Ayrton Senna. Formula 1. Those two iconic names will always be linked together. Regardless of considering Senna as the greatest champion we have seen in motorsport or not, we can all agree that only a few can be named in the same breath as the Brazilian, whose three-time F1 World Championships fall miserably short of telling the magnitude of a mythological story that went far beyond the limits of a racing circuit.
When did Ayrton Senna join F1?
Born on March 21st, 1960, Ayrton Senna da Silva went on to become arguably the greatest icon Formula 1 has ever seen. After a stellar junior career, Senna reached Formula 1 level in 1984 with Toleman, a team that was far from being among the heavyweights of the sport.
Still, the Brazilian took the challenge of driving the TG183-B and the TG184, both equipped with L4 t Hart engines. The first car was a handful, with Senna finishing sixth twice (South Africa and Belgium) in the first three races of his career, securing a point each time. However, he finished three and two laps behind the leader in those two events.
The arrival of the TG184 for the French round saw some improvement, but Senna and his teammate, motorcycle champion Johnny Cecotto, both failed to finish due to turbo issues. But it would be in the cockpit of the TG184 that Senna would transform from the 1983 British Formula 3 champion into a Formula 1 star in the making.
Senna qualified 13th for the Monaco Grand Prix, but a key detail would give him a chance at a good result: rain.
As the circuit became difficult in the wet conditions, Senna’s talent found a way to show up. He was seemingly racing in a different path to everyone in the event, and eventually reached second place, quickly catching up with race-leader Alain Prost and his McLaren (we’ll return to those names in a bit).
However, only something coming outside of the track could stop Senna. A red flag would cut the race short, and also delay Senna’s maiden Formula 1 victory, but a star was born at Monaco.
Second place at Monaco for his first F1 podium was awesome, but he added a couple more at Britain and Portugal before making the switch to Lotus in 1985.
In only his second race with Lotus, Senna took his first Formula 1 win at Estoril. Again, wet weather proved costly for the rest and fantastic for Senna, who won from Pole Position with a 62-second gap over second place. The 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix was Ayrton Senna’s first Formula 1 win.
Two more wins followed in 1985, and he would win four more with Lotus in 1986 and 1987, before joining McLaren for the 1988 season.
How many Formula 1 Grands Prix did legendary driver Ayrton Senna win?
The Brazilian took 41 F1 victories before his untimely death in 1994, ranking second in the all-time list at the time.
When did Ayrton Senna win his first F1 title?
Senna won his first Formula 1 World Championship in 1988, driving the McLaren-Honda MP4/4, alongside Alain Prost, who finished second. Senna and Prost would then engage in heated title fights in 1989 and 1990, with Prost winning in 1989 in controversial fashion before leaving McLaren for Ferrari.
In 1990, Senna beat Prost and Ferrari with another crash at Suzuka, just like the previous year. That time, Senna took his second title, which he would repeat in 1991, besting Nigel Mansell’s and his Williams car.
Difficult years came in 1992 and 1993 for Senna, as Williams became a dominant force and McLaren faded away, with Honda leaving in 1992. Senna put up an amazing season in 1993, but he would fall short of a fourth title.
How did Ayrton Senna die?
May 1st, 1994. Imola. 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The day F1 changed forever.
The Brazilian joined Williams ahead of the 1994 F1 season, hoping to use the Renault-powered car to reach his fourth championship and add more wins to his resume. However, the car would be incredibly difficult to drive for Senna, and he went scoreless in the first two races.
Even securing Pole Position in each of the first three races, Senna wasn’t comfortable inside the Williams FW16. On May 1st, 1994, Senna started the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix on Pole Position. On lap seven, Senna crashed in the Tamburello corner at extremely high speeds, with his car seemingly going straight in the left-hand corner.
The Brazilian lost his life, and Formula 1 lost its greatest-ever icon.
Senna. Change in Formula 1. After Senna’s death, Formula 1 advanced quickly and took many safety measures that prevented similar accidents for two decades, until Jules Bianchi lost his life in 2015 due to injuries sustained in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
This year, the racing and sports world commemorated the 30th year of Ayrton Senna’s death. Accordingly, there have been many tributes made to the legendary F1 champion, such as McLaren honoring its three-time World Champion in Monaco.
Check McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri tribute helmets to Ayrton Senna at Monaco.
Moreover, F1 will pay homage to Senna in the upcoming 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and a new Netflix series called ‘SENNA’ will premiere on November 29th.
