Frank Williams says about Ayrton Senna "Ayrton was the most committed of all"

“Ayrton was the most committed of all. What was outstanding about him was his mental application. He had an air of invincibility around him. He put his entire body and mind into winning.” - Frank Williams

Winning was no accident for Ayrton Senna – it’s what his whole life was about right to the end. In his last Grand Prix in Imola on 1st May 1994, he was leading the field from pole position when he died.

Many of Ayrton Senna’s 41 Grand Prix victories amounted to comprehensive driving lessons that remain textbook examples of how to win at the pinnacle of motorsport. Only death stopped him challenging Alain Prost’s 51-win record and possibly putting it beyond the reach of Michael Schumacher or any other successor.

Ayrton Senna vs Michael Schumacher, Imola 1994

To win was what he desired more than anything else. That he was more successful at getting pole than he was at winning was a mystery to him, as it was to others. He once said: “You either commit yourself as a professional racing driver who is designed to win races, or you come second, third, fourth or fifth. I am not designed to come second or less. I race to win. As long as I feel it is possible. Sometimes you get it wrong, sure. It is impossible to get it right all the time. But I race to win because I am designed to win.”

And that was probably the problem – he tried too hard to win and wore out the car or went off trying when he should have held for second and possibly inherited victory. Senna’s designs on the art of winning, his detailed planning to parlay his superlative natural talent into ultimate success, were unsurpassed. Michael Schumacher has become the dominant driver of his era by emulating Senna’s pioneering pursuit of excellence. 

But prior to Senna, none of the sport’s other superstars worked as hard at winning. Sir Frank Williams only employed him for a short time but it was long enough to realise what distinguished Senna from the team’s other greatest winners, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost.

Source: "The life of Senna" - by Tom Rubython

Ayrton Senna and family in Angra dos Reis, 1990 - Photos - Pictures

Ayrton Senna and niece Paula, and nephew Bruno (in the water) in Angra dos Reis

“I wouldn’t be here as a racing driver, with so much success, if I didn’t have a good family, special people around me throughout my life, that really led me in the right direction. People who share with me the very good moments, but also the very bad moments. It is very important for me to have that side of my life separate from the racing, because racing is really difficult to put together. 

My biggest problem in motor racing is having to be away from Brazil, where I have my family and friends. If you have the right conditions, you can have a very nice life in Brazil, and I like my home in São Paulo very much.” 

Ayrton Senna - 1990

Photos - pictures of Ayrton Senna and his family, enjoying in the Brazilian paradise of Angra dos Reis

Ayrton Senna met Cindy Crawford in 1990 in Sao Paulo, after the end of his relationship with Xuxa

Ayrton Senna and super model Cindy Crawford, in the party where they met at the beginning of the year 1990

One of Ayrton's many conquests: supermodel Cindy Crawford, who would later get married to Richard Gere. She spent a couple of weeks in 1990 in Sao Paulo, and one of them it was with Senna in Angra dos Reis... Here on the picture at the party where they met. She was 23 and he was 29. Ayrton had so many beautiful women...

Senna and Cindy met after he famously split up from Xuxa, a Brazilian TV presenter, who, according to all close friends of Senna's, was the real love of his life.

When Senna met Crawford in 1990, he had just split from his big love, Xuxa, a Brazilian TV presenter in Th Globo

Cindy Crawford was one of the most famous top-models of the 90's, she has posed for more than 600 magazine covers, among them Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, etc... 

She was one of the highest paid models, with yearly earnings over 5 million dollars, especially since her contracts with Pepsi Cola and make-up brand Revlon. Along with Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, she was one of the "Big 5", named so because of their ability to represent the fashion and mass consumption markets in front of millions of people worldwide. 

Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, photographed by Peter Lindbergh in 1989

The famous picture taken by Herb Ritts in 1989 of the most important fashion models at the time, among them Cindy Crawford

Read more: Did Ayrton Senna love Xuxa or Adriane Galisteu?

Blog in English about Ayrton Senna da Silva's history, biography, facts, pictures, videos, Formula 1, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Toleman, Renault, Honda, Japan, Suzuka, Imola, San Marino, Xuxa, Adriane Galisteu, Carol Alt, Viviane Senna, Cristine Ferraciu, Liliane de Vasconcellos, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Gerhard Berger, Bernie Ecclestone, F1, race, circuit, pole position, fastest lap, Michael Schumacher, Benetton, Ferrari, Mika Hakkinen, pilot, Brazil, Sao Paulo, death, accident, funeral, Morumbi, Italy, Adrian Newey, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Alfredo Popescu, Bruno Senna, Bianca Senna, Angra dos Reis, Quinta do Lago, Portugal, Senna Vive, Senna Lives On, Forever Ayrton, Damon Hill

Ayrton Senna receives the Golden Helmet of the magazine Autosprint - 1991

December 1991. ... Absolutely everybody in the large audience are waiting for him, Ayrton Senna, the magic, the great, the three-time Formula 1 World Champion.

BBC Formula 1 commentator, Murray Walker, interviews Ayrton Senna on the stage of the award ceremony of the magazine Autosprint

The lights go out, a beam of white light accompanies the Brazilian star to the stage and the music that became the soundtrack of the winners punctuates his steps, but it's covered by the applause, the strength of nearly ten thousand hands is even stronger because of the super power amplifiers.

And then the apotheosis, the moment of Golden Helmet 1991, a tribute to a great champion. Senna was visibly moved: not only because he was receiving the statuette from Luciano Conti, the passionate editor of Autosprint, but also because that was the symbol of a season incredibly painful. And the synthesis of a championship in which he, the Magic Ayrton as it was claimed on the banners in the stands of the indoor stadium, once again imposed his extraordinary class ...


Blog in English about Ayrton Senna da Silva's history, biography, facts, pictures, videos, Formula 1, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Toleman, Renault, Honda, Japan, Suzuka, Imola, San Marino, Xuxa, Adriane Galisteu, Carol Alt, Viviane Senna, Cristine Ferraciu, Liliane de Vasconcellos, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Gerhard Berger, Bernie Ecclestone, F1, race, circuit, pole position, fastest lap, Michael Schumacher, Benetton, Ferrari, Mika Hakkinen, pilot, Brazil, Sao Paulo, death, accident, funeral, Morumbi, Italy, Adrian Newey, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Alfredo Popescu, Bruno Senna, Bianca Senna, Angra dos Reis, Quinta do Lago, Portugal, Senna Vive, Senna Lives On, Forever Ayrton, Damon Hill

Sony Playstation game "Gran Turismo 6" review - 2013

Format Playstation 3
Developer Polyphony
Publisher Sony
Released Now
Telegraph rating 

With more than 70 million copies sold, Gran Turismo is the SonyPlaystation's biggest franchise, and has been a major part of wannabe racers and serious gamers’ lives for the past 15 years.

Now, just in time for Christmas there's a new, sixth instalment of what bills itself as "the real driving simulator", Gran Turismo 6, and it goes on sale today.

As ever, the depth of the game is truly breathtaking. This latest version features 1,200 different cars (120 of which are new for GT6), 37 locations, 100 different track layouts... there's even 70 types of wheel design per car.

New circuits include the home of the British Grand Prix – Silverstone,Goodwood and the Ascari private race resort in southern Spain. Bizzarely, there's also a special moon-based event featuring a unique Lunar Rover vehicle.

_{The Lunar Rover vehicle is a new addition for Gran Turismo 6}

Those familiar with previous Gran Turismo games will recognise the setup. Essentially there are two modes, Arcade and Sim, the former for a quick pick-up-and-play race, and the latter rewarding drivers for their talent and perseverance as they work their way up through the championships earning licences, trophies and cars. There's also prize money, which is used to buy performance upgrades and build up your garage to one that would make Jay Leno jealous.

_{Build your dream garage from a choice of 1,200 cars}

James Armstrong, Senior Vice President of Sony, Southern Europe claims that this latest instalment is “more realistic, better and bigger than ever”. He’s right; build some modifications into your growing fleet of race cars, stored safely in the garage, and the vehicle physics alter just as they would in real life. Driver aids have been further developed and enhanced to match, just like modern race cars in the real world.

Attention to detail is such that even astronomy is accurate. The sun, moon and stars are all correctly positioned depending on the time of day, and the temperature, cloud cover and weather all influence the behaviour of the car. When it starts to rain or the temperature drops, if you are not quick enough with the opposite lock in a rear wheel drive beast – or you over correct – you will leave the circuit and when you do, as soon as those wheels touch the insanely slippery grass there is no chance to rescue it. All you can do is hope you don’t pick up too much damage on an imminently approaching wall or barrier. The beauty of it being a game of course, is that you can always hit the restart button.

_{Rebecca Jackson gets to grips with Gran Turismo 6}

Gran Turismo has always been a hard game to master, and at it's core this sixth instalment maintains that approach. However, there have been efforts to broaden its appeal, with an easier entry point for those who are new to it.

The most noticeable step forward doesn't come in the gameplay itself, however, but the more intuitive user interface and faster-loading menus, both welcome improvements for any patience-challenged racer.

While the creators of Forza Motorsport 5 on the XBox One might have a game with superior graphics to Gran Turismo (which is still compatible with the Playstation 3, rather than the just launched Playstation 4), it loses out with a limited number of tracks and career development.

_{Ronda for real, and recreated in Gran Turismo 6}

Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo, states that the game blurs the line between racing in the virtual and real worlds. He should know; this has been his software baby for the last 20 years (it took five years to develop the first one), and since then he's taken up racing in real life, and has even scored class victory in his Nissan GT-R at the Nürburgring 24hr race.

Ultimately, a game, not matter how good, is still just a game. It simply can't replicate the sensations of driving a real car, and is thus no direct replacement for the thrill of real-life racing. However, for the time being it’s about as close as you can get and for a fraction of the cost of doing just one track day. We love it.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/10496265/Gran-Turismo-6-review.html

Ayrton Senna da Silva - Magic Forever

Magic Ayrton Senna Forever!

Blog in English about Ayrton Senna da Silva's history, biography, facts, pictures, videos, Formula 1, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Toleman, Renault, Honda, Japan, Suzuka, Imola, San Marino, Xuxa, Adriane Galisteu, Carol Alt, Viviane Senna, Cristine Ferraciu, Liliane de Vasconcellos, Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Gerhard Berger, Bernie Ecclestone, F1, race, circuit, pole position, fastest lap, Michael Schumacher, Benetton, Ferrari, Mika Hakkinen, pilot, Brazil, Sao Paulo, death, accident, funeral, Morumbi, Italy, Adrian Newey, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Alfredo Popescu, Bruno Senna, Bianca Senna, Angra dos Reis, Quinta do Lago, Portugal, Senna Vive, Senna Lives On, Forever Ayrton, Damon Hill

Ayrton Senna on the floor, working with the Williams team

On the floor, working. Ayrton Senna was one of those drivers who, despite being millionaire, didn't mind to get on his knees and work hand in hand with his mechanics. His dedication to his craft was total, as Emerson Fittipaldi said about him 2 weeks ago.

Ayrton Senna's accident was avoidable

Senna's accident at Imola, San Marino, in 1994, was avoidable, as it was proved in Court in the second trial opened in 2005. It's not arbitrary that fans want someone to respond for Senna's death. Because, yes, it was a technical failure, but an avoidable one. 

Ayrton Senna with Chief Engineer at Williams, in 1994, Patrick Head, who was found guilty for "omitted control" in the reopened trial of 2005

According to the experts, the modifications in the steering column had been badly done. 

"A 600-page technical report was submitted by Bologna University under Professor of Engineering Enrico Lorenzini and his team of specialists. The report concluded that fatigue cracks had developed through 70% of the steering column at the point where it had broken. 

Lorenzini stated: “It had been badly welded together about a third of the way down and couldn’t stand the strain of the race. We discovered scratches on the crack in the steering rod. It seemed like the job had been done in a hurry but I can’t say how long before the race. Someone had tried to smooth over the join following the welding. I have never seen anything like it. I believe the rod was faulty and probably cracked even during the warm-up. Moments before the crash only a tiny piece was left connected and therefore the car didn’t respond in the bend.”

Linda Dalton, fan, says that Ayrton Senna's big love was Xuxa

Linda Dalton, a fan, here with Ayrton Senna in 1992

I knew Ayrton in a small way and got to speak to him many times. He was really gorgeous in a sort of imperfect way. He was very humble for someone born so rich and very kind and thoughtful and shy in an endearing way out of the car. He really was bemused at the effect he had on people, especially the one he had on women. He had tremendous sex appeal and charisma. He was so clean too, always smelt like he just stepped out of the shower, shiny clean hair, lovely finger nails, immaculate clothes. He was such a nice, kind, gentle man. He was so genuine to the people he liked and had such a funny naughty side to his character."

When he fell in love with Xuxa he changed. He was happy inside, he was much calm and even more aware of the beauty in the world and finally understood that he was so loved.

Ayrton Senna and Xuxa, the love of his life, according to his best friends

He accepted he was loved and less embarrassed by the adulation he got from the fans and enjoyed it more. When they were together you could see how much they loved each other as together they were complete. As a fan I was so happy for him that he had someone to love and look after him, someone for him to confide in.

Ayrton Senna and his big love, TV presenter Xuxa, in the TV show where they made official their relationship, 1988

He was so incredibly special and had such a big heart. I believe he was put on this earth by God to teach and inspire us.

Ayrton Senna and his girlfriend, Xuxa, at the Monaco Grand Prix 1989. They werre going to get married after he would stop Formula 1

Linda Dalton, Ayrton Senna's fan