Episode 0; Prologue
691 Words
Ayrton Senna da Silva. That name doesn't mean anything to many of you, does it? I'll bet. For those who don't follow Formula 1, past or present, or know nothing at all about the existence of the sport, it can be difficult to wonder who he is. Let me tell you a little about him. Ayrton Senna da Silva (hereafter just Ayrton Senna) was a Brazilian racing driver who won Formula 1 three times for McLaren. True veterans know pretty much everything about him. But few or none knew about his marital status. I will come to that in a moment. But Ayrton was born on 21 March 1960 in São Paulo. Like everyone, he started his career in go-karting. Of course, he had already caught the attention of the team bosses. Especially when he won the British Formula 3 championship in 1983. After winning that race, he started getting calls and better and better offers. However, he made his debut with the Toleman team in 1984, and by '85 he was in Lotus colours, winning six races in three years. In 1988, he became team-mate with Alain Prost, then considered the best, at McLaren. He eventually became world champion with the same team, albeit after a long struggle. He repeated the world championship in 1990 and 1992. In 1993, he dominated for Williams and unfortunately, it was his last team, as on 1 May 1994, he suffered a fatal accident at the Imola circuit. Senna was a role model for many people.
He may well have been one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. His tenacity and willpower made him stand out from the rest. His death was marked by a three-day national mourning period ordered by the Brazilian government and attended by many racing drivers, including Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Emerson Fittipaldi. He was laid to rest in the Morumbi cemetery in São Paulo. The most dangerous sections of the Imola circuit, including the fatal Villeneuve and Tamburello corners, have been rebuilt. S-curves (chicanes) were added to both of them to significantly reduce speed - the only way to keep the tarmac track on the grand prix calendar after the tragic race weekend. And why is it important to know this? Because the good stuff is yet to come!
The year was 1981 when Ayrton Senna da Silva and Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza joined forces. Although their marriage only lasted until 1983, they parted ways as friends. One thing - or someone - however, bound them together forever; Adriane Souza Senna de Silva. Their child. The child the world never knew they had. Adriane was born in 1983, shortly after the divorce was finalised. Until Ayrton's death, he visited his daughter whenever he could and made her happy. As much as he could, he tried to raise her without the media. He tried to make these visits so that the media couldn't smell anything. Eventually, he succeeded. So far. Because today, the lid is coming off. Of course, I never thought I'd be out in the open like this. But now there's no escape. What I've achieved in Formula 3 is nothing compared to what I'm going to achieve today in Formula 2. If I win today's race, I will be Formula 2 world champion. That would give me a green light to F1.
Racing is in my blood. In my head, I know when and how I'm going to take each corner before I take it. On the straight sections, I know what the ideal speed would be and the part of the section where I can overtake perfectly without any accidents. When I'm in my car, I put everything out of my mind and just concentrate on the track. I'm not racing to win. I mean, yes, that's why. But mainly I race, I get in a car that can do three hundred every week or two because I love it. It's my life. I would give my life for this sport.
- I'd be as willing to sacrifice my life for this sport as you are, grandpa!", I whispered to grandpa's statue.
- Writer
