Today would have been the 65th birthday of one of the greatest drivers of all time, if not the greatest, Ayrton Senna. We can only speculate how many world titles he would have won in addition to the three he already has, if it hadn't been for the Formula 1 black weekend at Imola...
However, in his short journey on earth, he gave us countless fantastic moments and curiosities, how he influenced fans, fellow athletes and the media. For example, did you know that…
A luxurious skyscraper has been named after him in Brazil? The Senna Tower, which will be built on the beautiful beach of Balneário Camboriú, will be 509 meters high and its name is not the only connection to the legend. In fact, the sensational building is designed by Ayrton's niece, Lalalli Senna!
Did you know that his great rival Alain Prost offered him to McLaren? At the time, there was no hint of what would later become the greatest rivalry in Formula 1 history.
Did you know that, due to a coincidence, of all the drivers, it was Erik Comas who saw Senna for the last time alive, the one whose life Senna had saved two years earlier? On that sad day, immediately after the accident, a "race stop" was instituted, but Comas entered the track due to a communication error and chaos. When he arrived at Tamburello, he already "felt just Senna's soul flying..." After this incident, Comas burst into tears and repeated that he would never race again. At the end of the season, he retired...
They say that the "spirit of the place": Well, the exact place of Senna's death really has something like that. The author of these lines stepped onto the Imola track, felt destiny embracing the silence, the passing wind, Senna's soul.
Happy birthday, safe travels on the celestial circuits, Ayrton !
Photo: McLaren
