We did not think that karting could become a career.
AYRTON'S FATHER MILTON DA SILVA
But it has become a big part of our lives
and we are a bit worried because then along came Formula One.
May God protect him forever.
AYRTON'S MOTHER NEYDE SENNA
All the dangers are my biggest fear.
I would like to thank him because he is a good son
and this year he has worked very hard and honestly.
For me, it is more important than any title.
The time has come.
Ayrton is ready to ride in a Formula One car for the first time.
I believe it was God who gave me this opportunity,
I've been waiting for a long time.
And now it is helpful to remain calm, tranquil, relaxed.
Ayrton, this is a beautiful city,
with wonderful streets to walk, but unsuitable to host a race, no?
REGINALDO LEME
Indeed. I arrived at the last minute
and I was surprised. I've never been to Monaco.
I did some testing
and fortunately, I managed to adapt to the track.
There is no margin for error, any error would result in an accident.
But for now, I'm satisfied.
I was travelling a lot, as a Formula One journalist
when Ayrton began to be noticed driving a Toleman.
VOICE OF REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
Toleman was not a winning team.
The car was bad and never won a race.
That's why what Ayrton did in Monaco was true genius.
Ayrton Senna overtakes Keke Rosberg gaining third position.
VOICE OF GALV�O BUENO GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
And overtakes Niki Lauda!
Ayrton Senna takes second place!
At the most dangerous part of the track!
VOICE OF JAMES HUNT 1976 FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION
Incredible!
Ayrton raises his arms and gestures with enthusiasm!
Celebrating as if he won the race!
If we had continued for a few more laps,
I am sure Ayrton would have passed him.
I had a serious chance of winning.
But until you cross the finishing line in first position,
it is impossible to make a prediction.
Formula One is politics, money
and while you are making your way through it, you must deal with such things.
Ayrton Senna the new star of Formula One!
Appearing for the first time on the Formula One podium
after a fantastic performance.
JOHN BISIGNANO
LOTUS
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
Even as a child, he always knew what he wanted
and he always got it.
AYRTON'S MOTHER NEYDA SENNA
For example, he always paid attention in the classroom at school,
so he didn't have to study at home
and so he had more time to play on his go-kart.
VOICE OF RICHARD WILLIAMS SPORTS JOURNALIST, THE GUARDIAN
PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX - APRIL 21st 1985 AYRTON'S SECOND RACE WITH LOTUS
Ayrton was exceptional when it rained.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
When the conditions were bad and the track became slippery
he had a higher gear.
The Estoril race was incredible.
He lapped all his opponents except one.
It is wonderful! An extraordinary feeling.
I am very happy because, in my second year in Formula One,
I managed to fulfill my first dream, which was to win my first Grand Prix.
It is something unique.
It was raining really hard. There was no competition, really.
He would have won that race if it was run 100 times.
It was an important race for Brazil for many reasons,
including the fact that on that day,
the first elected Brazilian President, Tancredo Neves, died.
It was a very important political moment for Brazil,
because he was the first elected president
after the end of the dictatorship.
He was ill for a long time and died.
There was a risk that Brazil would suffer another blow
or something like that, which nobody wanted.
Senna's win was very important in that sense,
for the public, for the Brazilian people and for us there,
and I'm sure he also realised this later in the evening
when we were at dinner. We went to dinner,
but later that night after leaving the restaurant he caught a plane to return to Brazil.
MILI OKADA FUJI TV
I think many Japanese girls are fans of Mr. Senna.
Now I am close to him and I'm so nervous...
At that time the strongest teams were Williams and McLaren.
McLaren was,
I would say, a constructor which had always reflected
the same values as Ayrton.
In that sense Ayrton and Ron Dennis had much in common.
They were both perfectionists...
Let's put it like this. Both have
the idea that nothing will go wrong if something is well planned and executed
and have always fought by the same ideals.
Ron comes from a background of hard work.
He has struggled to get where he is now
and has been successful in life. They are both very close.
At that time the trilogy "The best team, best driver, best car"
was led by Ron Dennis at McLaren.
ALAIN PROST WORLD CHAMPION 1985, 1986
SELINA SCOTT WOGAN TALK SHOW, BBC
In Formula One your teammate is your biggest rival,
the first person to beat
because he is the only one who has a car equal to your own.
I can have the excuse that I run in the McLaren and the Ferrari is better
or I can be in the Ferrari when the McLaren is better, but I can't say
that my Ferrari is different from that of my teammate.
Usually early in his career
when a driver arrives in a team
his main rival is his teammate.
If he goes faster than his teammate has a chance to move on.
If he doesn't accomplish this, it's the end of his career.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MCLAREN DRIVERS
RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
The first year at McLaren was a very decisive year in the life of Ayrton.
VIVIANE SENNA AYRTON'S SISTER
He was very nervous.
It was as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders
because he now had the responsibility
to demonstrate he was a first rate driver.
Before Senna arrived at McLaren
Alain Prost was considered the destroyer of teammates.
I remember Jo Ramirez said to me:
"Reginald, I am very concerned
"What will happen with Ayrton at McLaren.
"I know he has talent, but Prost is a fighter,
"He creates an atmosphere of war
"Which helps him to destroy his opponents,
"As he did with Keke Rosberg."
Using the word "destroy" in the technical sense.
Destroyed on the track, beating his opponent mentally.
I said to Jo Ramirez:
"Jo, with Senna it will be different.
"Because he has more talent than the other drivers
"Prost will look to divide the team."
And that's what happened.
Alain Prost was scared.
Despite all that Prost had in terms of talent,
understanding of a race, intelligence
and cold blood, he was surprised
when he began racing with Ayrton. He would never have thought
a driver could be as good as Ayrton was.
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
MONACO GRAND PRIX 14 MAY 1988
1. A. SENNA 2. A. PROST DIFFERENCE: 55.114 secs
67/78 LAPS
A. PROST WINNER MONACO GP 1988
VOICE OF ALAIN PROST
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 30th OCTOBER 1988
It is the fifteenth Grand Prix of the season.
As the sun rises, Brazil will await the chequered flag
and for Ayrton Senna to win his first world title in Formula One,
realising a dream he had since he was a child.
VOICE OF PIERRE VAN VILET TF1 COMMENTATOR
We are about to start. Green light.
Senna does not start!
Prost came out ahead while Ayrton Senna was left behind.
Ayrton Senna is in 14th place.
I thought, "So long title. It's over".
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
He takes eighth place. An amazing comeback from Senna.
Then his favourite thing happened,
it began to rain.
Senna is now in fourth position.
Senna goes, goes, goes!
Ayrton Senna overtakes Prost and onwards!
I started giving thanks during the last lap.
I thanked God.
It was incredible. I could not believe I was going to win the championship,
Despite all the anxiety and tension.
I felt God's presence.
I have seen God
It was a very special moment for me.
An indescribable feeling.
It remains engraved in my memory and as a part of me.
Ayrton Senna of Brazil!
World Champion 1988!
SAO PAULO
What an incredible race!
A great victory. He had to come from 16th place.
AYRTON SENNA WORLD CHAMPION 1988
Ayrton, how do you feel as World Champion?
I feel so much peace.
It is as if someone had removed a huge weight
from my shoulders and head.
It is difficult to understand what it means be a World Champion.
SAO PAULO 15th NOVEMBER 1988
He is an amazing person, wonderful.
He is very humble and improves the image of Brazil abroad.
He shares his victory with us.
I admire him very much.
He is very brave man.
I just know this.
We are proud of him.
It is one of the few things that we can still be proud of.
Once, I asked Ayrton "When will you think about quitting?"
He said, "Mum, the day I am the champion I will stop."
In my heart, I knew that was not true.
We all know that.
SENNA FAMILY HOME VIDEO
SENNA'S FAMILY AND THE FAMILY OF TAMIN ANGRA
VIVIANE SENNA AYRTON'S SISTER
After the 1988 Championship, after he won the title,
We noticed that he had changed between the beginning and the end of the year.
Because he had found himself.
He had discovered who he was.
It was a process that reached its conclusion after his championship victory.
At Christmas, many things happen.
New friends are made,
like the person I'm about to introduce.
XUXA MENEGHEL BRAZILIAN TV STAR
He was part of my 1988.
Ayrton Senna.
Isn't he cute?
I have a few questions for you.
I think everybody is excited, but none more than me,
It is not easy to talk. Ayrton is now my friend.
Ayrton, what do you want for Christmas?
As a Christmas present?
What I really want, I cannot say here!
Why not?
It would be censored. Let's say I just want to be happy.
Whisper it to me.
Happy New Year.
Happy 1990.
Happy '91.
Happy '92.
Happy '93.
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
It is curious
that the English term "teammate" is translated into the Portuguese "companheiros de equipe".
I've often used the term "Enemies of the team".
Because if you have two drivers, as in the case Prost and Ayrton,
as teammates, inevitably internal strife will arise.
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
Senna and Prost. Prost and Senna.
The order of the grid is always one or the other.
It is a war between them.
For the French driver Alain Prost,
he believes his teammate is unfair to him.
and these disagreements could affect the rest of the season.
Grand Prix after Grand Prix they were more and more distant from each other.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
Ayrton said: "This Frenchman is tough.
"He wants war."
After a little more time,
they became completely isolated and they didn't speak anymore.
JEAN-MARIE BALESTRE FIA PRESIDENT
VOICE OF PIERRE VAN VILET TF1 COMMENTATOR
I would like to give a warm welcome to the President of FISA, Mr. Balestre.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX PRE-RACE DRIVERS MEETING
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 22nd OCTOBER 1989
Prost is first. Senna, second.
Prost jumped into the lead.
His start was better.
LAP 45 OF 53, CASIO CHICANE
LAP 46 OF 53, CASIO CHICANE
Finally they clash! It goes in the favour of Prost.
If the race ends like this, Prost wins the title.
But, for Ayrton Senna it is a win-win situation.
Nannini passes.
Nannini is now in the lead.
Senna is still in the pits.
Senna is back on track, but he is far behind Nannini.
Catching up is almost impossible.
It's all or nothing, five laps to go.
It will be a suicidal race for Senna, if he decides to try anything.
Then Prost saw Ayrton return to the race
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
and immediately went to the stewards' office.
Nannini, first. Senna, second.
Senna tries to pass Nannini!
Senna is in the lead!
LAP 51 OF 53, CASIO CHICANE.
Waving Brazilian flags!
All stand up!
Ayrton Senna.
The checkered flag!
Senna celebrates in the cockpit.
AYRTON SENNA WINNER - JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
He hits his helmet. The Brazilian Ayrton Senna.
Visibly moved,
He raises his visor and wipes away a tear.
It is a fantastic victory.
I have never seen anything like it.
There was no podium celebration immediately after the race.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
STEWARDS OFFICE
As the wait was prolonged, the more people feared that the decision was becoming political.
The decision taken by the team of FIA Commissioners
at the Grand Prix of Japan
is to exclude the number one car and its driver, Ayrton Senna,
from the final outcome of the race.
After the race, a giant screen has repeatedly shown the incident
and everything that happened to enable Senna's return to the track.
After reviewing these images, race officials have concluded
that Senna failed to use the chicane to resume racing
Senna has infringed Article 56 of the FIA regulations.
REPLAY AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 1981
FIA HEADQUARTERS - PARIS The Court of Appeals declares
a six-month license suspension for Senna.
A warning not only to Ayrton Senna but for all the drivers,
And a fine of $100,000.
While he is one of the best drivers in the world,
you have no right to cause stupid accidents.
That was quite a profound moment for Ayrton
because Balestre had behaved even worse than Prost.
VIVIANE SENNA
He even thought about giving up Formula One racing.
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
All drivers aspire towards their limits.
My limit is different from that of Prost. This is the reality.
Instead of trying to improve his own capacity,
he found it easier to attack me.
The fact that I believe in God, the fact that I have faith in God,
is not to say that I am immortal,
It does not mean that I am immune from danger, as has been said.
I'm afraid of hurting myself just like everyone else,
especially driving in Formula One, where the threat is constant.
SPANISH GRAND PRIX 30th SEPTEMBER 1990
MARTIN DONNELLY LOTUS
AYRTON SENNA 1:19.844 POLE POSITION
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 21st OCTOBER 1990
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
VOICE OF AYRTON SENNA
Clashed.
If the race continues, the title will have been decided.
The Championship is over.
Ayrton Senna is the World Champion of 1990.
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
FIA AWARDS PARIS 1990
JACKIE STEWART FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION 1969, 1971, 1973
The rivalry between Ayrton and Prost
is the biggest rivalry I've ever seen in sports
throughout my career. That was over 38 years in Formula One,
I was involved in football, World Championships, Olympic Games
and worked in many other areas,
but I've never seen a rivalry similar to that between Ayrton and Prost.
It was a rivalry involving everything.
There were criticisms, especially by Prost,
in relation to the behavior of Ayrton as a person.
Two of the greatest champions in the history of Formula One
ended up in the sand. Championship ruined.
They accuse each other, but Prost was the hardest.
His reaction was violent.
I wanted to punch him in the face, but I was so disgusted
that I did not succeed.
It makes me feel sick.
The situation in Brazil was very negative and depressing.
VIVIANE SENNA AYRTON'S SISTER
But many times, when Ayrton won,
instead of trying to hide his Brazilian origins, as others did,
he did the opposite, waving the flag of his country.
He took it inside the car every Sunday.
He was an inspiration to people. That's why they loved him so much.
Ayrton had never won the Grand Prix of Brazil.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
Since he entered Formula One he always dreamed of winning in his home country.
BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX 21st MARCH 1991
The Brazilian Grand Prix has begun.
Red light. Green light.
A good start.
Come on, Senna!
Senna is in command.
LAP 54/67
VOICE OF RON DENNIS MCLAREN TEAM MANAGER
Here's Senna. It's starting to rain.
It's raining. It must stop.
7 LAPS REMAINING
It seems impossible to drive a Formula One car stuck in sixth gear.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
Ayrton wanted to stop. He could no longer drive it.
But he had already tried many times to win the Brazilian Grand Prix
and found a special force within himself.
The last corner. And Senna crosses the line.
Go for the win!
Ayrton, Ayrton... The Brazilian Ayrton Senna!
In the lead from start to finish, he wins at Interlagos!
A wonderful victory for Senna!
No way!
God damn it, I won!
"Prost, son of a bitch"
He won and then fainted.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
It was his most heroic moment.
Because of the tremendous physical effort,
I had muscle spasms of my shoulder and neck.
The pain was tremendous.
The physical and mental stress this weekend was unheard of.
But could there be only one result.
I finished the race with no more energy.
Come here, Dad. Come on.
Come here.
Quiet, Ayrton.
Today, I fought hard.
I wanted to finish the race and finish in first position,
because He is the greatest
and He will give me this race after all.
That's what happened.
It is God who gave me this race and I'm happy.
It was thrilling.
All hail the Brazilian Senna for his victory. Congratulations.
I thank all of Brazil. I thank all the fans.
This weekend I felt so much warmth around me
that we could not do anything but win.
It could not have been any other way.
And we did.
SENNA FAMILY HOUSE, SAO PAULO
Ayrton was so well known in Brazil
VIVIANE SENNA AYRTON'S SISTER
there were a lot of people asking for help
for personal problems. Sometimes hospitals
and charities sought his support and donations.
Ayrton gave donations and tried to work things out.
But did not want to make random donations.
He wanted to develop a whole thing, something organized and structured
to help Brazil, especially the children.
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
MEXICAN GRAND PRIX 14th JUNE 1991
VOICE OF PROFESSOR SID WATKINS F1 DOCTOR
GERMAN GRAND PRIX 28th JULY 1991
ROLAND BRUYNSERAEDE RACE DIRECTOR
3 HOURS LATER
VOICE OF RICHARD WILLIAMS SPORTS JOURNALIST, THE GUARDIAN
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 19th OCTOBER 1991
LAP 9 OF 53
Mansell tries to overtake, but he goes straight on.
Mansell goes straight on!
The Championship is over. Mansell cannot get out of the gravel trap.
AYRTON SENNA three-time WORLD CHAMPION
Ayrton Senna of Brazil, three-time Formula One World Champion!
A lifetime dedicated to this moment
by a genius of international sport.
Three-time world champion and many other titles ahead of him.
And only 31 years of age.
Thirty three wins, three world titles.
Breaking record after record. He celebrates as only Senna can do.
The third world title puts Senna amongst the greatest of all time.
It is very special for me.
Thank you so much.
SAO PAULO 5th NOVEMBER 1991
I followed Senna, walked with him
on the streets of many countries around the world,
in particular to get to the circuits, such as in Japan,
where there is a one kilometer walk to reach the hotel
and to reach the circuit you must cross an amusement park
And I thought: "How can a person be worshipped in this way?"
It was a worship without limits.
I kissed the hands of Senna, the left hand of Senna, three-times world champion.
I want to see Senna. I want to hug him and kiss him.
I have got a box with photos and newspaper articles.
Everything you can imagine.
He is the only good thing in Brazil, right?
It is a wonderful party.
Anything goes. What matters is happiness.
Have you spoken about Formula One today?
Formula One is too rigid. Today is Carnival.
Have any of your girls ever told you: "Faster, Ayrton?"
Yes.
Ayrton achieving the third world title
was the culmination of a script he had written for himself
well before entering Formula One,
because he knew he could do it and could do even more.
The great idol of sport in Brazil.
With the third title, he became the world's great sporting idol.
NIGEL MANSELL WORLD CHAMPION 1992
The negotiations were lengthy
and we still do not know who will be Prost's teammate.
The three-time world champion has signed
a two-year contract with Williams
and during the week will begin testing the car.
VOICE OF ALAIN PROST
I'm pretty sure of one thing:
I'm the one that has more to lose.
Because I'm at an age near the peak of my career
and the number of years in the career of a Formula One driver is limited.
So if I stop, I'd lose out more than anyone else,
both professionally and personally.
ADRIANE GALISTEU
In 1993, Ayrton drove his car so brilliantly.
For me, it was his best season.
BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
MONACO GRAND PRIX
Ayrton fought so hard to win at Monaco, but did not make it,
fought to win at Suzuka, but did not make it,
and when he was struggling to get into Williams
he thought it was the end of his career.
Sometimes it makes no sense... We always say
that we must fight for our ideals, for what we want out of life.
But sometimes the battles do not bring the desired results.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX FINAL RACE OF 1993
VOICE OF MARK FOGARTY F1 JOURNALIST
AYRTON SENNA WINNER AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WILLIAMS DRIVERS
For Ayrton Senna, it is a race against time.
He has to attune himself to be an integral part of the team and adapt to the new car.
He says he is not yet comfortable.
The car no longer has the electronic components used last year.
He is without traction control, special brakes and active suspension.
The cars are much less stable
without the electronically controlled suspension.
As a result, they are more difficult to drive
and it is very likely that more cars will leave the track.
So we might see more cars crashing, giving more excitement to the audience.
Also for us, as long as nothing happens to the drivers.
Otherwise, it is not a good situation.
BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX 27th MARCH 1994
LAP 56 OF 71
PATRICK HEAD CHIEF ENGINEER WILLIAMS
PACIFIC GRAND PRIX 17th APRIL 1994
FLAVIO BRIATORE BENETTON TEAM MANAGER
VOICE OF FRANK WILLIAMS TEAM MANAGER WILLIAMS
SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX, IMOLA APRIL 1994
FRIDAY 29th APRIL 1994
Senna was so nervous that weekend. I had never seen him so tense.
REGINALDO LEME GLOBO TV COMMENTATOR
I never saw him smile, even for a moment.
He maintained a bemused, bored, even a sad demeanour.
RUBENS BARRICHELLO JORDAN
Do you know Ayrton or should I introduce you?
We met four years earlier. I already met him.
Knew him by name, or in person?
I know him because I follow Formula One and then we met in person.
Why are you so nervous, then?
When we stand next to a person like him we always become emotional.
Good luck to the champion and the future champion.
RUBENS BARRICHELLO QUALIFYING
REPLAY
SATURDAY 30th APRIL 1994
VOICE OF JOHN BISIGNANO ESPN COMMENTATOR
ROLAND RATZENBERGER SIMTEK DRIVER
ROLAND RATZENBERGER SIMTEK
VOICE OF PIERRE VAN VILET TF1 COMMENTATOR
VOICE OF PROFESSOR SID WATKINS F1 DOCTOR
REGINALDO LEME GLOBE F1 COMMENTATOR
That Saturday, at dinner, Frank Williams was not at all sure
that Senna would be present on the grid.
I was sure that he did not want to compete.
The last time I saw Ayrton was that Sunday.
He was very agitated.
Some friends went to talk to him.
He was very agitated, was going from the Williams motor home to the pits.
Back and forth. Before I take my position in the commentary box,
I always ask questions about strategy to
Brazilian drivers and others who are near.
Some respond, others do not
but they reveal some information
I can report to the public during the race.
I expected to be able to ask Ayrton some questions, but could not.
I realized that this was not the time for such an interview.
SUNDAY 1st MAY 1994
That morning when I awoke,
God asked me to speak to him.
VIVIANE SENNA AYRTON'S SISTER
He opened the Bible and read a passage that said
God would give him the greatest gift of all,
that of God himself.
A collision.
Everyone swerves around. Look.
Lamy arrives at full speed.
Lehto is stopped.
JJ LEHTO BENETTON
A nasty collision. Lamy and Lehto have had no luck.
PEDRO LAMY LOTUS
The safety car goes on track.
SAFETY CAR
They told me that Ayrton had confessed to someone before the race
that he would carry an Austrian flag in his overalls.
In victory, or if he was on the podium, which was very likely,
he wanted to show the flag as a tribute to Roland Ratzenberger.
Lights out on the safety car.
It means that the safety car is about to come into the pits.
Starting again. Senna is in the lead.
Schumacher is second.
On the sixth lap, Michael Schumacher is trying to put pressure on Senna.
IN CAR CAMERA AYRTON SENNA LAP 6 OF 58
Bad impact for Senna.
At the Tamburello curve.
A very serious accident.
VOICE OF PROFESSOR SID WATKINS F1 DOCTOR
There was a lawsuit?
In my opinion, the steering column broke
and the car became uncontrollable.
But above all, it was inevitable
because the car crashed at such an angle. The suspension arm
went into his helmet.
BOLOGNA, ITALY
SAO PAULO 4th MAY 1994
He was my idol. He represented the best of Brazil.
I miss you, Senna.
I will never forget you.
Brazilians need food, education, health
and a little joy.
The joy has been removed.
AYRTON SENNA DA SILVA 21/03/1960 - 01/05/1994
Nothing can separate me from the love of God.
Ayrton Senna died at the age of 34.
As a result of his death,
the FIA appointed Professor Sid Watkins
to improve safety in Formula One.
No fatalities have occurred in Formula One since.
The Ayrton Senna Foundation, founded in 1995 by his sister Viviane,
has helped to educate more than 1.2 million needy children in Brazil.
Alain Prost is a member of the advisory board of the foundation.