In 1992, the United Nations declared March 22 World Water Day, aiming to spread awareness about the rational use of water and its importance to the environment.

In 1990, before starting the season in which he would win his second F1 title, Ayrton Senna went to Rio de Janeiro to take part in an initiative launched by his sponsor, Banco Nacional, that presented the city with seven beach-cleaning machines.

“I think this initiative by Banco Nacional should inspire other companies. We should do more to keep our beaches cleaner – not only in Rio de Janeiro, but in Brazil – to attract tourists all year round. It’s up to all of us to be more aware and stop polluting our beautiful beaches”, said Senna in a press conference on Leme Beach.

Bianca Senna. the three-time world champion’s niece and the Ayrton Senna Institute’s branding director, recalls that his uncle cared about water pollution even in his moments of leisure.

“Ayrton was a jet-ski fanatic and even when he was going fast in the water, in Agra dos Reis, he stopped to collect the trash he found along the way. He was always concerned with the environment, and he knew how important it was to treat nature well. He even joked around, saying that, whenever he retired from racing, he would be a ‘nature inspector’, to help preserving it”, says Bianca.

Take a look at news clippings about the initiative spearheaded by Senna and Banco Nacional on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in 1990.