F1
20 years since his death he is revered as a cultural icon. RedBull.com assesses the legacy of Senna.
Monuments
When you take the main road into Sao Paulo from the airport, you’re riding on the Rodovia Ayrton Senna da Silva. The alternative route named after a former President. That’s how important Ayrton Senna is to Brazilians. In Rio, one of the main arterial roads is called ‘Champion’!
There’s no shortage of statues, monuments and effigies of the F1 triple world champion either, including one at F1’s home in Brazil, Interlagos. There are also busts, museums, or plaques on many tours around the world, such as the Circuit de Catalunya, Jerez, Imola and Donington Park.
Fast life
Senna became famous not only for his exploits on track, but also for his amorous adventures! When he began dating Xuxa Meneghel, the leggy blonde host of popular children's TV programmes, the tabloids declared open season on Ayrton. Even today some of his former conquests still drop his name to boost their profile and sell their story to magazines. To this day, there’s romantic fan fiction and even fan groups who either hate Xuxa or adore her, in the same way that people love or hate Kurt Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love. And then there’s Adriane Galisteu, another beautiful blonde lover, who inspires similar passions.
Luxurious lifestyle
At the peak of his career, Senna led a lavish lifestyle, alternating between his several homes in Europe and Brazil, and rolling in the most prestigious cars, including the very first Honda NSX. But he was arguably most at home at Angra dos Reis, a verdant retreat on the edge of the Atlantic and the location of the Senna family pile. It was a place where he could unwind with his family. Moored beside the villa was a luxury yacht and a collection of motorised toys, such as jet skis and speedboats. He’d spend a lot of time with his beloved nephew Bruno.
Merchandise, tie-ins and tat
Hotels and restaurants around the F1 circuit abound with framed photos and mementos of Ayrton, and usually they’re enshrined in the lobby like a Picasso. eBay is bursting with all sorts of oddities. But, if you had to pick one, go for Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GPII on the Sega.
Making a difference
Although he was born into a wealthy family and made many millions in his career, Ayrton Senna appreciated that not everyone enjoyed the same privileges. Soon after Ayrton’s death at Imola in 1994, his sister Viviane realized his dream of establishing the Instituto Ayrton Senna (IAS). The Instituto works with the Brazilian government, the UN and charities all over the country to support more than 2 million disadvantaged children and 75,000 educators every year. The IAS’s main activity is to provide a proper education for free to deserving young people, but it also helps to provide food and even job opportunities.
Senninha
Perhaps Ayrton’s most visible legacy is through the Senninha cartoon character. In 1994, Ayrton worked with cartoonists Rogerio Martins Jr and Ridaut Days to develop a comic-book character based on himself to reach out to the children of Brazil. The mischevious character was a huge hit, and these days has his own cartoon show, a video game and adorns hundreds of products. But more to the point, sales go to the IAS.
Senna goes to Carnival
The world-famous Rio Carnival is a parade of colours, floats and choreography as samba schools compete to stage the most spectacular show of the year. This year, the winning entry came from the Tijuca samba school who honoured Ayrton Senna with a song, composed especially for the carnival, that recalls Ayrton’s exploits on track.
