Trainer Josef Leberer, a close personal friend of the three-time world champion, toured the Ayrton Senna Institute last Monday, in São Paulo. Accompanied by Bianca Senna, Ayrton’s niece and the Institute’s Branding Director, Josef recalled significant moments from his friendship with the Brazilian driver, which started in 1988, when they met each other at McLaren.
The bond between Josef and Ayrton was so strong that the driver brought him along to Williams, when Senna signed with the British team in 1994. In honor of his fiend, the Austrian named his own son Josef Ayrton Leberer.
During the visit, Leberer was gifted a number of photographs depicting his friendship with the Brazilian. “I’ve always wanted to have some pictures to remember Ayrton by. I’m very glad to be rememberd“, said the Austrian, who, besides acting as Senna’s masseur and physical therapist, also took care of the champion’s nutrition.
At 56 years old, Josef now works at Sauber, training Felipe Nasr, a driver from Brasília who’s wrapping up his first season in Formula One.
