Radio Bandeirantes, a station that covered Ayrton Senna’s whole career on the tracks, has paid a tribute to our great Champion at the beginning of the month, when we celebrate 20 years of the F-1 three-time world champion’s legacy.
You can listen to the special – narrated by Ayrton’s nephew, Bruno Senna – by clicking here. Among other things, you’ll hear a testimonial by Pat Symonds, Senna’s first F-1 engineer, in which he says he didn’t know drivers could achieve such a high level of knowledge and determination.
The program also features interviews with Nuno Cobra, Ayrton’s personal trainer, and Odinei Edson, the station’s announcer, who celebrated several of Senna’s victories on the tracks. Both current and past drivers also talk about the way Ayrton left a mark on their lives. Barrichello recalls his smile, the help he offered him at the start of his career. Hamilton, Alonso and Massa also say how meaningful it was to see their idol on the tracks while they were still very young.
And, obviously, Ayrton Senna himself talks a lot about what went on behind the scenes, the hardships of travelling, how he missed his family…
Says Bruno Senna: “This tribute to Ayrton made me see the way he touched the heart of a whole country. It’s amazing that Ayrton, even after 20 years, is still in here, in our hearts, in our memories. And I’m sure he’ll stay there for a lot longer, teaching us a lot.”
“Ayrton’s Presence remains strong. He’s been off the tracks for 20 years, but the 20-year legacy of values and deeds he left have gone beyond the F-1 tracks. In 1994, the Ayrton Senna Institute was founded. Dreamed up by the driver and brought to life by his sister, Viviane Senna, it has already benefited more than 10 million teenagers and children and trained more than 75 thousand education professionals per year. That was the grand prize for the King of Grand Prixes, a legacy that can never be erased, an inspiration to a whole people.”
