Today would have been the 65th birthday of one of the greatest drivers of all time, if not the greatest, Ayrton Senna. It's hard to imagine how many championships he would have added to his three if it hadn't been for Formula 1's black weekend in Imola...
However, during his short earthly journey, he gifted us with countless fantastic moments and interesting facts about the impact he had on fans, fellow athletes, and the media. For example, did you know that…
In Brazil, a luxury skyscraper has been named after him? The Senna Tower, which is being built on the beautiful beach of Balneário Camboriú, will be 509 meters high and not only its name is the only connection to the legend. This sensational building is designed by none other than Ayrton's niece, Lalalli Senna!
Did you know that his great rival Alain Prost offered him McLaren? At that time, there was no sign of what we would later know as the greatest rivalry ever seen in Formula 1.
Did you know that, by coincidence, the last driver to see him alive was Erik Comas, whose life Senna had saved two years earlier? On that fateful sad day, a curfew was imposed immediately after the accident, but Comas entered the track due to a communication error and chaos. By the time he reached Tamburello, he "just felt Senna's soul leaving..." After the incident, Comas burst into tears and repeated that he would never race again. He retired at the end of the season...
They say that the "spirit of the place": Well, the place where Senna died really has something like that. The writer of these lines has passed the Imola track, feeling the fate that embraced with silence, the wind of transience and Senna's soul.
Happy birthday, have a great journey on the heavenly racing tracks, Ayrton !
Photo: McLaren
