15 years ago today - Ayrton Senna

[steve nielsen]

Beautifull video:



15 years aygo one of the greatest drivers, maybe THE greatest ever died

[andybg40]

The beautiful JPS Lotus and the yellow helmet is the most poignant memory in F1 for me. If only things were different...

[ECW Dan Selby]

RIP Ayrton - I don't even need to explain why he is still such an influence to so many of us. A true inspiration.

Selby

[Peat]

On the bbc-f1 site, they are showing thier Ayrton doco from 1995. Very moving.

RIP Ayrton, Still miss ya!

[Dutton]

I choose to pay tribute to the positive-aspects of the mind of Senna (I am not denying the seeming flaws, but just letting them be).

He held a ferocious intelligence (it seemed to me), and he did many great things with the avenues of power and influence which his exceptional driving talents opened. I loved to watch him on-track (although not everything he did), and just adored hearing him speaking about it. He had a tremendous ability to get his meaning across which was just wonderful (given I had a rather good handle on English then [although rather young], I thought his grasp of English was distinctly impressive overall).

Yes, he would say different things to different language media: you can either damn it, or you could say it is someone maximising their scenario. He could speak multiple languages: I bet many of the complainers couldn't.

Then he would speak about things beyond racing. He would speak fluently and thoughtfully. About the only real talent in life I have had is a broadly extensive grasp of the English language, and I always liked to hear Senna speak in it. He was far from effortlessly fluent, but he would still manage to get deep things across in simple ways.

I admit a lot of the nature of what I have said here is likely romanticised. I would speculate, had Senna made it through his days, he would've written one or two philosophy books. He had a tremendous mind.

Outside of all this, from what I can gather, he was a remarkable person in other parts of life. This is part of his mind given it is part of him.

[Taprobane]

Just watched the BBC remembering Senna video and it's fantastic. I was only six when he died but he was my favorite driver then and still is now. Always been dissapointed I missed mos of his career really, would love to go back to the 80's and watch some of those races.

[nycuk]

I can't believe it's 15 years. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It still doesn't seem real.

[Richard B]

"Williams will find a replacement Formula 1 won't"
still as true today as it was when I wrote those words on a poster and stuck it to the Willaims factory gates 15 years ago.
RIP Ayrton.
http://formula3pics.photium.com/photo2218178.html

[JeremySmith]

No driver in F1 has touched me the way you did and I will never forget you...Ayrton Senna of Brazil...

[Knowlesy]

Astonishing that it is 15 years already.

RIP - a flawed genius.

[strider]

There are times when I wish I was better with the use of words and this is one of them. For the same reasons as others I had some reservations about Ayrton and it was not until I had had been persuaded by a journalist friend of mine, the late Russell Bulgin, that I began to see him in the round. Now I see him as the greatest racing driver we have known and I am including in that the man on and off the track.

For an understanding of the reasons, please go here and read the article: "Fifteen years ago." You may have to scroll down a little because other articles have been added since.

[Oscar114]

A true legend.
RIP Ayrton

[SennaTheGreat]

All I will say is this...


Never Forgotton, Always Missed. RIP "Magic"

[HughGJohnson]

Originally Posted by Taprobane

Just watched the BBC remembering Senna video and it's fantastic. I was only six when he died but he was my favorite driver then and still is now. Always been dissapointed I missed mos of his career really, would love to go back to the 80's and watch some of those races.

Me too. I was a bit older, but did not get turned onto F1 until later in life.

To Alain Prost racing was scientific, to Ayrton Senna it was also spiritual and philisophical. His determination exceded even the desire to win at all costs. Not even winning was enough. He had to see how fast it was possible to go. The quote in my signature makes no mention of that, but it illustrates that winning is fundamental. It's basic, racing IS winning. Without a winner there is no race. Ayrton Senna not only wanted to beat the competition, he wanted to beat the track, his car, the laws of physics and himself.

[Dutton]

It has been 15 years without a fatality. This is a cause for celebration.

I do believe that track alterations were, and have been, unnecessary and extreme in response. I think we are starting to realise this, and slowly fixing the mindset of layout destruction which ensued.

For me, the great, wonderful, exceptional, fabulous, and long overdue advancements which came from his death have been the advancements in car safety for the drivers. Compare a car now with one from 1994. The advances have been incredible, and I think it is, sadly, safe to say it is the death of Senna which sparked this huge revolution (in the same way, the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr has caused a revolution in safety in NASCAR).

Drivers now are in such a hugely safer scenario thanks, I believe, in significant part, to Senna's death. That, I think, is a tremendous honour to Senna.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Absolutely right. I think he would have been honoured to know he played a key part in moving the safety of the cars forward, but as far as the track modifications, I think he'd have a slightly different perception...?

Selby