Ayrton Senna da Silva He passed into immortality three decades ago, but his legacy is eternal. If not, let the millions of fans who remembered it this Wednesday say so. at 30 years of the mistake in the Tamburello curve, the crash against the concrete wall and his subsequent death in the middle San Marino Grand Prix.
May 1, 1994 is a dark date for motorsports in general and for the Formula 1 in particular. Because Senna is still missed. But there are thousands of children named Ayrton in his honor in several countries.
This Wednesday was a day of tributes, celebration and hugs in memory of one of those few drivers who left their mark on the F1 circuits. Because of his maneuvers, because of his way of driving, because of what he regretted being second and above all for his charisma. The one that led him to be an idol of Brazil, a country that he left without batucada that tragic morning in which he died in Imola.
At 2:17 p.m. that day, a 34-year-old Ayrton crashed due to a mechanical failure and practically broke his neck in his Williams. It is one of the most shocking images in the history of Formula 1. The world witnessed and saw the agony of the three-time champion. The pain paralyzed everyone. With serious head injuries, he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Bologna, where his death was confirmed, which most likely occurred shortly after impact because debris from the front suspension pierced his helmet.
Ayrton Senna, in the preview of the San Marino Grand Prix where he would die in 1994. Photo AFP
At 2:17 p.m. this Wednesday, May 1, 2024, a minute of silence was observed in the impact area and a bouquet of flowers was placed in a protocol act with the presence of Stefano Domenicaliexecutive director of F1, and the chancellors of Italy, Brazil and Austria, since the Austrian was also honored Roland Ratzenbergerwho had died the previous day during qualifying at the Villeneuve curve, at the age of 33.
For the first time in thirty years, the Brazilian champion’s Williams F16 returned to the track, occupying the position from the day it took the final lap. The car is the only existing original copy of the car that was destroyed during the accident in which Senna lost his life.
Brazil did not dress in mourning this Wednesday for its prodigal son, three-time F1 champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991, but rather His people preferred active memory. The introspection with the reflection of how Senna influenced the identity of a people that returned the love that he gave them many times in absolute silence, with millions of dollars to benefit those most in need.
In Interlagos there were three races in tribute to Senna. AFP Photo
At the Interlagos circuit, in São Paulo, there was a very special tribute, because thousands of fans they dressed short and they ran on the 4,309 meters of asphalt where Ayrton starred in some of the most outstanding and remembered moments of his driving career. Organized by the Senna family, three races of 5, 10 and 21 kilometers were held, like their three Formula 1 titles.
“He is my idol. It is a day that I could never forget and that is why I came here to honor it,” Juvenal Ferreira, 74 years old and equipped with the symbolic red jumpsuit and helmet with the green and yellow colors of the Brazilian flag that Senna wore, told EFE. All the fans agreed to link him to adjectives such as “charismatic”, “cheerful”, “humble”, “respectful” and “persistent”.
“I accompanied him with my family every Sunday morning. That emotion, that expectation of seeing it arrive, of raising the flag, the music of victory… I never gave up”, summarized Natasha Amaral, a 43-year-old systems analyst, at the racetrack. Her husband, Caio Maia, a Physical Education teacher, has it tattooed on his shoulder. “I needed to have it marked on my skin,” she noted while waiting to take a photo with the 3.5-meter-high, half-tonne sculpture of the pilot’s bust, the work of her niece Lalalli Senna.
The sculpture with Senna’s face, made by his niece Lalalli. Photo EFE
The fervor that the King of Monaco still arouses is intergenerational. “Even 30 years later, Senna idolization remains strong and growing. Conquer the fans They didn’t even see him run. His image is always associated with pride, victory and discipline,” explained Ivan Martinho, sports marketing professor.
Senna fans They visited his grave in the cemetery of São Paulo, his hometown, where he has rested since 1994. In Rio de Janeiro, the traveling exhibition “I, Ayrton Senna da Silva-30 years” was inaugurated, in which visitors can hear the voice of the pilot recounting the decisive moments of your life and career using artificial intelligence. And on Copacabana beach thousands took selfies in front of the statue of Senna, pictured with his arms raised while flying a Brazilian flag.
“Watching the races on TV was a fad. “We were all preparing to see them, mainly because of Senna,” retiree Marilane Mattos told the AFP agency in front of the statue. Like so many young Brazilians, businessman Joao Paulo Bertolini, 30, never saw Senna run, although he learned to admire him from a young age. “My father always told me about him. I stopped on Sundays to watch the races. Today this no longer happens. “My father, my uncle, my grandparents… they all talked to me about Senna,” she assured.
A fan at Ayrton Senna’s grave. AFP Photo
Beyond his sporting results, the former driver’s legacy remains throughout the Ayrton Senna Institute, recognized in 2004 by UNESCO for its educational projects aimed at children in the most disadvantaged districts. “Ayrton always said that if you want to change things, you must start with education,” said his sister Viviane, president of the entity that claims to have helped 36 million students in 3,000 cities in the South American country.
For the Brazilian writer and journalist Ernesto Rodrigues, author of the biography “Ayrton: the hero revealed”, there are three factors that explain why Senna continues to be a national idol. “First, because he was and continues to be an outstanding driver in the history of F1 for his courage, the impressive cognitive capacity he had and his absolute professionalism,” he declared.
“Second, because it was the first great world personality to die live in front of millions of people watching television around the world, he added. And third, because he died at a time when Brazil was experiencing economic problems, crises and dramas, and had very low self-esteem as a country. Ayrton came in as a person who gave a certain relief and a kind of rescue of the self-esteem of Brazilians”.
30 years after his passage to immortality, Ayrton Senna is still more alive than ever.
2024-05-01 19:03:07
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