Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver who won three Formula
One world championships for McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991, and is widely
regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He died in
an accident while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix for Williams.
Senna began his motorsport career in karting, moved up to open-wheel racing in
1981, and won the 1983 British Formula Three Championship. In 1988, he joined
Frenchman Alain Prost at McLaren-Honda. Between them, they won all but one
of the 16 Grands Prix that year, and Senna claimed his first World Championship.
Prost claimed the championship in 1989, and Senna his second and third
championships in 1990 and 1991. In 1992, the Williams-Renault combination began
to dominate Formula One. Senna nonetheless managed to finish the 1993 season
as runner-up, winning five races and negotiating a move to Williams in 1994.
Senna has often been voted as the best and most influential Formula One driver
of all time in various motorsport polls. He was also acclaimed for his wet weather
performances, such as the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, the 1985 Portuguese
Grand Prix, and the 1993 European Grand Prix. He holds a record six victories
at the Monaco Grand Prix, and is the fifth-most successful driver of all time in
terms of race wins. Senna courted controversy throughout his career, particularly
during his turbulent rivalry with Prost. This is his incredible story.
