Words about him

Various

    Ayrton had great talent and determination. He drived his car until its limits, even trying to make it do that which it was not able to do. One of the things that most haunts me is that we came to believe that we were the best because for three years were. The car of 1994, unfortunately, was not a good car. (Adrian Newey)
  • Ayrton was a work of art: you cannot paint another Mona Lisa. I don’t know if he was the strongest of all time, for example because Schumacher has won more. But people have always felt his strength, his courage, intensity. He arrived exhausted at the finish because he gave everything, maybe a thing that lacks in Formula 1 today. He was not ashamed of his fatigue: in this was unique. (EmanuelePirro)

  • Ayrton Senna is an incredible legend that will be remembered and admired forever. He had the rare quality of greatness. (Lewis Hamilton)

  • About Senna, I remember the kindness and his simplicity that seemed almost shyness, in stark contrast to the Senna pilot, a fighter always determined to get the most. I always liked the way of running of Ayrton. As in all great champions in him there was always a huge desire to win, never tired of chasing perfection and trying to improve continuously, he was extraordinary in qualifying but also a great fighter in the race, always with a knife between his teeth. (Luca Cordero di Montezemolo)

  • He was the best pilot who ever lived. (Niki Lauda)

  • He was a "mentor", especially from the point of view of professionalism, not just for me. He showed everyone that you can keep working hard and without limits, also when you have already an incredible talent. (Valtteri Bottas)

  • It was incredible his precision with engineers, taught me very much. There were however two Ayrton, one inside the car and another away from it: the first was fiery, relentless and focused; the second waskind, good and accurate. (David Coulthard)

  • I felt as if I had left the Formula 1 again. After, I have never seen our sport in the same way. He was something huge, incredible. I think about him often. Now, apart from the anniversary of these days, you try not to talk about him much. But the thought remains. (Alain Prost)

  • I have not seen another Ayrton yet. Probably Michael Schumacher was one of those who approached closer to him. But Schumacher drove with his head, Senna with his heart. Schumacher was one of the most complete drivers, Senna was more natural. (Martin Brundle)

  • What was asked to pilots in the past decade is different compared to the 80s. Someone like Senna would not win nothing in modern F1. He was very fast but had no talent in terms of technical and mechanical. (Nelson Piquet Jr.)

  • Senna says he believes in God ... He is probably so convinced to think of being immortal, otherwise would not do what he does. (Alain Prost)

  • Senna was an inspiration and, although 20 years have passed, his spirit lives on in all the racing drivers. (Valentino Rossi)

  • [Senna was] too emotionally charged. This was his limit: a great talent that is brought to overindulge and therefore, to make mistakes. If I had been a team manager, I would have chosen Prost. (Jackie Stewart)

Alain Prost

  • Ayrton is a pilot from the immense qualities. To be honest, I cannot find any defect in him. (1988)

  • The arrival of Ayrton forced me to change certain habits suddenly technical meetings became much longer, and it was not enough yet, because often, after dinner, Ayrton returns at the circuit to control the work of mechanics. (1988)

  • He's a pilot without honor, it is not nice to fight with him. (1989)

  • When I arrive in the morning he's already there.

  • I am not prepared to fight with any irresponsible individuals who are not afraid to die; Ayrton has a problem: he thinks that he cannot die because he believes in God.

  • The victory in the Championship is much more important for him than for me. Maybe it's the only thing that matters in his life; sure, he is a fool. As a man is worth nothing.

  • In honor of Ayrton, I will not go up ever more on a car of Formula 1. He was the only one that I respected. (Alain did not keep his promise by doing the tester for McLaren)

Enzo Ferrari

  • The rising star is undoubtedly Ayrton Senna da Silva. Brazilian young and exhibitionist every time. He combines technical talent and courage.

Luca di Montezemolo

  • He was one of the greatest champions of all time, the best player of the last years, intelligent, meticulous and never satisfied in the development of the car, skilled in dealing with business.

Nelson Piquet

  • This is a bad news not only for sports, but also for our nation. There is no one at these levels in F1. He was the best driver, very determined, and this is really a bad loss.

Frank Williams

  • His loss is impossible to quantify, all those who knew him, in any circumstance, they realize that they have lost something very special, a wonderful person.

  • All I can say about him is that Ayrton, the man, was genuinely better and more amazing than that who drove the car. A very smart guy that when he talked with you about business was able to consistently predict the developments of the conversation, how it would be ended. It was a challenge to treat with him as it was to his rivals try to beat him

  • About Ayrton, I have never realized a dream: to see him fight with Schumacher, with different cars but with the same Renault engine, on the arc of a championship; if Ayrton had lived he would have won the championship 94. I am convinced; and in 95 Ayrton and Michael would have fought to the end, the last lap of the last race. And the final benefit would go to Senna.

Jackie Stewart

  • Senna was one of the greatest talents that has ever lived in motor racing.

Ron Dennis

  • Ayrton Senna was an extraordinary pilot. His skill, cunning, subtlety and courage were of such magnitude that he has marked this generation of drivers.

  • [When he went to Williams] It was as if he was loaned temporarily. It was what I felt, what he felt. There were no formal agreements, but he would be back. It was not an impossible thing. I think he would have been a long time in F1 and when, in the end, he would retire, he would do it on a McLaren. I am absolutely certain.

  • Both [Senna and Prost] wanted to win, they both knew that our philosophy was providing to each pilot the same equipment and that we wanted to have the first two women. The competition within the team was fantastic for the team itself. Of course their personalities were very different and, inevitably, this led to some occasional friction.

Nigel Mansell

  • Ayrton and I shared some of the most exciting races of all time, and it is impossible to explain in words what a sad loss this is for racing.

Emerson Fittipaldi

  • The life of Ayrton Senna was an example of dedication and love for the sport that only few athletes have had at international level. The world has lost the greatest athlete in the history of motor racing and I have lost a great friend. The Grand Prix will never be the same without Ayrton.

Michael Schumacher

  • Thinking that I would never see Ayrton nor spoken to him. I procured a state of depression that lasted for two weeks.

  • I know that, if he were here, it would not go well. (After winning his first title, Adelaide 1994)

  • I think Ayrton would consider me as a rider with which in the future would have to confront. Between us there was some disagreement, but nothing more. And it's normal that an older champion, which boasts a consolidated position, wants to hold off a young emerging. And on the other hand I find it normal to react as I did. But I think that in recent times he had begun to accept me as I eventually I learned to know and to share some of his actions.

  • Senna was the greatest. I am not seeking a victory for this reason, because I do not think I'll ever be at its height. (First of Monaco in 2000, launched towards the third title)

Michele Alboreto

  • I lived that day live from the track. [...]It was not easy to continue the GP. It was a really hard day. In me is still very much alive the memory of the flight from Monaco to Brazil, to accompany him on his last journey, together with Thierry Boutsen, Emerson Fittipaldi, Alain Prost.

  • After all, thinking about it, there was not to be expected anything different from absolution ... In any case, beyond the process, any kind of judgment could not give us back Ayrton Senna, and this unfortunately, is the key thing .. the Formula one goes on. There remains the memory of a sample that certainly was not wrong. (after the judgment of the "process Senna")

Jo Ramirez

  • From the very first time that Ayrton drove the car, he was obsessed with Alain. He wanted to know what kind of aileron, front suspension, and tires he had. Every time he entered the pits, the first thing he asked was what Alain had did. Always. Alain was number one and defeat him was the obsession of Ayrton.

Viviane Senna (Ayrton's sister)

  • In the past six years I have had to learn to live without Ayrton. I don't think I will ever totally accept his death. The Foundation [the Ayrton Senna Foundation Ltd] is the result of this my acceptance. When he was alive, Ayrton has done many good things for his country and we continue on this path. Often we discussed the problems of Brazil, from a social point of view rather than political. The Foundation was an idea of Ayrton: he wanted to give a chance to children so they could grow, just like you and me, and this is our purpose.