Designed by Heineken®, F1 global sponsor, in partnership with Senna family and support of Formula 1®, HEINEKEN F1 FESTIVAL – SENNA TRIBUTE is a way to honor one of the greatest Brazilian idols of all times: Ayrton Senna.
The event is part of a series of Heineken®’s actions to celebrate the driver’s 25-year legacy in 2019. HEINEKEN F1 FESTIVAL – SENNA TRIBUTE will be open to the public, taking place at Ibirapuera Obelisk, on November 9th (Saturday), from 12 noon to 6pm, one of the warm-up actions to Heineken Brazil’s Grand Prix 2019.
In order to inspire new generations of drivers and thrill fans of the main category of global auto racing, the event will bring iconic cars that were part of Ayrton Senna’s story: Toleman model TG184, the car used by the Brazilian driver on his F1 debut, in 1984, and the iconic Lotus model 97T, which granted him his first victory in the category, in Estoril, Portugal, on April 21st 1985.
More excitement will be caused by Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport and Renault F1 Team that will also bring their F1 cars (2018 models) to race and speed up on Sao Paulo streets. Besides, race legends who influenced Senna, like the Formula 1® world two-time champion Emerson Fittipaldi; or who have been influenced by Senna like the Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, will race the cars at high speed in Ibirapuera.
The event will bring the presenter Ivan Moré and commentators Cris Dias and Gerson Campos, it will include karts races led by the driver Tuka Rocha, exhibition of drif cars and two Ducatti Superbike 1199 S Senna motorcycles.
“Closing this partnership with Senna family is an honor to us, as well as being able to celebrate Ayrton Senna, who is one of the greatest idols of all times, His contribution to the sport we sponsor is undeniable. Above all, as Brazilians, he has always been more than a driver to us, and it is impressive to see how much he has been inspiring us to these days. The aim of “Heineken F1 Festival – Senna Tribute” is to bring all thrill that Ayrton Senna used to cause closer to the public, by highlighting his legacy and inspiring new generations, who have never seen him compete”, says Guilherme Retz, Brand Manager of Heineken® Brazil.
“I’m sure it will be an unforgettable day to Ayrton’s fans. The opportunity of seeing, so close, historical cars, that were part of some of his best moments in F1, will be incredible. Having the chance to see an event with so many attractions, happening in Ibirapuera, the heart of Sao Paulo, will be even more remarkable, crowning 2019, a year full of beautiful tributes to celebrate 25 years of legacy, says Bianca Senna, the driver’s niece and Director of Ayrton Senna Institute.
Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations, Formula 1 said: “Ayrton Senna is a true legend of our sport and his legacy is both immense and inspiring. It is our honour to bring Formula 1 to the streets of Sao Paulo with our partners Heineken to celebrate his life and his importance to the people of Brazil. We will be celebrating his life by giving fans the chance to get up and personal with modern and historic F1 cars that will give them a once in a lifetime experience of the speed, sound and excitement that F1 has to offer. Brazil has a special place in the F1 family and we are excited to bring this event to Sao Paulo a week before the Grand Prix at Interlagos. Formula One is also delighted to announce that fellow Brazilian F1 hero’s Felipe Massa and Emerson Fittipaldi will be joining us to drive Senna’s historic cars”.
For the grand finale, event will also bring an international attraction. Milan native ‘Medvza’ promise to blow all of dance music wide open with his moody, melodic yet energetic remixes and productions. Tipped as the hottest signing of Amsterdam Dance Event in recent years, Medvza open their account with the incredible Friendly Fires Remix ‘Heaven Let Me’ mixing bright and assertive brass leads with a relentless groove, contrasting the calming vocal. Their debut record ‘Piece of your Heart’ is already circulating amongst the most tuned in of ears and secured the aforementioned accolade, galvanising the most critical purveyors of dance music.
The entire action has been developed by Heineken®’s team in partnership with Red Door Agency, responsible for general and artistic production, as well as the project’s logistics and infrastructure areas. “At this event, fans will be able to dive into Formula 1® world and feel the atmosphere of Heineken® Brazil F1 Grand Prix 2019. Our greatest challenge is to create a six-hour show, where each detail will remind fans of the history and legacy of Ayrton Senna, all which arose from broad research and planning. Red Door Agency was also in charge of the general production of Heineken® lounge for 600 guests, at Interlagos Racing Circuit, concludes Guili Alves de Lima, the agency’s Chairman.
This is another Heineken® action in partnership with Senna family in 2019. The first one took place in May, during Senna Day, when the brand provided a race simulator in the colors of Senna’s iconic helmet. The second action was between September and October, where at each post published on social networks (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) with #ObrigadoSenna (ThankyouSenna), R$ 5.00 were donated to Ayrton Senna Institute, which actively contributes to the development of Brazilian public education.