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

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

Xuxa was honest with Ayrton Senna at Christmas 1989

Honesty sometimes can break your heart. Indeed they say that the only ones you're truly in love with, can break your heart... 

At Christmas 1989, he wanted to spend time with Xuxa at her house in New York, and he travelled there... She, appearantly, wanted to be alone instead, as she was feeling too much pressure from Senna, who wanted a more serious relationship with her, he wanted to get married to her. One good thing she did was to be honest with him instead of faking: she didn't want the relationship anymore. Senna went back to Brazil alone, and the relationship officially ended a few months later. At least, the cards were on the table. 

Ayrton Senna and Xuxa arrive together at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1989, held at the Jacarepagua circuit, in Rio de Janeiro

That's why Senna felt hurt emotionally speaking for the following years: he really was in love with Xuxa, and when someone who you love, rejects you, it always hurts. The last interview given by Senna in 1994, to the Brazilian magazine Caras, reveals indeed how much he missed her and how important she had been for him. Instead of talking of his (still officially) girlfriend, Adriane Galisteu, Senna spent more time talking about Xuxa and how much it still cost him to forget her. 

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

Gerhard Berger says that "Ayrton's big love of his life was Xuxa"

Ayrton Senna & Xuxa, in 1989

One of the people who best known Ayrton Senna, both in his private and professional life, his teammate at McLaren, Gerhard Berger, said that "Ayrton's big love of his life was Xuxa", according to the book "The life of Senna" by Tom Rubython.

Berger was more than a team mate for Senna: they became close friends

Xuxa was a Brazilian TV presenter, very famous during the 80 and the 90's decades, once ranked 39th among the richest show business personalities by the magazine Forbes. 

Ayrton Senna and Xuxa were going to get married after he would retire from the Formula 1, since their very busy agendas impeded them from having a regular couple life during their relationship in 1989 and 1990. 


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

Xuxa regrets not having valued more her relationship with Ayrton Senna

Xuxa recalls dating with Brazilian football star Pele, F1 driver Ayrton Senna and Luciano Szafir : ' I did not give the value that I could '

At age 50 , Xuxa says it was never her head so in place. The presenter is having what she calls "the best time of my life" and does an analysis of her previous relationships . When asked about the mistakes, the blonde showed signs of regret that she wasn't mature enough to deal with some of her old passions.

"I think the relationships I've had, if they happened now, it would be everything different. Maturity makes us realize many things. Today I realize how wrong I was, you think you're doing the best, but after a while you think : 'Wow , I should not have done that' "she declares the Brazilian magazine "Caras". " It is the lack of experience . If I could, I would choose to be again in the body of my 23 years old but with the head of today, I would totally love that. But that's impossible."

Xuxa has dated the soccer star Pele, the Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna and model and actor Luciano Szafir, father of her daughter Sasha, 15.

Senna and the Brazilian TV presenter were going to get married after he would stop his Formula 1 career.

Source: http://www.alagoas24horas.com.br/conteudo/?vCod=166417

Carol Alt, ex-supermodel in the 80's, declares her love for Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna and lover Carol Alt, during vacation in the French Polynesia, 1990

Carol Alt in an interview in 2012 declared her past love for Ayrton Senna, wich whom she had had a love affair from the Grand Prix of Monza in 1990, until right up his death, at Imola, San Marino, on the 1st of May 1994.

"He told me that God was always with him ... It was beautiful and my positive Ayrton, with its unbridled passion for life, for driving, for his work, and also for women. He lived in great excitement, he was stubborn and had to get what he wanted , but he was a righteous man, generous and especially strong, with an incredible charm ... Even if we lived hiding, for me our story was very serious and important. We met in 1990 in Milan , both guests at a fashion show of Gianni Versace: I was married , but my marriage was in crisis, he had an official girlfriend. But the agreement between us was reached that same evening . It lasted for four years, during which we ran one after the another in every corner of the world, amid of long distance phone calls bills, between airports, race tracks and quiet places to stay together, away from reporters and our own guilt. We also projected to come out into the open sooner or later.  

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt during a dinner in 1990, they met at the Monza Grand Prix that same year

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a party, Ayrton arrived driving a Ferrari

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a party, Ayrton arrived driving a Ferrari

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a party, Ayrton arrived driving a Ferrari

Then - sometimes life is stranger than any fiction - all happened in one day. It was May 1, 1994, a cursed Sunday. I had just gotten the separation from my husband and I was in Florida on the set of a movie. A week later I had to be in Italy for the evening of 'Telegatti' and the prize would have been delivered to me by Ayrton himself. The phone rang and a friend told me that there had been a serious accident at Imola, he was dead. My world fell apart ... How do you survive in such pain?  

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt, during vacations in the French Polynesia, 1991

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt, during vacations in the French Polynesia, 1991

I jumped headlong into the work : photographic shoots, advertising , films, television. I did not want to stay still and think. I knew too well that to have met Ayrton and have lost him were the two most important things in my life, that there would be nothing so great, for better or for worse. And I also knew that I would never forgive myself for failing to seize the opportunity to live fully our love. 

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alr during vacations in the French Alpes, 1990

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a private party, 1990

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a private party, 1990

Ayrton Senna and Carol Alt at a private party, 1990

So when I met my current partner I had no hesitation: I learned that I would never fall in love without having had the courage to throw myself fully into the relationship. Time helps , but one of the great things about Alexei is that he understands perfectly well how much I loved Ayrton and does not get upset if I have around his photographs..."

Ayrton Senna and Xuxa, a true love story

Ayrton Senna took the initiative of calling Xuxa on the phone and propose her to start dating

The first weekend that Ayrton spent with Xuxa was in 1998, year when he won his first world championship. The Monday after, Ayrton arrived to visit Galvao Bueno (main sports anchorman of TV Globo, close friend of Ayrton’s) looking like a college boy in love.

The very busy work schedule of both of them made it impossible for Ayrton Senna and Xuxa to be together, although he wanted to marry her once he would leave Formula 1

According to other friend, Alfredo Popesco, Xuxa was a milestone in the life of Senna. “Xuxa came at the right moment”, says businessman Marcos Jose Magalhaes Pinto, another friend. 

The only time friends and family saw Ayrton Senna truly in love with a woman was with Xuxa. They stayed together fomr Christmas 1988 until the Monaco GP in 1990

”After becoming champion, he took a weight away from his shoulders, and opened space for a relationship”. Used to having girlfriends at his feet, Ayrton soon became upset with the full agenda of Xuxa, and particularly with the influence of the career manager Marlene Mattos over her (indeed, Marlene became famous in Brazil for two reasons: her full control over the steps of Xuxa and the fact that she remained faceless, away from photographers and cameras for a long time). In the beginning of 1989, the couple was at the Airport of Rio ready to fly to Monaco when Marlene showed up and said that Xuxa won’t go; the manager and the driver had a comic fight over the possession of the luggage; Xuxa and Ayrton eventually flew out. 

Ayrton Senna declared publicly that the only woman he wanted to marry and have children with, was Xuxa

At the Cristimas of that same year, when Senna was feeling down because of the loss of the championship, he decided to do a suprise to Xuxa, visiting her in New York. She knocked on her door, in a Santa Claus costume. She sent him off. Senna didn’t insist, and returned to Brazil. Until Senna’s death, Xuxa would call him periodically.

Due to the intensity of the feelings of Ayrton Senna towards her in life, Xuxa deserved a privileged place at the driver's funeral in 1994, at the Morumbi cemetery, going together with the Senna family to the grave