Ayrton Senna, the F1 star who transcended the sport and is still adored in Brazil 25 after his death. Is there an idol like him in South America?
Ayrton Senna is idolized around the world as one of, if not the greatest car driver that ever lived in the history of motor racing, not only Formula One. Ayrton Senna not only won titles and wrote the history of the competition, he did it with mastery and charm, leading an entire continent to adore him.
Only those who lived through Ayrton Senna's golden age can understand what he did to an entire nation. Brazil woke up every Sunday, no matter what time, to watch its great idol. Families would gather and sit in the living room just to watch what would be the great feat that Senna would do that morning.
Ayrton Senna went beyond the status of a Brazilian sports idol and conquered the whole world. His ability, strength, dedication and charisma made lovers of all sports, not only racing, admire the great feats of that impressive young driver.
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Senna's genius
Ayrton Senna was genius. His races were never the same, because he always had cards up his sleeve. Even if Senna didn't qualify very well to start a F1 round, it was common to see the track monster get his advantage early on, gaining several positions in the first or second lap.
The rain was always a huge challenge for F1 drivers, but it was exactly there that Senna excelled even more, with rain, adverse conditions in the car, and in extreme situations, Senna achieved the impossible, kept racing with mastery and clearly showed his superiority over his opponents.
Senna achieved several records and feats, and by the way, it is his lap that was considered the best ever in F1, where in the first lap alone he overtook four opponents, in a rainy day and in the very difficult 1993 European GP at Donington Park.
Another remarkable feat was in 1991, at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Senna's car broke its gearbox, and only by using the sixth gear was he able to win the race. This race became known as the "race of pain", due to the extreme physical effort employed by the driver.
Is there another great idol like Ayrton Senna in South America?
Sports idols usually come and go. Every year new idols appear in various sports, and when it comes to South America, especially in soccer. But what Ayrton Senna did in his time will hardly ever be repeated.
The track star managed to gather not only entire families, but entire neighborhoods to watch his exploits. Senna's races were followed with such emotion that the spectators would usually go to tears with his overtaking and his phenomenal effort.
Therefore, new sport idols may appear in South America, but hardly anyone will be able to occupy the sacred place that Ayrton Senna held in the hearts of all sport lovers, whether for his quality on the track, his charisma as a person, or his tragic death at such a glorious moment of his career.