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Ayrton Senna at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix. Photo By Instituto Ayrton Senna –

Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Ayrton Senna   

Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991. He is one of the greatest F1 drivers in the history of the sport. 

Brazil has had three ‘Formula One’ drivers win the World Championship and Senna is one of the three having won 41 Grands Prix and a record 65 pole positions, a record that went unbroken until 2006.  

He died in an accident while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, driving for the Williams team. He was 34 years old at the time of his death. National days of mourning were declared across Brazil and millions of people lined up to walk past his closed coffin while millions more lined the streets for his funeral procession. 

Here are the top 10 remarquable facts about Aryton Senna. 

1. Senna Was Left-Handed 

Ayrton Senna da Silva was born on 21st March 1960 at a hospital in Santana, a neighborhood of São Paulo. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Senna’s father Milton Guirado da Silva, whose mother was Spanish and his father Brazilian, was a landowner and factory owner.  

Senna’s mother Neide Senna da Silva was an Italian immigrant’s granddaughter. The racecar driver grew up at his maternal grandfather’s house which was close to an airport and an operational Aeronautics Material Park. 

Senna was left-handed and a middle child. He had an elder sister, Viviane, and a younger brother, Leonardo. As a small boy, he had poor motor coordination and had trouble climbing stairways by the age of three. 

2. His Interest In Cars Started Early 

Ayrton Senna at the age of three. Photo By Instituto Ayrton Senna –

When he outgrew his poor motor skills, Senna became very athletic and active. When he was four years, he was already excelling in gymnastics and other sports.  

He developed an interest in cars and motor racing at the age of four. At the age of seven, Senna learnt how to drive a Jeep around his family’s farm and also how to change gears without using a clutch.

He started racing karts at the age of 13 with his first kart built by his father using a small 1-HP lawnmower engine. 

It was evident that Senna had a natural talent behind the wheel, as he had a lot of success in his karting career that prompted him to progress to racing single-seaters in 1981. 

3. He Dropped His Surname and Used His Mother’s Surname 

Senna was not known by his father’s family name. ‘Da Silva’ is among the most common Brazilian surnames and so he adopted ‘Senna’ his mother’s family name which is a bit unique. 

4. Senna Started Formula One Racing in 1984 

Ayrton Senna. Photo By Instituto Ayrton Senna –

Senna started his career in karting before progressing to open-wheel racing in 1981 and winning the British Formula Three Championship in 1983. In 1984, he made his Formula One debut with Toleman-Hart, then moved to Lotus-Renault the following year, winning six Grands Prix in three seasons. 

In 1988, Senna was crowned World Champion for the first time. In 1990 and 1991, Senna won his second and third titles.  

5. He Had Interests In Other Sports 

Senna participated in a variety of sports, including jogging, waterskiing, jet skiing, and paddle boarding. He had a variety of interests, including flying actual and model aircraft and helicopters, sailing, fishing, and riding his favorite Ducati motorcycles. 

His aircraft was a British Aerospace 125, he flew his helicopter between his Brazilian houses and to races.  

6. Senna Had Marked As Black Spot The Exact Place Where He Died 

Senna went with his fellow driver, Gerhard Berger, to see what could be done in the name of safety at Imola’s Tamburello corner. Berger and several others had been involved in serious crashes there and Senna feared someone would die there.  

Together, they climbed through a partition in the retaining wall to investigate the surroundings. Senna wanted to move the retaining wall back, but the Santerno River was in the way of that.  

Unfortunately, that is where Senna met his death. 

7. He Had An Austrian Flag In His Car On The Day He Died 

Being one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, Senna always gave it his all on the track. Every time he won, he would fly the Brazilian flag during his victory lap and after the race.  

On that dark Sunday, he planned to win, then wave an Austrian flag in honor of Roland Ratzenberger, a young Austrian who had died in a crash just one day before. Sadly, he did not finish the race. 

8. Senna’s Funeral Was Among The Largest In History 

Ayrton Senna’s grave. Photo By Morio –

On 1st May 1994, Senna was killed after his car crashed into a concrete barrier while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Italy.  

Senna’s death was considered a national tragedy and the Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning. Senna’s coffin was covered with a large Brazilian flag. 

His funeral took place on 5th May 1994. It was broadcast live on Brazilian television and an estimated three million people lined the streets of his hometown. Senna was buried at the Morumbi cemetery in São Paulo.  One can say Senna was more loved than Pele. 

9. Safety On The Track Improved After Senna’s Death 

The push to make F1 a safer sport in the wake of Senna’s death was massive. Evidence of the progress comes to light as drivers walk away with minor injuries from incidents that would have meant certain death in a previous era. 

The changes include improved crash barriers, redesigned tracks, and tire barriers, higher crash safety standards, higher sills on the driver cockpit, and a limit on 3-liter engines. 

10. There is a Minor Planet In Memory Of Senna 

Ayrton Senna’s statue in WaÅ‚brzych. Photo By Nbarchaeo – Wikimedia Commons

Senna is considered to be the benchmark for racing drivers around the world. Apart from a minor Planet named in his honor, there are many monuments, statues, and more that celebrate the race driver. 

In July 1994, the Brazil national football team dedicated their World Cup victory to Senna and collectively held a banner on the field after defeating Italy in the final. He has even been the subject of several songs.  

In 2021, a bronze life-size statue of Ayrton Senna was unveiled in Walbrzych (Poland), sitting in a street named after him.