, under the violence of the shock, the higher triangle of the suspension before its F1 broke and went to strike, a such saber, the visor of its helmet. According to the autopsy, this part would have perforated the face of Senna under the right arch of the eye brows thus causing irreversible lesions with the brain and a strong hemorrhage.

The reasons of the accident of Ayrton Senna never were officially elucidated. But any door to believe that it was caused by the rupture of the steering column of its single-seater. Senna had required itself a few days before the drama which this column is reconçue so as to improve its comfort of piloting. The modification having been realized in the urgency, a bad welding would thus have been the cause of the rupture of the steering column requested at full speed in Tamburello. That was worth with the principal persons in charge of the stable Williams (Frank Williams the owner of the stable, Patrick Head, the joint owner and chief technical officer of the stable, and Adrian Newey, the originator of the car) to be translated in front of Italian justice. But at the conclusion of a long procedure of almost ten years, justice pronounced the payment of the various interested parties.

Other assumptions were advanced, sometimes eccentric (a faintness of Senna, which was accustomed to controlling in apnea on long portions), sometimes more interesting, as that which evokes a fall of the pressure of the tires (due to a possible passage over remains present on the track, where quite simply because of the consecutive fall of rate/rhythm to the many turns covered under safety-because right before the drama). The decrease in pressure of the tires would then have involved a reduction in the ground clearance of the car. The latter, in the passing of a bump, would have pursued (the bottom-dish of the car coming directly in contact with the track, the private car of the adherence generated by the ground effect, would have been transformed into toboggan, and becomes unverifiable), dispatching Senna out-track.

Only its fellow-member of the time, Damon Hill, dared to evoke a possible fault on behalf of Senna. It would not be of a fault of piloting but about a too great taking risk. Indeed, during the tests, Senna would have advised in Hill not to too much pass inside the trajectory of the curve of Tamburello because of the many bumps. Their Williams having a ground clearance and a rather weak clearance of suspension, they supported them badly. However during the race, Senna took the interior of this curve. That can be explained by the context: Senna had already 20 points of delay on Schumacher to the championship, and according to Alain Prost, he suspected Benetton of German of having an illegal anti-ice-skating. Senna would thus have taken a risk with its Williams badly born to try to widen the gap on Schumacher. From there its car would have pursued of “surfing effect” (as described above) and would have projected it in the wall.

The morning of this fatal Grand Prix, Senna, reconciled with Prost, which had joined the sporting commentators for the television channel TF1, had addressed a friendly message to him on line whereas it carried out a turn of circuit commented on: “Before the beginning, has special hello to my… our dear friend Alain. We all miss you Alain! ” to start (the turn, note), a hello special to my… to our friend Alain. We miss you with all, Alain!

Senna since 1994

Resulting from an easy medium, itself quickly multimillionnaire, Senna was not worried less about it by the serious economic difficulties and social of its country. Financing during several years of caritative works, Senna had started at the end of its life to think of a project of greater scale aiming at helping the most stripped children. Disappeared Senna, it is his/her sister Viviane Senna Lalli who concretized the projects of the Brazilian pilot, by setting up the Fondation Ayrton Senna, an organization which sets up educational projects for the most stripped children, in particular by the regular practice of the sport after midday after having been in class the morning. According to Viviane, it is not only a question of learning how to the children to comply with rules and the fair play, but also from the " fatiguer" so that they will lie down early the evening and will prevent that they trail in the not very sure streets of the Favela S.

Senna took down the first place of the best pilots of F1 of all times at the time of a vote set up in 2005 by the most important Brazilian automobile magazine, as well as the principal Brazilian television channel. The voters gathered large sports editors of Formula 1, as well as pilots of reputation like Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Michael Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Jackie Stewart or Stirling Moss and Niki Lauda.

Family and private life

Ayrton Senna was one of the three children of Milton da Silva (a rich person landowner) and of Neide Senna. Ayrton had an older sister (Viviane) and an younger brother (Leonardo).
Briefly married with the whole beginning of its career, Ayrton had thereafter several " fiancées" more or less mediatized. Most known is Adriane Galisteu, a Brazilian mannequin which was his/her partner at the time of her accident, and which attracted itself the lightnings of the Senna family thereafter by monnayant her celebrity in magazines of charm.
Not having never had of child, Ayrton Senna was very close to its nephew Bruno, the son of his Viviane sister. Become pilot in its turn, Bruno Senna argument in 2007 the championship of GP2 Series.

Its characters and its belief

The fascination caused by Ayrton Senna is not due only to its remarkable qualities of pilot, but also to its complex, ambivalent personality.

Senna was first of all known for its great aggressiveness in track. An aggressiveness in the good sense of the term which made of him a frightening candidate, not moving back vis-a-vis the danger (in particular under the rain) and of a great ability in the goings beyond. But an aggressiveness sometimes beyond the sportivity, which could lead it to voluntarily cause an accident with the contempt of the incurred risks, as at the beginning of the GP of Japan 1990. This determination of Senna was also expressed out-track, where it required the maximum of its team. Certain engineers remember that their obsession was to cross Senna the evening in the corridors of the hotel, fear of finding itself embarked in a technical débriefing impromptu by the Brazilian pilot perfectionist. But the relentless candidate dare-devil and seemingly insensitive with the danger paradoxically doubled man very concerned by the security issues on the circuits, and of a great sensitivity. Arrived in Formula 1 to one time when death was omnipresent than in the past, Senna had been shown very affected by the circumstances of the fatal accident of its former fellow-member Elio de Angelis during tests deprived on the circuit of Castellet in 1986. Little before the drama, Senna had noted the insufficiency of the helps in edge of track, and was on the point of announcing it to the direction of the circuit, before its own engineering problems do not make him forget its good resolution. Thereafter, Senna will not have of cease to be systematically the first pilot (only?) on the spot of the serious accidents, in a permanent concern to include/understand the reasons of them, but also to try to give its support for the broken pilot. He went from there from the kind at the time of the accident of Martin Donnelly to the tests of the GP of Spain 1990, but also at the time of that of Roland Ratzenberger, the day before its clean dead. Its attitude at the time of the accident of Erik Comas with the tests of the GP of Belgium 1992 also remained in the memories. The Brazilian pilot had indeed not hesitated to cross the track (on which déboulaient at full speed of other competitors) to turn off the engine of the Ligier broken of Comas, unconscious, and to avoid a fire. " Senna probably saved me the vie" will say Comas later. A few hours before its death, Senna was on the point of starting again the late association of the pilots of Grand Prix, so that him and his/her colleagues can affect the decisions as regards safety.

The sensitivity of Senna was also expressed in the evocation of its faith. Very believing, Senna is thus one of the rare pilots to have lengthily and publicly spoken about his report/ratio with God, an aspect of their life which the pilots generally prefer to keep for them. But its remarks were deformed and turned in derision by some of its adversaries, which implied that Senna controlled while being believed protected by God, which made it dangerous.

As some genious pilots who make the difference, Senna was endowed with a hyper technical sensitivity and the least defect of its car and the track felt. At the beginning of career, he traversed the circuits with foot in order to locate the least imperfection of a vibrator. Whereas Alain Prost was a large ruler of frame, Senna was more sensitive to him to the adjustments of its engine and the reports/ratios of gear box. And even if in apparance Senna was more aggressive, Prost declared that him, Senna and Lauda had the same style of piloting on proportionings of accelerator, the entries and exits of curve, where Mansell and Rosberg adopted another style.

According to its engineers like Gerard Ducarrouge, Senna had his own telemetry, which favoured it at the time where F1 were not filled of electronics. Ducarrouge even told that at Lotus, by lack of means, it had put only 3 new brake pads for the qualification whereas Senna excigeait new material to go to drive out the pole. Ducarrouge thus put one 4th plate which had made only some turns. But after its turn of formation, Senna returned abruptly to its stand to point out that its plate before-left was not new. All the Lotus team remained about it without voice.

Senna explained thereafter why the electronic appearance of the sensors of telemetry was going fatally to favor the less sensitive pilots and to help them to include/understand things which they did not feel as a pilot. This levelling because of electronics was also décrié by Alain Prost in 1993 what explains their bringing together partly. They knew that they were both with the top of their generation, from where the enormous mutual respect which animated them.

Career in F1

Grands Prix : 161 departures (162 participations)
Victories : 41
marked Points : 614
Poles Positions : 65
Podiums : 80
Better Turns in race : 19
Beginnings in F1 : 1984 - Grand Prix of Brazil in Jacarepagua ( Result: abandonment )
First victory : 1985 - Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril
First pole position : 1985 - Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril
Last GP disputed : 1994 - Grand Prix of San Marino, in Imola ( Result: fatal accident )

Ayrton Senna counts 162 participations but only 161 departures in Grand Prix because of its not-qualification with the Grand Prix of San Marino 1984.

Victories Formulates 1 of them

Ayrton Senna holds the record of the number of victories in Monaco, with 6 successes, including 5 consecutive.

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