The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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20 years later, I thought it would be a good idea to open a specific thread for this man, post your images or stories please;

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GitanesBlondes
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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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I always enjoyed the pictures from his career when he was driving John Player Special Lotus.

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And the classic, the first of forty-one, Estoril 1985.

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GitanesBlondes
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I know this is an image thread but I will say that he's probably the most difficult driver to characterize.

The hagiography that was the Senna documentary, was in my estimation an absolute disservice to who he was. It was simply a white-washing of who he was as a man, a driver, and what his legacy really was. While it touches on all of those things, it was more of another tool used in order to mythologize someone who was anything but a god, he was simply a man at the end of the day who was undoubtedly one of the best to ever sit in a grand prix machine.

We are after all the sum of our contradictions and hypocrisies, and when looking at Ayrton Senna from an objective perspective, you see him for what he was; a flawed legend. He was a thoroughly dislikable person at many times in his career, and the ruthlessness that so many champion as a great quality, was not a good quality to have as it marked a change in how Formula 1 drivers behaved on track. In spite of that, I have always maintained he was nowhere near the dirtiest driver to ever drive in Formula 1, but he certainly garnered more attention than any in the past did as the coverage become greater.

In terms of ability, he was only ever matched by Michael Schumacher in terms of ability to extract the absolute most from any grand prix car he ever drove. Both were absolutely mesmerizing to watch, and their talent in helping to assist the engineers in further developing any grand prix car were absolutely unparalleled. He also had that ability to unite a team fully behind him in a way that the top drivers today lack; opting instead to take their gripes public every time and to burn bridges. Perhaps the only thing he lacked in his skill set was the ability to understand as Alain Prost did, of when you should settle for a P2, P3, or whatever position finish. It's ok to play it safe once in awhile.

Though whatever one thinks of him personally, he drove in a golden era where the competition was far greater than it is now. One of the rare few who would have been dominant in any era he drove. Watching him drive in old races is still a treat.
"I don't want to make friends with anybody. I don't give a sh*t for fame. I just want to win." -Nelson Piquet

Manoah2u
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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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GitanesBlondes wrote:Watching him drive in old races is still a treat.
Ain't that the truth. I get the chills on just how violent and insane these races used to be, just look at the qualifications alone, my god speeding by like a rocket when the rest of the field was just oozing after their run or warmup lap.

Squeezing through a corner that any mortal would concider not possible to take sharper or pass without failing or negative results - he just aimed and shot, and it worked.

The amazing thing about Senna is, and I agree he has a 'grimmer side', it still doesn't change his legend. If you just look at every aspect of the guy from youth till death, leaves anybody with the tiniest bit of motorsport in his veins in awe.

I always feel a form of sadness when I see Senna sitting in the Williams without his helmet on. I don't know why but he had a certain 'sadness' in his eyes. Some even went as far as to say he 'knew' he wasn't going to make it, which makes it even more morbid imho. It hits me because I can remember it so well, still.
Senna was and always will be my ultimate F1 Hero. I've watched F1 religiously since the early 90's and have been following it since the late 80's even. I had 2 favourites back then; Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna, obviously with Senna the nr 1 favourite.

What intrigues me the most to this day is the man senna, Ayrton Senna da Silva, not the racing driver, but the human.
I find that you generally don't come across as much. Offcourse it's hard when the man breathes motorsport.

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Developing a Honda NSX, couldn't even fail there. I've driven one, and it's not untill you've driven one that you really appreciate the amazing sportscar the Honda NSX really is. In any case, it was again an aspect of Senna that you can only appreciate.

As a person, he seemed like a genuinly warmhearted fella. He was and always will remain to be a true Legend.
I'd even think there will never be a person in F1 with such a legendary character as Senna. In that sense, he is immortal.

anyway, some pictures

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These two moving images show what emotions are connected with him.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNdf7OUL_E[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bXDfWhAUog[/youtube]
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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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It is amazing how different he was. The same man who crashed intentionally in the other driver in a high speed corner was the one who stopped his car on track to run and help the other one who crashed (was it the last time anyone ever stopped on track to help somebody?).

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GitanesBlondes
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timbo wrote:It is amazing how different he was. The same man who crashed intentionally in the other driver in a high speed corner was the one who stopped his car on track to run and help the other one who crashed (was it the last time anyone ever stopped on track to help somebody?).
Alex Comas had that huge shunt at Blanchimont. Senna's help is what saved him.

Those days are long gone though.

It's why I always say safety was a double-edged sword, drivers don't really think anything can happen any longer for the most part. Bianchi was a freak occurrence for these guys, business as usual going forward as more time goes by.

Suzuka 1990 start, onboard from Mansell's car.

Probably the best view ever of the whole incident between Alain and Ayrton. The wheel spin and tire marks left off the line from Senna was huge. It's interesting to note he never turns into Prost, just sits there. Would have been fascinating to watch that race unfold if that incident never occurred.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOu4xz4_Wt0[/youtube]
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bdr529
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It's Érik Comas

It was quite a contrast to some of the stuff he did, and very reminiscent of a bygone era
though I never thought leaving his car were he did was the smartest thing he did

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s-2pfRHg_Q[/youtube]

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Richard
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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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GitanesBlondes wrote:Comas had that huge shunt at Blanchimont. Senna's help is what saved him.
Sorry, what did Senna do that couldn't have been done by one of the marshalls? Did he really make any difference?

Yes Senna was a passionate and prepared to gamble. It showed in his heroic overtaking, crashes or stopping on track. Sometimes it paid off, other times it didn't. His passion resulted in some poignant moments, other times it was arrogant.

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GitanesBlondes
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Richard wrote:
GitanesBlondes wrote:Comas had that huge shunt at Blanchimont. Senna's help is what saved him.
Sorry, what did Senna do that couldn't have been done by one of the marshalls? Did he really make any difference?

Yes Senna was a passionate and prepared to gamble. It showed in his heroic overtaking, crashes or stopping on track. Sometimes it paid off, other times it didn't. His passion resulted in some poignant moments, other times it was arrogant.
He shut the engine off because the engine was revving high, and was a real risk for igniting fuel, causing fire/explosion.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUyXHG55xQ8[/youtube]

Turn subtitles on.

Sure it could have been done by the marshals, but if you noticed, Senna got over there far quicker than they did.
"I don't want to make friends with anybody. I don't give a sh*t for fame. I just want to win." -Nelson Piquet

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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio

"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna

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The old man was reported to be interested in hiring Ayrton, but when he learned about his salary, he responded; "Imaginativo."

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GitanesBlondes
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Too bad as with Ayrton behind the wheel of the Ferrari in 1985 instead of Michele Alboreto, I'm pretty sure he would have won the WDC.
"I don't want to make friends with anybody. I don't give a sh*t for fame. I just want to win." -Nelson Piquet

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Re: The Ayrton Senna memorial image thread

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GitanesBlondes wrote:Too bad as with Ayrton behind the wheel of the Ferrari in 1985 instead of Michele Alboreto, I'm pretty sure he would have won the WDC.
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