The Life of Senna: The Biography of Ayrton Senna

729 Pages·2004·11.74 MB·English

by  Tom Rubython

The biography of Ayrton Senna

A
yrton Senna was in many people’s opinion the most brilliant Formula
One driver who ever raced. His death on Sunday 1st May 1994 was as
shocking as it was public. Over 200 million people watched him perish on
television, and the knowing realised he was dead as soon as his car
came to rest. In this first full account of the life of Ayrton Senna, the
author and his collaborators examine each detail of the driving maestro’s
life – from his earliest days to his first race, his pole positions and his
world championships, and finally his death and its aftermath. It is a story
that has never been fully or properly told, and it is a story that needed to
be told.
________________________________________________
also by Tom Rubython –in hardback Life of O’Reilly
– the biography of Tony O’Reilly
and in hardback and paperback The Rich 500
– the 500 richest people in Britain
also by Keith Sutton in hardback Nigel Mansell
– The Complete Pictorial Record
and in hardback Ayrton Senna – A personal tribute
and in hardback Everlasting Hero – Ayrton Senna
and in hardback F1 through the eyes of Damon Hill

The Life of Senna is published by:
BusinessF1 Books
A biography of Ayrton Senna written by Tom Rubython and
photographed by Keith Sutton.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study or criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988, this
publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, with the prior permission in writing of the Publisher, or in the case of
reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms issued by the Copyright
Licensing Agency. Nor may this book be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise
disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published without prior consent of the Publisher. Enquiries outside
these terms should be sent to the Publisher at the address below.
Proof Edition first published on 1st January 2004
Hardback First Edition published on 1st May 2004
This Softback edition published on 14th October 2006
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 0-9546857-0-9
Epub ISBN 978-0-95698-934-5
Kindle ISBN 978-0-95698-935-2
Copyright © 2006 Tom Rubython and Keith Sutton
First edition in softback
The text of this book is set in Bembo 11/14
Printed and bound in England by Butler and Tanner, Somerset
Additional Research by Caroline Reid and Ania Grzesik
Copy-editing by Paul Jones and Shelley White
Book design by Jo Maxwell
BusinessF1 Books
a division of BusinessF1 Magazine Limited
7 Mallow Street London England EC1Y 8RQ
Contents

Acknowledgements
Tom Rubython
FOREWORD: My Friend and Teammate
Gerhard Berger
PROLOGUE: Memories of Ayrton
Keith Sutton
PREFACE: A Chance of Fate
Tom Rubython
CHAPTER 1: Life: 2:17pm Sunday 1st May 1994
Thursday 7am to Sunday 2.17pm
CHAPTER 2: 1960-1980: Early Life
Against all the odds
CHAPTER 3: The First Year in England
An overnight success in Formula Ford
CHAPTER 4: Return of the Prodigal Son
Indecision as the best-laid plans go wrong
CHAPTER 5: The Decisive Year
Formula Three on Ayrton Senna’s terms
CHAPTER 6: Senna vs. Brundle
When careers collided and divided
CHAPTER 7: A Day of Dreams
Senna’s first test in a Formula One car
CHAPTER 8: 1984: The Toleman Year
The rookie learns the ropes
CHAPTER 9: Race of the Champions
The day Senna scalped the greats
CHAPTER 10: 1985: Lotus and the first win
The search for perfection
CHAPTER 11: 1986: Champion Potential
So near and yet so far with Lotus
CHAPTER 12: 1987: The start of the Honda Years
Giving up on Lotus
CHAPTER 13: 1988: The Golden Car
Instant glory and personal happiness
CHAPTER 14: 1989: Losing the Battle
Winning Xuxa but not the Championship
CHAPTER 15: 1990: Senna vs. Prost
The Confrontation Year
CHAPTER 16: Afternoon of a Hero
Witnessing tragedy for the first time
CHAPTER 17: The Feud with Prost
Six years of continual conflict
CHAPTER 18: 1991: Title by Default
A World Championship to forget
CHAPTER 19: 1992: Sensational in Monte Carlo
But little other glory
CHAPTER 20: The James Bond Years
Three golden seasons with Gerhard
CHAPTER 21: 1993: The Split with McLaren
A year of pleasure and complication
CHAPTER 22: The Best Lap Ever Driven
Senna’s finest two minutes
CHAPTER 23: The Secret IndyCar Test
Senna Sizzles in the desert
CHAPTER 24: Senna’s Polar Passion
A colossus in qualifying
CHAPTER 25: Senna’s Quest to Win
The groundwork of victory
CHAPTER 26: The Last Love Story
So close to happiness
CHAPTER 27: The Invincible Philosopher
The bodywork was his second skin
CHAPTER 28: Fear, Death, God and Racing
One man’s beliefs and motivations
CHAPTER 29: 1994: The Williams Year
A brief shining moment
CHAPTER 30: Death: 2:18pm, Sunday 1st May 1994
The final accounting
CHAPTER 31: Anatomy of an Accident
The ingredients of tragedy
CHAPTER 32: Funeral in São Paulo
The long goodbye
CHAPTER 33: The Trial
The worst country to die in a race car
CHAPTER 34: The Aftermath for Brazil
The consequences of Sunday 1st May 1994
CHAPTER 35: Senna’s Legacy to the Drivers
More consequences of Sunday 1st May 1994
CHAPTER 36: The Consequences for F1
How Senna’s death changed the sport
Appendices

APPENDIX I: 1974-1982 Karting
APPENDIX II: 1981 Formula Ford 1600
APPENDIX III: 1982 Formula Ford 2000
APPENDIX IV: 1982 Formula Three
APPENDIX V: 1984-1994 Formula One
APPENDIX VI: 1982-1984 Other Races
APPENDIX VII: Championship Tables
APPENDIX VIII: 1985-1993 Formula One wins by season
APPENDIX IX: 1985-1993 41 Formula One wins
APPENDIX X: 1985-1994 Formula One pole positions by season
APPENDIX XI: 1985-1994 65 Formula One pole positions
APPENDIX XII: 1984-1994 Formula One career statistics
APPENDIX XIII: Top 20 pole scorers of all time
APPENDIX XIV: Top 20 race winners of all time
APPENDIX XV: Top 20 point scorers of all time
APPENDIX XVI: Top 20 races led of all time
APPENDIX XVII: Senna’s Formula One Cars
Lide of Senna: Bibliography
Index