Thread by @StgRocktRoll

Ayrton Senna Da Silva(21/03/60 - 01/05/94). On this day in 1994, the God of wet races, intense, intelligent, charismatic, spiritual, compassionate & committed F1 driver passed away doing what he loved. Racing. Passionate & brave. In a short career span he scored 65 poles
+

record would stand for 12 years. He joined F1 in 84 with Toleman which wasn't a winning team, his team mate at toleman, Stefan Johansson, finished 16th while he finished 9th. In Monte Carlo, Monaco, he finished second setting the fastest lap & almost caught up to rival prost
+

In 1985 he joined Lotus & same year in Portuguese GP, a full wet race (God Mode) he smashed all 26 racers. He not only took his first podium & fastest lap, he even lapped the 3rd place finisher Prost in that race. With Lotus, for three seasons, he scored 16 poles & 6 wins.
+

Cometh 1988 McLaren took Senna & the greatest rivalry against team mate Professor Prost started which brought F1 to the forefront of viewership. He wins 6 out of 8 races against Prost. 13th GP (Japanese) Senna needed a win to secure championship but he got off to a bad start
+

& then it rained. Senna transformed to God & pushed from 18th position to pole which made him champion of season. He became the most famous sportsman in Brazil & the world. His first championship.
Next season, 1989, was pretty much neck to neck with Prost & it came to a point
+

where Senna needed a win in Jap GP to be in championship race. With 5 laps remaining in race Senna & Prost crashed. Senna took the detour in a broken car for a pitstop & finished 1st but there was no celebration as FIA excluded Senna from the race for leaving track. Prost wins.
+

In 1990 Senna came back wiser & Prost moved to Ferrari. Again this year for the third time in row, balance hung in Japanese GP. Senna qualified for pole on Saturday. FIA again amazes everyone when they ask pole car to start from left not right(which was along racing line).

Senna protests & walk out of the driver meeting but still started on left side(opp) & Senna-Prost crashed in the first lap itself which made Senna the champion of 1990. There is a whole controversy about FIA chief Balestre favored Prost, both being French.
#Senna #SennaSempre

'91 season, came the interlagos Brazil his home GP which he never won before & expected to win this time. With 7 laps remaining, he got stuck in 6th gear but he drove all the way to pole. He ws in lead from start to end. At the end of race he drained all his energy & fainted
+

Senna secured his 3rd championship in 91
Next two seasons 1992&93 Williams with their superior traction control & suspension electronics won the championship but still Senna gave them a run for their money especially Prost.
In 1994 Senna moved to Williams & same year FIA barred
+

use of electronics which made races very dangerous in 1994.
Senna wasn't comfortable in the new car.
Into Imola, San Marino GP, Italy. Friday practice session (29 Apr 94) Barichello met with a brutual crash & came out alive. Saturday (30 Apr 94) Rolan Ratzenberger (simtek)
+

died in a crash. Nobody was sure if Senna would be on the grid coz he wasn't comfortable in the car but Senna being Senna qualified for pole & started ahead of Schumacher on final race (1st May 1994) exactly 26 years before. On the 6th lap schumi behind Senna & Senna crashed
+

near Tamborello curve. It wasn't a difficult turn may be something went wrong with the car, no one is sure what. He crashed in an unfortunate way which directly hit him & the sports lost its greatest icon. A tragic & inconsolable loss.

Some of his quotes & anecdotes which still resound in every fan.
'If you no longer go for a gap which exists, you are no longer a racing driver' 'Wealthy men can't live in an island that is encircled by poverty. We all breathe the same air. We must give a chance to everyone,
+

atleast a basic chance'. At start of 94 season 'It's going to be a season with lots of accidents, and I'll risk saying that we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen'.
Prost is one of the trustee in Instituto Ayrton Senna.
#sennaforever
#F1

unroll @threadreaderapp