The effects of the loss of Ayrton Senna at Imola on May 1 1994 still ripple through Formula 1 today, from the
auriverde colours that Lewis Hamilton proudly wears on his helmet at the Brazilian Grand Prix each year to the sport’s constant striving for improved safety measures. Exactly 27 years on from the great man’s death, we look back on 10 of the most outstanding moments from Ayrton Senna’s career.
10. A defensive driving masterclass – British Grand Prix 1993
“We could never really have posed a threat to Williams,” said Senna frankly at the end of his final season with McLaren in 1993. And the first few laps of that year’s British Grand Prix both confirmed Senna’s verdict and galvanised the Brazilian’s greatness. Having aced his start from fourth on the Silverstone grid to get ahead of polesitter Alain Prost, Senna then put in a magnificent defence as he attempted to keep both the Frenchman and Michael Schumacher’s Benetton behind him.
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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen came into the 2021 Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix separated by one point in the standings. It appears the sport could be in for one of the most competitive battles for the championship in years.
The Hamilton-Verstappen race, however, still has a long way to go to rival the nine seasons in F1 history that saw one point (or less) separate the top two drivers at season s end. Here s a look at nine Formula 1 points chases for the ages:
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Stirling Moss, left, had the most lopsided season in Formula 1 history, and his own sportsmanship likely cost him the title in 1958.
Today I Learned About Jesus Saves Racing (And No, It Wasn t A NASCAR Team)
Photo: John Minihan/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive (Getty Images)
I like to consider myself something of a 1970s Formula One encyclopedia, but if there’s one person in this world who can outdo me, it’s my good pal Josh Wilcock, who taught me about a fun little racing team called Jesus Saves Racing.
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I stumbled on a ‘Jesus Saves’ sponsor in a photo from the 1975 British Grand Prix while hunting for a photo of an American race car driver (which is the header photo for this story). After posting it on Twitter, Wilcock responded with a photo that completely changed the course of my day.