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cynisca
30th April 2009, 18:49
Fifteen years are gone after Ayrton Senna’s death. So let us remember him.

Rest in peace!


http://www.ayrton-senna.net/pictures/Ayrton-Senna-photo-2.jpg


Share your thoughts about him. If your ever met him, feel free to tell us that how he was as a person. For the ones who never met him. Or other things what you want to say about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna

Senna’s F1 stats:

World Titles: 3 (1988, 1990, 1991)
Victories: 41
Podiums: 80
Career Points: 610 (614)
Pole Positions: 65
Fastest Laps: 19
First GP: 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix
First Win: 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix
Last Win: 1993 Australian Grand Prix
Last Race: 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

EuroTroll
30th April 2009, 18:57
Wow, that's a sad picture.. I'm guessing it was taken exactly 15 years ago today, on the day of Ratzenberger's death?

Here's another one:
http://veloxidade.zip.net/images/f1_199302_ayrton_senna_02.jpg

Thoughts on Ayrton...

IMO he was undoubtedly the greatest sportsman I've ever had the pleasure of following. A great, great man. With great heart and great mind. There won't be another one like him. :up:

I miss him a lot. RIP.

shazbot
30th April 2009, 19:05
I'm not sure how 20 years passed so quickly since my father took this photo. The autograph was lost, but the memory will be there forever. :)

Jag_Warrior
30th April 2009, 19:05
R.I.P.

http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/2079/Senna1flag1.jpg

Sonic
30th April 2009, 19:14
Senna was a hero and an idol to me. I still remember an essay my english teacher asked us to write about our heroes. Of course mine was on Senna. I handed it in on the thursday and by the sunday he was gone. I very nearly walked away from the sport, but bergers words at a press conference he gave at monaco made me stick it out.

15 years seems a lifetime. But also it still seems like just last week.

Gone but not forgotten.

EuroTroll
30th April 2009, 20:09
A clip here too, a quintessential one. Qualifying in Monaco. ;) With one of his famous quotes..

xgktruZUDgs&feature=related

EuroTroll
30th April 2009, 20:31
And who could forget..

fVQFEFtFBCA&feature=related

EuroTroll
30th April 2009, 20:55
And then there was the Irvine-incident. :D

5IodsQ2QDIw

After which:

The scene: Eddie Irvine is sitting alone on a table in the Jordan cabin. Jordan's commercial manager, Rubens Barichello and several other people, mostly Team members, are also present. Suzuka was Irvine's first ever F1 race and everyone is watching a re-run of the Senna-Hill-Irvine incident.

Suddenly the door opens and in walks Ayrton Senna accompanied by Norman Howell, director of communications for McLaren and Giorgio Ascanelli, Senna's engineer.

Senna is looking for Irvine, but either he doesn't see him or he doesn't recognise him. Eddie Irvine raises his hand and Senna walks over to him ...

Irvine : Here!

Senna : What the **** do you think you were doing?

Irvine : I was racing!

Senna : You were racing? Do you know the rule that you're supposed to let the leaders come by when you're a back marker?

Irvine : If you were going fast enough, it was no problem.

Senna : I overtook you! And you went three times off the road in front of me, at the same place, like ****ing idiot, where there was oil. And you were throwing stones and all things in front of me for three laps. When I took you, you realised I was ahead of you. And when I came up behind Hill, because he was on slicks and in difficulties, you should have stayed behind me. You took a very big risk to put me out of the race.

Irvine : Where did I put you in any danger?

Senna : You didn't put me in any danger?

Irvine : Did I touch you? Did I touch you once?

Senna : No, but you were that much from touching me, and I happened to be the ****ing leader. I HAPPENED TO BE THE ****ING LEADER!

Irvine : A miss is as good as a mile.

Senna : I tell you something. If you don't behave properly in the next event, you can just rethink what you do. I can guarantee you that.

Irvine : The stewards said "No problem. Nothing was wrong."

Senna : Yeah? You wait till Australia. You wait till Australia, when the stewards will talk to you. Then you tell me if they tell you this.

Irvine : Hey, I'm out there to do the best for me.

Senna : This is not correct. You want to do well. I understand, because I've been there I understand. But it's very unprofessional. If you are a back marker, because you happen to be lapped ...

Irvine : But I would have followed you if you'd overtaken Hill!

Senna : You should let the leader go by ...

Irvine : I understand that fully!

Senna : ... and not come by and do the things you did. You nearly hit Hill in front of me three times, because I saw, and I could of collected you and him as a result, and that's not the way to do that.

Irvine : But I'm racing! I'm racing! You just happened to ...

Senna : You're not racing! You're driving like a ****ing idiot. You're not a racing driver, you're a ****ing idiot!

Irvine: You talk, you talk. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Senna : I was in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Irvine : Yes. I was battling with Hill.

Senna : Really? Really? Just tell me one thing. Who is supposed to have the call? You, or the leader of the race who comes through to lap you?

Irvine : The leader of the race.

Senna : So what have you done?

Irvine : You, you were too slow, and I had to overtake you to try to get at Hill.

Senna : Really? How did I lap you if I was too slow?

Irvine : Rain. Because on slicks you were quicker than me, on wets you weren't.

Senna : Really? Really? How did I come and overtake you on wets?

Irvine : Huh?

Senna : How come I overtook you on wets?

Irvine : I can't remember that. I don't actually remember the race.

Senna : Exactly. Because you are not competent enough to remember. That's how it goes you know.

Irvine : Fair enough. Fair enough. That's what you think.

Senna : You be careful guy.

Irvine : I will. I'll watch out for you.

Senna : You're gonna have problems not with me only, but with lots of other guys, also the FIA.

Irvine : Yeah?

Senna : You bet.

Irvine : Yeah? Good.

Senna : Yeah? It's good to know that.

Irvine : See you out there.

Senna : It's good to know that.

Irvine : See you out there ...

Appearing to turn away Senna then turns back and hits Irvine with his left hand. The blow lands on the right side of Irvine's head. Irvine loses his balance and falls off the table. Senna is still shouting as he is hustled towards the door.

Irvine yells "Insurance claim there!"

Senna (leaving) retorts "You got to learn to respect where you're going wrong!"

And then the press conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxCrh4NbYP8&feature=PlayList&p=1191DD9BD4B3D111&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8

EuroTroll
30th April 2009, 21:24
And then came Adelaide '93. Prost's last GP, Senna last win. The the end of one of the greatest duels in F1 history, appreciated by both men on the podium.

Tq_sAz1Uomo

Ok, I'm done now. ;)

F1boat
30th April 2009, 21:40
RIP, Ayrton Senna. I was young, very young, when the tragedy happens and before this I was fan of Mansell, but remember vaguely that Senna was revered by my Dad and the commentators. Then I watched movies, videos, about him. I am convinced that he was very special and his fate is still touching to me...
RIP, Ayrton Senna :(

Ari
1st May 2009, 00:46
RIP Ayrton. Still feels like yesterday that horrendous race weekend at what is one of my favourite tracks.

Yourself and Roland are gone but never forgotten.

ArrowsFA1
1st May 2009, 09:21
15yrs ago :crazy: How time flies by.

Senna was no saint, but he was a truly great racing driver.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3605323.stm

I am evil Homer
1st May 2009, 09:46
Indeed but he was also happy to admit he was no saint many times...I think also he was beginning to mellow slightly perhaps realising that there was more to life than F1, young hungry drivers like a certain Mr Schumacher coming on strong.

I remember the GP only too well....Roland's accident was bad enough and Berger looked utterly deflated on the Sunday. Then that accident occured and there was so much confusion as to what had happened then the fateful news started to come over and it was clear F1 had lost one of, if not the best, driver of all time.

1st May 2009, 12:34
And then there was the Irvine-incident. :D

5IodsQ2QDIw

After which:


And then the press conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxCrh4NbYP8&feature=PlayList&p=1191DD9BD4B3D111&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8

Which just goes to show what an unpleasant {{person}} the bloke was.

BeansBeansBeans
1st May 2009, 12:43
He had his flaws, as all of us do, but he was a genius at the wheel of a Grand Prix car.

Mark
1st May 2009, 13:41
Just a reminder to keep the abusive language to a minimum please. I've got better things to do than edit posts.

ozrevhead
1st May 2009, 14:11
I know this is a Ayrton thread but to forget Roland would be just criminal

http://formule.cz/formule/img/fotobanka/ratzenberger01.jpg

RIP to the Both of them :(

I am evil Homer
1st May 2009, 14:35
Indeed...people can sometimes forget two lives were lost that weekend.

SGWilko
1st May 2009, 15:31
I know this is a Ayrton thread but to forget Roland would be just criminal

http://formule.cz/formule/img/fotobanka/ratzenberger01.jpg

RIP to the Both of them :(

+1 :up:

ArrowsFA1
1st May 2009, 16:22
It's just a shame that on the day that marks the anniversary of Senna's death a thread remembering him has been derailed in this way.

F1boat
1st May 2009, 16:23
It's a shame that on the day that marks the anniversary of Senna's death a thread remembering him has been derailed in this way.

I agree.

elis
1st May 2009, 16:31
But when some people remember Senna, they don't just remember the good things about him. As I said above, for me an intrinsic part of Senna's career were the numerous occasions on which he acted in an unacceptable manner, and I see no point in glossing over them.

I think it's a shame that being honest - no more - about the dead is now deemed somehow disrespectful or unreasonable.

As I said, no one disputes he had his flaws.. but you have 364 days to discuss & disect them. Today surely is about remembering Ayrton for the good he brought to the racing community, flaws & all, & to those world wide who loved him & still do through his legacy & the fundacion. It's about remembering the loss.

Would you like people to talk about all the bad points & failings of your family members or friends on the anniversary of their loss? We KNOW Ayrton was not fallable, we KNOW he wasn't always saintly on track, but he brought an awful lot more positives to racing than he did negatives.. today is, should be a day to celebrate & remember fondly those characteristics, I'm not dismissing the negative side, just finding more to celebrate in his life than denigrate..

BDunnell
1st May 2009, 16:34
As I said, no one disputes he had his flaws.. but you have 364 days to discuss & disect them. Today surely is about remembering Ayrton for the good he brought to the racing community, flaws & all, & to those world wide who loved him & still do through his legacy & the fundacion. It's about remembering the loss.

Would you like people to talk about all the bad points & failings of your family members or friends on the anniversary of their loss? We KNOW Ayrton was not fallable, we KNOW he wasn't always saintly on track, but he brought an awful lot more positives to racing than he did negatives.. today is, should be a day to celebrate & remember fondly those characteristics, I'm not dismissing the negative side, just finding more to celebrate in his life than denigrate..

I hope that my posts, at least, recognise the fact that there was more to him than just the negative, controversial side. And I agree that there is no need for abuse that has to be edited.

1st May 2009, 16:40
It's just a shame that on the day that marks the anniversary of Senna's death a thread remembering him has been derailed in this way.

I'm sorry....I didn't realise he wasn't the bloke who drove into Prost in Suzuka 1990.

keysersoze
1st May 2009, 16:43
Senna's racing intellect, commitment, and psychological make-up has few matches in the sporting world.

Since the 70s, I rank him with Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Schumacher, and Michael Jordan in that regard, and perhaps Lance Armstrong as well (if it was absolutely proven that he didn't cheat).

tintop
1st May 2009, 16:50
+1 :up :( Ratzenberger)

:up: :up: :up:

Remember seeing a short take on him a few years ago, very sad.

N. Jones
1st May 2009, 16:51
I agree.

I second the comment.

HenryM
1st May 2009, 17:05
I don't see any reasonable reason for trying to show just the negative moments of his carreer,

anyway,
I'm only 21 so when he died I was only 6 but I still can remember some great moments that I watched, I was watching live with my father and brother when he crashed, this was so surreal...
RIP Senna and Ratzenberger.

V12
1st May 2009, 17:14
Was never a fan when he was racing, and I say that in the best way possible, as a kid growing up he was the villiain of the piece, Mansell the hero. Still none of that seemed to matter after the accident, probably the last time I cried at the death of someone who wasn't a family member or close to me (I'd just turned 11 at the time).

EuroTroll
1st May 2009, 17:22
...probably the last time I cried at the death of someone who wasn't a family member or close to me (I'd just turned 11 at the time).

Yeah, me too... The one and only time.. I'd just turned 13 a few days before. My mom actually let me skip school the next day, 'cause I was so distressed. :eek:

wedge
1st May 2009, 17:27
What a ridiculous statement, clearly the positives outweighed the negatives by a large margin, or we wouldn't be memorializing him would we? There is plenty of space dedicated to rating former racers pro and con, I'd think that some of you would be able to tell the difference between that and a memorial thread on the anniversary of his violent death.

What a great talent, what a joy to watch!

IMO that would summarise Schumi but Senna I find is more 50/50.
Senna's character was far more complicated.

A full-blooded racing purist at heart but lurking within he had strong emotions. He had 'issues' and vented his spleen at a given opportunity as if the world was against him.

Pat Symonds - also engineer at Tolemans - found Senna far too intense to work with but Shumi was a mellower character.

philipbain
1st May 2009, 18:02
He was simply the greatest, not a revisionist view like a lot of British fans that were blinkered by Mansell Mania, but simply a belief I've always had. Senna was in his absolute prime when I first took an interest in F1 in 1989 when I was 8 years old, he was my idol, the only driver I have ever backed to the hilt, I have been an admirer of other drivers since but as in my view there will never be anyone quite like him I can't see myself backing another driver in the same way. May he forever rest in peace.

Lalo
2nd May 2009, 06:19
Us, your fans and the entire F1 comunity still misses you, Ayrton!

2nd May 2009, 09:27
A real class act - referring to the post not a deceased Senna dig. Grave dancing and a pronounced lack of self-respect, or a maniacal need to put down any perceived threats to another certain driver's legacy,who knows?

Nothing of the sort. Just an honest opinion of somebody whose personality left a lot to be desired. An awful lot.

Personally, I don't see how anyone could like a man who thinks its ok to punch another competitor for having the temerity to be faster....I certainly don't see why that should be celebrated.

Suzuka 1990 was the single most disgusting act ever carried out on a race track. That it wasn't universally condemned and punished opened the way for future actions and excuses. It was an act of utter cowardice and malice and was totally reprehensible.

Portugal 1988 was almost as bad. Nobody had ever used their car as a weapon before Senna did. That is his true legacy.

However, don't let me stop your sycophantic air-brushing love-fest.

elis
2nd May 2009, 12:12
Ayrton even with his faults, still had, & still carries an awful lot of respect & admiration around the racing community. His contribution & lasting legacy to the sport & to the wider world as a whole is a gazillion times greater than any armchair critic could ever dream of attaining. The critic who's sole contribution to an 'Anniversary thread' is to totally denegrate, to soley comment in a tactless manner on the percieved negative traits of the deceased, the pitiful arrogance to demean the millions globally who dared to find anything to like or admire about Senna.

Kind of sad to be that way really...

EuroTroll
2nd May 2009, 12:47
Ayrton even with his faults, still had, & still carries an awful lot of respect & admiration around the racing community. His contribution & lasting legacy to the sport & to the wider world as a whole is a gazillion times greater than any armchair critic could ever dream of attaining. The critic who's sole contribution to an 'Anniversary thread' is to totally denegrate, to soley comment in a tactless manner on the percieved negative traits of the deceased, the pitiful arrogance to demean the millions globally who dared to find anything to like or admire about Senna.

Kind of sad to be that way really...

Exactly.

Faults and all, the man was more admired and revered around the world than any other F1 driver, ever. Possibly more than any sportsman ever. He was an icon - he was just special. Think back to his funeral, for example. Millions and millions of people lining the streets. Hundreds more millions around the world watching it on television. It was like Gandhi had just died, wasn't it. And the three days of national mourning that Brazil declared after his death.

All this for a sportsman!

Why?

Well, the answer to that is a bit different for everyone, of course. But if all you can do is bang on about Suzuka '90, then you really just haven't got a clue. Or you do, and simply choose to troll. Which really is sad.

52Paddy
2nd May 2009, 14:37
What a black day for the world of motorsport, that weekend of the 1994 San Marino GP. I was only 3 years old, and not to become an F1 fan for another7 years (2001.) That was the year upon which the HANS device was finally introduced, something that would have saved the life of Ratzenberger at least.

No F1 driver has been killed in an F1 race since then. While this is a step forward in terms of safety, I have much more respect for those drivers of former years when their lives were literally in danger of been taken from them at any race weekend. Many accidents that have happened since may have caused certain fatality if the clock was put back 10 years (e.g. Luciano Burti at Spa 2001 and Robert Kubica's crash at Montreal 2007.)

wedge
2nd May 2009, 15:00
Ayrton even with his faults, still had, & still carries an awful lot of respect & admiration around the racing community. His contribution & lasting legacy to the sport & to the wider world as a whole is a gazillion times greater than any armchair critic could ever dream of attaining. The critic who's sole contribution to an 'Anniversary thread' is to totally denegrate, to soley comment in a tactless manner on the percieved negative traits of the deceased, the pitiful arrogance to demean the millions globally who dared to find anything to like or admire about Senna.

Kind of sad to be that way really...

Death elevates mere mortals into legends.

Respect and remembrance means we concentrate on their goodness and gloss over their faults and in doing so we create an idol and not a full picture of a human being.

Senna was highly divisive character, much like Schumi. If you get the chance, just look at the Archives (can't access at time of posting) when Schumi's retirement was announced. I'm sure the response to Schumi's death will be much the same.

EuroTroll
2nd May 2009, 17:53
Good articles in the blogs of two F1 journos, James Allen and Joe Saward..

http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/remembering-senna-and-ratzenberger/
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/fifteen-years-ago-2/

Jag_Warrior
2nd May 2009, 21:06
Death elevates mere mortals into legends.

Respect and remembrance means we concentrate on their goodness and gloss over their faults and in doing so we create an idol and not a full picture of a human being.

Senna was highly divisive character, much like Schumi. If you get the chance, just look at the Archives (can't access at time of posting) when Schumi's retirement was announced. I'm sure the response to Schumi's death will be much the same.

Very well put.

In addition to that, I believe many of us also take the sum of his contributions and weigh them against the sum of his faults. It's all very subjective, whether we like someone or not.... whether we think they're great or not. But for those of us who were immense fans of Ayrton Senna da Silva, many of us continue to hold him in very high regard... even though we realize that he did not die with nail marks in his palms. For that matter, show me the man or woman who has not sinned while on this planet.

Personally, as a fan of auto racing and no other sport, I feel honored that I was a fan at a time when someone of Senna's stature was driving. I either hadn't been born or was too young to see or appreciate many of the past greats like Fangio, Clark and Stewart. I'm thankful that I was there to see Senna.

I freely admit that I had, and still have great love for the man. All I (choose to) remember from that dark day 15 years ago was that Senna had pole and he was leading the race. Of the thousands of pictures I have of him, I have only a very few of his crashed car... and those are kept in a subfolder that I never look at.

In my mind, he is still on pole and still leading... R.I.P.
http://files.myopera.com/Bewitch/albums/201431/ayrton.jpg

BDunnell
2nd May 2009, 21:41
Death elevates mere mortals into legends.

Respect and remembrance means we concentrate on their goodness and gloss over their faults and in doing so we create an idol and not a full picture of a human being.

Senna was highly divisive character, much like Schumi. If you get the chance, just look at the Archives (can't access at time of posting) when Schumi's retirement was announced. I'm sure the response to Schumi's death will be much the same.

I think that ought to be considered as very well put, no matter what your views here are.

I'm currently watching the World Snooker, and can't help wondering what the reaction would be were Alex Higgins to die tomorrow. He was, unquestionably, an incredibly gifted snooker player, capable almost of artistry on the snooker table. Yet when he dies, it would be very hard, and in my view wrong, for the obituaries and tributes to forget that he was also a violent drunk. Mention of this, as a character fault, should surely be made without fear of it being deemed 'disrespectful'.

I consider myself to be very privileged, as an F1 enthusiast, to have witnessed Senna at his best. It was outstanding. But I cannot forget those moments when he was not at his best. In this, I suspect there are some drivers who died before their time to whom this divisiveness would not apply. Jim Clark is a good example, in my view.

pino
3rd May 2009, 15:14
To those who wants to bash Senna, please use the "other" threads thank you ! :rolleyes:

EuroTroll
3rd May 2009, 19:42
This is the right thread where to post this, I think. ;)

Senna's first victory, narrated by the man himself.

JW4Rln5OcaQ

tintop
3rd May 2009, 22:16
This is the right thread where to post this, I think. ;)

Senna's first victory, narrated by the man himself.

JW4Rln5OcaQ

Awesome!

Jag_Warrior
3rd May 2009, 22:20
This is the right thread where to post this, I think. ;)

Senna's first victory, narrated by the man himself.

JW4Rln5OcaQ

Much thanks.

52Paddy
4th May 2009, 00:21
What beasts those 1985 cars were. Simply mind-blowing power (remember the qualifying trim they use to run in!)

Oh, to have been alive in those days...

EuroTroll
4th May 2009, 14:39
What beasts those 1985 cars were. Simply mind-blowing power (remember the qualifying trim they use to run in!)

Yeah! Berger said that in Qualifying at Monaco, he once had wheel-spin while in 6th gear.. :eek: I think it was in '85 or '86.

Jag_Warrior
5th May 2009, 20:09
Just touched on this in the "parallel worlds"/"what if" thread:

Senna testing with Marlboro Team Penske at Firebird Raceway in 1992. Oddly, to me, Emmo still looks pretty much the same. But look at that "wet behind the ears" kid in the blue jacket. Well, that be Paul Tracy! :D

Good memories...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r137/CD55_Champ_Car/1992CARTAyrtonSennaTestMedium.jpg

Rodriguez 917
5th May 2009, 22:37
Senna seems to be more reverred and seems more mythical with every year that passes. My 2 favourite drivers are Pedro Rodriguez and Senna, they were very similar. For me Senna is the best because:

He had presence (not quite the same with the current crop)
He could drive anything (flat bottom, turbo, active, passive)
In modern F1 you look at the onboard footage and think yeah I could do that. Watch Senna on a qualifying lap and you think no I couldn't
He was uber quick
He could overtake
He was flawed (some dodgy moves but that inspires debate which adds to the myth)
He died whilst leading, doing what he did best.

When I have kids I might call one of them Ayrton (or Pedro)

Jag_Warrior
5th May 2009, 23:00
What I find even more disturbing about this picture than the hideous nerdy appearance of Paul Tracy, is the laptop perched next to the great man himself :p

Yeah, in 1992 that was probably a $5K+ top of the line computer. And now, a broken iPhone would run circles around it... with half dead batteries. :D

I don't know who owns that car now, but I'd absolutely LOVE to see that Penske-Chevy at a vintage race! Can you see me elbowing little kids and pretty girls out of the way to get my picture taken with it? And there's no smilie face or winkie with that one... somebody would definitely get "unsportingly" ribbed if they tried to get in that camera shot with me. :dozey:

Jag_Warrior
5th May 2009, 23:08
He was flawed (some dodgy moves but that inspires debate which adds to the myth)

I agree. I think that does add to the legend, if not the myth.

I was reading a thread on an academic board, where some students and professors were debating the good vs. bad traits and characteristics of Octavian/Augustus Caesar. That was an entertaining and informative thread. It was interesting that Augustus had so many spirited, dedicated "fans"... and he's been dead for roughly 2000 years! My personal view is that one can be considered great without being considered a saint without sin (or as some might say, "sporting"). But that's my personal view. Unless someone comes up with a video of Senna strangling kittens, nothing can be said about him that will change or tarnish my view of him.

BDunnell
5th May 2009, 23:13
Why this talk of a myth? After all, Senna was hardly a mythical figure. Complex, maybe, but not mythical. I can't think of any myths that have sprung up around him, in the correct sense of the word.

Jag_Warrior
5th May 2009, 23:18
That he would undertake qualifying laps while holding his breath, I would say is one popular myth.

tintop
5th May 2009, 23:22
Senna seems to be more reverred and seems more mythical with every year that passes. My 2 favourite drivers are Pedro Rodriguez and Senna, they were very similar. For me Senna is the best because:

He had presence (not quite the same with the current crop)
He could drive anything (flat bottom, turbo, active, passive)
In modern F1 you look at the onboard footage and think yeah I could do that. Watch Senna on a qualifying lap and you think no I couldn't
He was uber quick
He could overtake
He was flawed (some dodgy moves but that inspires debate which adds to the myth)
He died whilst leading, doing what he did best.

When I have kids I might call one of them Ayrton (or Pedro)

I agree, I think that his mythical status has increased over time. Of course dying from poll probably helps but as you point out, those cars were so thrilling and heart stopping to watch from a control perspective, that I'm not sure anyone in today's relatively behaved vehicles can generate that same aura.

HenryM
7th May 2009, 22:26
his first f1 test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_PMy45Lhg

THE_LIBERATOR
10th May 2009, 11:30
I suspect there are some drivers who died before their time to whom this divisiveness would not apply. Jim Clark is a good example, in my view.Not so, I met a Von Tripps fan once that still blamed Clark for his death after 40 years or more.

EuroTroll
10th May 2009, 12:42
his first f1 test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_PMy45Lhg

Thanks for that!

BDunnell
10th May 2009, 20:53
Not so, I met a Von Tripps fan once that still blamed Clark for his death after 40 years or more.

Yes, there was that, but I don't think the existence of a few people who blame Clark for that (there's little evidence to suggest that apportioning blame is fair, in any case) is anything like comparable to the divisiveness of Senna.

scaliwag
10th May 2009, 23:38
OK everybody this post will probably be used to bar me from the site, however I must be true to myself, so here goes, senna, just like prost and Schumacher was a cheat, and a liar, senna drove into prost to gain advantage as did prost into senna, as did Schumacher into Hill.

I do not shed a tear for senna.
OK bring it on.

Regards scaliwag.

EuroTroll
11th May 2009, 02:33
Well... I hope you achieve your martyrdom.

I'd throw a few stones myself, but I'm way too tired. :z As the saying goes, "Let he who is without sleepiness cast the first stone." ;)

A stoning is alright, right? Or is it definitely banning that you want?

I don't think Pino will ban you for that, you know. Not offensive enough. But if you really want it, I'd willing to stand in for him and perform the ceremony. ;) OK with you? Good.

Here goes:
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you banned from this site. Now f*** off, you little scaliwag!!"

Eh? Eh? Good, what? :cheese:

I've always imagined that's how Pino does it. :D