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| Ayrton Senna |
Ayrton Senna
Born: 21 March 1960, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Died: 1 May 1994
Grand Prix Starts: 161
Points Total: 614
World Champion: 1988, 1990, 1991
With 65 pole positions, 41 wins, 80 times on podium, and 614 points, Ayrton Senna was, to many, the greatest ever talent in F1...
He moved to Britain in 1981 to further his career in four-wheeled competition, after winning a string of karting titles, and within three years he had won the British F3 title.
In 1984 he made his F1 debut, testing for Brabham and Williams, but choosing instead to join the smaller Toleman team.
His first point came at Kyalami, and by his sixth race, Monaco, he was chasing race-leader Prost when the race was stopped due to bad signed for Lotus, scoring his first wins at Estoril and Spa, in 1985, and taking a fourth overall in the title race that year.
The next two seasons saw him elevated to third in the championship both times, but Senna wanted more and joined McLaren in 1988. He was teamed with twice-champion, Prost, and a bitter rivalry soon developed. Senna won his first championship in 1988 by 3 points from Prost, but the following season Prost relegated him to runner-up after their clash at Suzuka. Prost then left for Ferrari but the rivalry continued, culminating in yet another clash in Japan at the 1990 championship, and Senna taking the title. He later hinted at his responsibility for the crash.
His third title was won with a comfortable 24 point margin over Mansell, but the Williams car began to dominate after that. Despite this, Senna won three GPs in 1992. In 1993, five wins earned him the runner-up spot to Prost.
Senna joined Williams in 1994, taking pole in the first two rounds but retiring in each. He was on pole again at San Marino, when he crashed fatally at Tamburello, aged 34.