Brendan Lines May 1st, 2020

Ayrton Senna’s Formula 1 career spanned just 10 years, in that time Senna left an indelible mark not just on Formula 1, but his star shone so brightly across Adelaide’s Grand Prix years from 1985 to 1995, he became part of our sporting history.

Ayrton Senna takes to the podium in Adelaide 1993 – Image: Motorsport.com

Today marks 26 years since the passing of the Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, who’s legendary life and career was cut-short after an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix which tragically took his life.

Amid the accolades, what makes Senna’s legacy so unique is that it’s not for us left behind to try and match his talent, it’s an aspiration to be who we are no matter the odds to whole heartedly believe and challenge yourself to be the best you can be.

As Senna shone in Adelaide in his pursuit to be the best, he left us with many reasons why we can look back with fondness over his racing legacy in Adelaide.

First driver to score pole position on the streets of Adelaide

In just his second year of Formula 1, the 25-year old Brazilian came to Adelaide for the first time to race at our inaugural Grand Prix in 1985.

In all of Senna’s career he could always produce one blinding lap that would silence the competition in qualifying. On a dusty and new Adelaide street circuit, Senna pushed his Lotus to the point of driving ‘untidy’ in the practice sessions.

But come Saturday’s qualifying session, Senna had it all in front of him, with Williams’ Nigel Mansell just under half-a-second faster — Senna produced another signature spectacular lap to take the first ever Formula 1 pole position in Adelaide.

The elusive Adelaide victory finally comes

Despite his 41 wins and 65 pole positions, victory in Adelaide eluded Senna for most of his career. From nine starts in Adelaide Senna won twice (1991, 1993), placed second (1988), retired five times (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992) and was disqualified once (1987).

Senna was leading a soddenly wet 1989 Adelaide Grand Prix, when blinded by spray at high speed he collided with Martin Brundle’s Brabham, creating one of the most spectacular pieces of footage in the early days of TV’s on-board cameras.

In 1991 Senna finally won, being one of the best wet weather drivers Formula 1 has ever seen, it was only fitting Senna won in a monsoonal downpour that saw the race officials declare Senna the winner after just 14 laps. The 1991 Adelaide race remains the shortest Grand Prix ever held in Formula 1 history.

‘An end of an era’ victory in 1993

As quickly as South Australian’s took Senna to heart, he was taken away shortly after his victory at the 1993 Adelaide Grand Prix. At the time it was a remarkable win, just on the merit Senna was driving a rather inferior McLaren-Ford. He took pole position and won the last race he would compete in the team that made him a World Champion.

Ayrton Senna’s victory lap after the 1993 Adelaide Grand Prix – Image: Adelaide GP

But in retrospect that victory will be remembered for more sombre and heart felt reasons. As it would be Senna’s final victory before his untimely death. Senna himself called the 1993 victory ‘an end of an era’ as it also saw the retirement of arch-rival and past-McLaren team-mate Alain Prost, who finished second to Senna in the race.

Senna invited Prost to take the top step of the podium with him, in a kind gesture that seemingly put to rest their heated and bitter rivalry.

Alain Prost (Left) and Ayrton Senna share the podium at Adelaide 1993 – Getty Images

Adelaide’s adopted hero

In the days following the retirement of World Champion Alan Jones and before Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo gave Australians born and bred stars to cheer for — Adelaide adopted Senna as our hometown hero.

Senna looked ‘at home,’ as his intense personality and ferocity on-track became relaxed when he landed in Adelaide. It may have been because Adelaide held the final race of the year in what many remember was a ‘party atmosphere.’

Senna could be seen enjoying the city’s hospitality and being part of many off-track moments across the Grand Prix weekend that saw his unique charisma come to the fore, even despite his then feud with Jordan driver Eddie Irvine in 1993.

In his openness to the media, he candidly spoke with raw honesty in interviews, which perhaps hit a chord with Adelaide fans. It was just before Adelaide held the 500th World Championship race in 1990, that Senna gave the famous ‘Designed To Win’ interview and famous quote to three-time world champion Jackie Stewart, after Senna and Prost’s collision that decided the 1990 World Championship.

“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.” – Ayrton Senna, 1990

But Senna truly won over Adelaide fans after his 1993 victory in Adelaide, when he joined American singer Tina Turner onstage at her after-race concert just before the rendition of her hit ‘Simply The Best.’

It was not just speed and single-mindedness he was known for, Senna a devout Christian, by contrast he was known for amazing feats of kindness and compassion. His Instutio Ayrton Senna founded and run by his family, continues to provide the development of children’s education.

His memory here in Adelaide is woven deeply into our sporting consciousness, it’s hard to not think about the Adelaide Grand Prix years, for those who lived through them, without a fondness for Senna.

Even today’s generation is reminded of his impact now as the Supercars race through the Senna Chicane just off Wakefield Street, which is marked by Senna’s memorial plaque.

Ayrton Senna’s memorial next to the Senna Chicane – Image: Advertiser
He was beloved the world over, in his home country over one million Brazilians attended his state funeral. It is not often that a person comes along who can be so mutually respected the world over for who they are, because they carry a humanity we can all see and admire — the world was at a loss when Ayrton Senna passed and still is today.

RIP Ayrton Senna da Silva.