The new F-1 cars are already in Australia, where the first day of practice sessions for the season’s opening Grand Prix will be held, starting on Friday, March 14th.
But even before the cars hit the track at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australian fans can already experience the racing atmosphere thanks to the “Ayrton Senna Tribute”, held in Sydney, on the week before the start of the season.
The Brazilian three-time champion was honored during “Top Gear Festival”, with the participation of Jeremy Clarkson, host of the famous British TV show, and other F-1 drivers, like Daniel Ricciardo, who also drove Red Bull’s F-1 race car at the Sydney Motorsport Park, breaking the circuit’s record.
Another festival highlight was Bruno Senna’s attendance, as a special guest at the tribute to his uncle. The Brazilian driver answered questions from the fans, posed for pictures and helped another special guest shine even brighter: the original McLaren MP4/4, with which Ayrton Senna won his first F-1 World Championship title, en 1988.
“It was a very cool festival – I even bungee-jumped inside of a car! That’s just for crazy people like me”, Bruno Senna joked. “We were very happy with Top Gear’s homage, here in Australia. Australian fans of Senna and motor racing were able to take part in the celebration of Ayrton’s 20 year legacy”, Senna concluded.
During 2014, an extensive calendar of homages and events will remember the three-time F-1 champion’s trajectory – a driver who made Brazil proud with his victories. A legacy that spans 20 years, and includes the Ayrton Senna Institute, which capacitates 75 thousand teachers and helps 2 million public school students every year.
