The 30th anniversary of the death of three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna was remembered on Wednesday (1) with a memorial at the Imola Formula 1 track, where he died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, joined hundreds of fans, politicians from Brazil and Italy, as well as a representative from Austria to also remember Formula 1 driver Roland Ratzenberger, who died a day earlier during the qualifying race for the Grand Prix.
At 2:17 PM (local time), a minute of silence was observed and flowers were laid at the Tamburello corner, where Senna, at 34 years old, crashed into a concrete wall at about 300 km/h (185 mph).
Flowers were also laid at the Villeneuve corner, a little further down the track where 33-year-old Ratzenberger died.
“They are part of the history of the sport and history in general for what they represented,” said Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani.
The attention surrounding Senna’s death brought safety improvements to the Imola track and across F1, resulting in shorter straights, more space for dangerous corners, and less powerful engines.
Netflix Miniseries “Senna” to Remember the Life and Career of the Brazilian Driver
Netflix released the first trailer for its new series based on the life of Ayrton Senna.
The six-part series produced by the Brazilian arm of the streaming giant was announced in 2020.
The story covers Senna’s arrival in Great Britain to compete in Formula Ford and his subsequent rise to Formula 1. He won three world championships between 1988 and 1991 and lost the 1989 title to his teammate and fierce rival Alain Prost under controversial circumstances.
The trailer shows Senna competing in the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he achieved his first home victory, despite his car stalling in the final laps as the rain began to fall. It features flashbacks of earlier moments in his career, including his time in karts, the surprising second place of Toleman in the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, and the groundbreaking victory of Lotus the following year in Portugal.
Netflix Brazil filmed the series in two locations in Brazil: São Paulo, Senna’s hometown, where the Brazilian Grand Prix takes place in Interlagos, and Rio de Janeiro, which previously hosted the race at the now-demolished Jacarepaguá circuit. They also filmed in Great Britain, Argentina, and Uruguay. Senna is portrayed by Gabriel Leone.
The series was created in collaboration with Senna’s family and his company Senna Brands, which uses the driver’s identity to raise funds for the Ayrton Senna Institute. The organization was founded by Senna’s sister, Viviane, to provide development opportunities for young Brazilians.
Senna was previously the subject of a 2010 film, also called “Senna,” which used original footage to tell the story of the Brazilian idol’s life.
Sources: ABC news and Race Fans