Senna Ayrton – BRASIL

Ayrton Senna da Silva (São Paulo, March 21, 1960 – Imola, May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and three-time Formula 1 World Champion (1988, 1990, 1991).
He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, renowned for his qualifying speed, exceptional skill in wet conditions, and a driving style that was both instinctive and technically refined. Senna had a remarkable sensitivity in fine-tuning the car and reading race conditions, qualities that made him a point of reference for engineers and teammates alike. He made his Formula 1 debut in 1984 with Toleman, but it was with Lotus, McLaren, and finally Williams that he built his legend. Over the course of 162 Grands Prix, he achieved 41 victories, 65 pole positions (a record that stood for 12 years), and 80 podium finishes.
He was also known for his human and spiritual side: deeply religious, Ayrton was socially committed, and after his death, his family founded the Instituto Ayrton Senna, an organization that still supports the education of millions of Brazilian children today. He tragically died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola due to a mechanical failure on his Williams FW16. His accident, along with the fatal crash of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger the day before, led to a major overhaul of safety standards in Formula 1.
Senna is remembered not only for his talent, but also for his charisma, his relentless pursuit of perfection, and his fierce rivalry with Alain Prost—one of the most intense in the history of the sport.

Steering Wheels:

-This steering wheel was used by Ayrton, while driving the Lotus 99T, during the 1987 Formula 1 World Championship, which saw him win the Monaco Grand Prix and the Detroit Grand Prix. Senna's performance that year confirmed what motor racing experts had been thinking for a long time: we were faced with a fearsome racer hungry for victory. That year, the fourth for the Brazilian driver in F1, ended with Senna sitting in 3rd place in the driver standings. An exceptional result.

-In 1990, Senna raced in a McLaren MP4/5B, a car with exceptional performance, with which he took on the challenge, bumps and all, of Frenchman Alain Prost, who had moved to Ferrari in that season, but up to till then was the Brazilian's team-mate and with whom he had numerous disagreements concerning the various decisions taken on the track that were disregarded by the parties and which generated a real sporting feud between the two. However, the 1990 season was a success for Senna because, even with 4 retirements, he was victorious on 6 occasions. These wins, combined with 2 second and 3 third positions, led him to victory in the Championship.

-This steering wheel in our collection was fitted on the McLaren MP4/6, one of the best cars of the 1991 season, despite not being the fastest. Nevertheless, Senna did an excellent job, claiming 7 victories, 3 runner-up spots and two third places, as well as a 4th and 5th place. Needless to say, with these extraordinary results the world title was his, but one victory in particular, that at the Brazilian Grand Prix, was long and painful: all his car's gears were broken, except sixth, and the effort was so much for the great that he almost fainted on the podium.