Ayrton senna childhood biography

21/3/1960 - 1/5/1994

Record updated 21-Mar-23

Ayrton Senna won the Formula One Championship three times until his fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix. A monumental genius with frightening commitment, Ayrton Senna da Silva is arguably the greatest driver in Formula-One history.

Senna was born in São Paulo. As the son of a wealthy Brazilian landowner, he quickly developed an interest in motor racing.

Encouraged by his father, a racing enthusiast, Senna got behind the wheel of his first kart at the age of four. He entered karting competition at the legal age of 13. Ayrton Senna himself describes his first ever kart race in a documentary that was made in the early 80s. He described how the circuits were made on regular streets and car parking lots. Starting positions were written on pieces of paper, mixed in a helmet and were drawn. The number he drew for his first race was the number 1. He therefore started his first ever race from pole position. The competitors were far more experienced but could not keep up with him on the straights as he was much lighter due to being much younger than they were. He states that they were much better in the corners of course, and eventually someone hit him from behind and he spun out.

In 1977, he won the South American Kart Championship, and was runner up several times in the World Championship but never won.

Heading for Europe in 1981, he entered the British Formula Ford 1600 competition, which he won. He also adopted his mother's maiden name, Senna, as da Silva is a very common name in Brazil.

In 1982 Senna won two of the European races - the British and European Formula Ford 2000 Championships.

In 1983, Ayrton saw off the challenges of Martin Brundle in the 1983 British F3 championship with West Surrey Racing, and then went on to win the prestigious and high-profile Macau Grand Prix with Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing Team although this was, in reality, West Surrey Racing running under the T

Ayrton Senna’s extraordinary feats at the wheel of a racing car yielded three world championship titles and 41 grand prix victories. He was probably the greatest exponent of the flat-out qualifying lap the sport has ever seen, taking 65 pole positions in 162 races.

These achievements alone ensured his name would be forever writ large in the history books long before the tragic circumstances of his death while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Senna first came to the attention of Formula One teams in 1983 as he was on his way to winning the British Formula Three championship. Williams were first to test the 23-year-old, and McLaren and Brabham also put him in their cars.

That changed soon after Senna’s arrival. In dreadful conditions at Monaco he guided his TG184 between the barriers on a near-flooded track whole seconds faster than the front runners. He was gaining on race leader – and future arch-rival – Alain Prost when the race was controversially red-flagged.

To that second place he added two more podium finishes before the end of the season. But he also incurred the wrath of Toleman boss Alex Hawkridge, who barred Senna from racing at Monza after his driver broke their contract to sign a deal with Lotus.

Again the results came quickly. Just two races into his Lotus career Senna became a race winner. Again he prevailed in dire conditions, this time at Estoril in Portugal, finishing a minute clear of his rivals. Seven pole positions that year underlined his status as the sport’s foremost qualifier.

But on race days the reliabili

Brazilian racing driver (1960–1994)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Senna and the second or paternal family name is Silva.

For the EP by Delorean, see Ayrton Senna (EP).

Ayrton Senna da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese:[aˈiʁtõˈsẽnɐdɐˈsiwvɐ]; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1994. Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, and—at the time of his death—held the record for most pole positions (65), among others; he won 41 Grands Prix across 11 seasons.

Born and raised in São Paulo, Senna began competitive kart racing aged 13; his first go-kart was built by his father using a lawnmower engine. After twice finishing runner-up at the Karting World Championship, Senna progressed to Formula Ford in 1981, dominating the British and European championships in his debut seasons. He then won the 1983 British Formula Three Championship amidst a close title battle with Martin Brundle, further win

An idol in the sport’s world and three-time Formula 1 world champion, Ayrton Senna was born on March 21st, 1960. Known for his drive and determination on the tracks, where he achieved victories and countless records, the driver also left a legacy outside of them.

On the 64th anniversary of Senna’s birth, we prepared a list of 64 interesting facts and stories about the driver’s life. These memories explain why Ayrton is considered to this day the best driver of all time and an inspiration for people of so many generations.

1- Senna is a three-time F1 world champion (1988, 1990 and 1991).
2- Senna has 65 pole positions in the history of F1.
3- Senna won 41 races in F1.
4- Senna achieved 80 podiums in F1, and in more than half of them, he was at the top, in first place.
5- Senna set 19 fastest laps in F1.
6- Senna competed in 161 Grands Prix in F1.
7- Senna won for the first time in F1 on April 21st, 1985, with Lotus, in Portugal.
8- Senna won the Brazilian F1 GP in 1991 and 1993.
9- Senna won a race with virtually no brakes in Formula Ford in 1982.

10- Senna was runner-up in the world kart champion on two occasions (1979 and 1980).
11- Senna is considered the “King of Monaco” with 6 victories in the principality, a record that remains today in F1.
12- Senna is the only Brazilian to win in Monaco in F1.
13- Senna was the British F3 champion in 1983.
14- Senna began his F1 career with Toleman in 1984.
15- Senna’s first podium was in Monaco in the 1984 season.
16- Senna was the first driver to achieve pole position in a car with active suspension, at the 1987 San Marino GP.
17- Known for his talent in rainy races, Senna did not have a good result in his first kart race on a wet track. Because of that, he trained every day until he became a master in this condition.
18- Senna is still the leader of consecutive first rows in F1 with 24 between 1988 and 1989.
19- King of the poles, Ayrton Senna always won from the first, second or at most third row.