Ayrton Senna, Saudade

Not many people in the Philippines would know Formula One Racing, they'd recognise the fast cars but wouldn't know which motorsport they belong to. I was one of them until four years ago. I got interested in F1 through my work and I got a little crush on Daniel Ricciardo but it was discovering Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna which made me love the sport and understood its thrill just a little bit more.

Ayrton Senna da Silva, a three-time Formula One world champion, would have been sixty-years-old this year if he didn't die from a crash at Italy's San Marino Grand Prix on 1 May 1994. He was only thirty-four. That was twenty-six years ago but sometimes when I'm watching videos of him on YouTube, there are these little needles prickling my fangirl heart, making me ache for someone I've never met.

As it is, the life of great people couldn't be captured with a few paragraphs and Senna did live a short but well-lived life. He always seemed to be chasing victory. The AUTOCOURSE editor wrote in 1993 that Senna was "a uniquely flawed genius and an intense egocentric, absolutely matchless when it comes to wet weather genius and yet sometimes afflicted by an unsettled mood." He was that.

"Racing, competing, it's in my blood. It's part of me, it's part of my life; I have been doing it all my life and it stands out above everything else."

Ayrton Senna started racing in F1 in 1984 up until his death in 1994. In his ten-year career, he drove for Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, Williams and won 41 Grand Prixs and three World Driver's Championships. Out of all his 162 racing entries, there were five races which I (and a million others) think that showed Senna's pure talent, instinct, passion and dedication.

Monaco Grand Prix, 1984 The rain and Monaco - hands down, these were the two things Senna mastered. Toleman gave Senna his break into F1 and five races later, he made a lasting impression, dragging his much inferior car from thirteenth place to second place in a rain-soaked Monaco circuit, passing through the likes of Nigel Mansell and Niki Lauda. Alain Prost won the race after a red flag but Senna's performance displayed his genius talent and grit, impressing both fans and critics.

Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, 1988 Senna still holds the most wins (six) at the Monaco circuit to this day. What made this 1988 qualifying a stand out was the fact that he finished on pole, out-qualifying his McLaren teammate and archrival Alain Prost by an unparalleled 1.427 seconds.

“Suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension.” - Senna, Monaco 1988

Winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, 1991 If there was one race that encompassed everything that made Senna the best of the bests, I think it was this race. Six years and two World Championships later and Senna was yet to win on home soil and each year that this win eluded him, the more passionate and pressured he was to claim it. Seven laps to finish the 1991 Brazilian GP and all but the sixth gear of his McLaren failed. No one expected him to continue with one gear working let alone win, but he did it anyway. Seriously, I was teary-eyed when I saw videos of this race. The emotional and psychical toll of the victory took a lot out of Senna when he crossed the line. He could barely get out of his car as his body went into spasms, but he overcame the excruciating pain to raise his trophy and then the Brazilian flag on the podium in front of his wildly excited fans.

Belgian Grand Prix, August 1992 It was the practice session when Eric Comas heavily crashed his Ligier and was left unconscious. Senna was the first one on the scene and he did not hesitate to run towards the burning car even when other cars drove past them. The risk of an explosion was high but Senna managed to shut off Comas' engine and held his head until the paramedics arrived.

Winning the European Grand Prix, 1993 If Monaco 1988 was the greatest qualifying lap of all time, then the 1993 European GP in Donington was the greatest opening lap of a race in F1 history. Senna was left behind and crowded at fifth seconds after the green light but he methodically worked his way to the lead, passing through Benetton, Sauber, Williams then Prost who was leading. He won the race with everyone, except Damon Hill, at least one lap down to the finish line.

In addition, Senna was the original rain master because his car control was impeccable. His duels with long time rival Alain Prost were also nothing short of legendary. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamiton in their own rights are considered great champions but their rivalries were not as fierce as the likes of Senna and Prost.

As his profile rose, Senna expressed concern over the poor in Brazil. After his death, it was discovered that he had secretly donated an estimated USD400 million of his personal fortune to help poor children. Shortly before his death, he created the framework for an organisation dedicated to Brazilian children, which later became the Instituto Ayrton Senna (IAS). On the morning of his death in 1994, he, along with other drivers, initiated the reformation of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association safety organisation, with which he had intended to work to improve the safety of his sport. A massive push for additional safety following Senna's death has saved a few drivers from what would have been certain death in other eras.

Senna made an unforgettable mark in the elite racing scene and in the hearts of his people before I was even born. When he died, three days of national mourning was declared across Brazil and over three million people lined up the streets of São Paulo during the funeral procession. Every time I talk about him to anyone who would listen (not many!), my heart would be filled with pride for his personal beliefs, achievements and the way he led his life until the end. There's no doubt in my mind that he's the greatest F1 driver of his time.

“And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.”

Ayrton Senna

F1's greatest

21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994