Every Formula 1 enthusiast, I believe, remembers exactly where and how they experienced the fatal crash of Ayrton Senna in Imola. On May 1, 1994, I watched the tragic footage in the afternoon in a hotel lobby in Lanzarote, waiting for a transfer to the airport.
Mobile phones were a novelty, news still came through traditional channels. In the early evening of May 1, 1994, I only heard at the airport that a second driver had died at the San Marino Grand Prix, a day after Roland Ratzenberger. One who everyone thought was invincible. I did too, even when he was airlifted to the hospital. But Ayrton Senna da Silva would never again perform a Lap of the Gods, as he did in Donington Park 1993.
In the days following his death, the entire world discovered the greatness of the Brazilian star who never considered or behaved himself as a star. Who can forget the heartbreaking, emotional images of the procession in São Paulo? More than three million Paulistas lined the streets to accompany their idol to his final resting place at Cemitério Parque Morumby.
Ayrton Senna: The Legend
Years ago, while in São Paulo for the Grand Prix, I visited Senna’s grave with some colleagues in the early morning. It was peaceful and quiet at the pilgrimage site. A memorial plaque with only his name, birth and death dates, and the text nothing can separate me from the love of God symbolize Senna’s eternal humility. It left an indelible impression: there lies the legend I saw crash in Tamburello twenty years earlier while on a Spanish holiday.
Over the past decades, through my work in Formula 1, I’ve discovered how great Senna was, how compassionate he was towards his fellow man, how collegial and social he was, but also how uncompromising and ruthless he could be – especially on the track. Through interviews with his sister Viviane, director of the Instituto Ayrton Senna, nephew Bruno, his trainer Josef Leberer, and the poignant stories of photographer Peter van Egmond and (Brazilian) colleagues who were in Senna’s entourage, I understand much better why he was so beloved.
This year marks thirty years since the death of Ayrton Senna da Silva. Yet, he still makes the hearts of racing fans beat faster. I see it at all circuits and everywhere in the world: his name or image is emblazoned on caps, T-shirts, and at stalls selling his merchandise. Every year on May 1, as Leberer told me, he pays tribute to his Brazilian friend: the myth, the master, the greatest. And 30 years after that fatal day, he is still very much alive.
At such moments, I can’t help but wonder: how is that other, German racing legend doing?
