Ayrton Senna: Breaking Down Icon’s Standing in F1 History

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: October 20, 2013

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Numbers do not mean everything in Formula One, at least in the eyes of the fan.

That is why Ayrton Senna, still a triple world champion, is often viewed by many as being the greatest of all time, despite the likes of Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher all having won more titles than the Brazilian.

That's not to say Senna is not among the greatest when it comes to statistics. He started 161 races, 65 from pole, and won 41 races. He finished on the podium 80 times and was world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991. The latter was earned 22 years ago today, in the Japanese Grand Prix.

There was certainly something different about him. I am not pretending I knew him or watched him race live at the time (I was not even two years old when he died in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix), but I know from pouring over old footage, watching interviews with him and those who knew him and reading the thoughts and recollections of his peers that Senna was held in a different regard.

 



A Talent Lost Too Soon

Is he viewed differently because of his death? It is, after all, a question that can be applied to Gilles Villeneuve or to Francois Cevert, both drivers who never reached the peak their potential suggested they might because they were tragically killed in crashes.

We will never know what Senna could have gone on to achieve were it not for his untimely death at Imola, and some would argue that it need not matter. His status as a three-time champion puts him in a rare club indeed.

Senna’s place in history will remain forever more, of that there is no doubt. Equally, there is no questioning his status as an F1 legend—but does his tragic story lend itself to people remembering him in a different light?

Do not view this as a suggestion that Senna was over-egged as a driver. He was a phenomenal talent; there are not enough on-board vide...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

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