An idol in the sport’s world and three-time Formula 1 world champion, Ayrton Senna was born on March 21st, 1960. Known for his drive and determination on the tracks, where he achieved victories and countless records, the driver also left a legacy outside of them.

On the 64th anniversary of Senna’s birth, we prepared a list of 64 interesting facts and stories about the driver’s life. These memories explain why Ayrton is considered to this day the best driver of all time and an inspiration for people of so many generations.

1- Senna is a three-time F1 world champion (1988, 1990 and 1991).
2- Senna has 65 pole positions in the history of F1.
3- Senna won 41 races in F1.
4- Senna achieved 80 podiums in F1, and in more than half of them, he was at the top, in first place.
5- Senna set 19 fastest laps in F1.
6- Senna competed in 161 Grands Prix in F1.
7- Senna won for the first time in F1 on April 21st, 1985, with Lotus, in Portugal.
8- Senna won the Brazilian F1 GP in 1991 and 1993.
9- Senna won a race with virtually no brakes in Formula Ford in 1982.

10- Senna was runner-up in the world kart champion on two occasions (1979 and 1980).
11- Senna is considered the “King of Monaco” with 6 victories in the principality, a record that remains today in F1.
12- Senna is the only Brazilian to win in Monaco in F1.
13- Senna was the British F3 champion in 1983.
14- Senna began his F1 career with Toleman in 1984.
15- Senna’s first podium was in Monaco in the 1984 season.
16- Senna was the first driver to achieve pole position in a car with active suspension, at the 1987 San Marino GP.
17- Known for his talent in rainy races, Senna did not have a good result in his first kart race on a wet track. Because of that, he trained every day until he became a master in this condition.
18- Senna is still the leader of consecutive first rows in F1 with 24 between 1988 and 1989.
19- King of the poles, Ayrton Senna always won from the first, second or at most third row. His worst place on the grid before winning was fifth place in Phoenix, USA, in 1990.

20- It is worth remembering, however, that Senna came from 13th place on the grid in Monaco on his debut in the principality and had a great chance of winning had the race not been interrupted – he ended up in second place and Alain Prost was declared the winner.
21- In what is considered the best first lap of all time in Formula 1, at Donington Park-1993, Senna overtook Schumacher, Wendlinger, Hill and Prost before taking the lead on the first lap.
22- Senna led 2,931 laps in F1.
23- Senna set the record of 9 consecutive victories in British Formula 3 in 1983.
24- Senna led a free practice session with Toleman at Brands Hatch 1984.
25- Senna won his three world titles in Suzuka, Japan.
26- Senna is the biggest winner in McLaren’s history, with 35 victories.
27- Senna is the record holder for pole positions with McLaren, with 46 of his career’s 65 pole positions.
28- Senna is the biggest Brazilian winner in F1: he has 41 victories.
29- Senna is the record holder for pole positions in Brazil in F1 with 65 achieved, more than double the second place on the list.

30- Considering all the single-seater categories in which Senna competed in 13 races at the legendary Brands Hatch track, in England, the driver achieved 6 victories, 10 podiums and 4 pole positions.
31- Ayrton Senna’s favorite track was Spa-Francorchamps, in Belgium, a circuit where he won five times in F1.
32- Even though he is Alain Prost’s rival, Senna is revered even in France. In 1994, he kicked off a friendly match for the Brazilian team against the combined PSG-Bordeaux team and received a standing ovation from the public.
33- The Grand Prix that Senna competed in the most in F1 was the Brazilian GP with 11 starts.
34- Silverstone was the race track where Ayrton Senna won the most races in his career, 10 in total. There were six victories in Formula Ford (between 1981 and 1982), three in British F3 (1983) and one in Formula 1 (1988).
35- For his victories at Silverstone, Senna earned the nickname “Silvastone” in England.
36- Watercraft, water skiing, model airplanes, tennis and running were some of Senna’s favorite sports and hobbies.
37- Senna covered more than 8,200 laps in GPs in F1, which would give an approximate number of almost 40 thousand kilometers, equivalent to an entire lap around planet Earth.
38- In the 1985 Austrian GP, ​​Senna started in 14th place and managed to climb on the podium with second place in the race.
39- The Brazilian is also the leader in wins from start to finish, with 19. Hamilton remains tied with Senna.

40- Senna was on the podium at the Brazilian GP on four occasions: 1986, 1990, 1991 and 1993.
41- At the 1993 Brazilian GP, ​​Senna was carried in the arms of the people after his emotional victory in the country. The fans present at the Interlagos Circuit, in São Paulo, invaded the track to celebrate with the driver.
42- In the 1991 Brazilian GP, ​​Senna had problems with his McLaren’s gearbox in the final laps of the race and fought until the end, winning despite driving in only sixth gear.
43- Senna won 13 pole positions in the season of his first title, in 1988. His McLaren teammate, Alain Prost, started from first place twice, while Gerhard Berger, from Ferrari, did it only once in a GP.
44- In a bet with Ron Dennis in the 1990 Italian GP, ​​Senna took the winning McLaren home, which is now on display at the Ayrton Senna Institute, in São Paulo.
45- Senna drove 13 different cars in races throughout his career in F1: Toleman TG183B, Toleman TG184, Lotus 97T, Lotus 98T, Lotus 99T, McLaren MP4/4, McLaren MP4/5, McLaren MP4/5B, McLaren MP4/ 6, McLaren MP4/6B, McLaren MP4/7A, McLaren MP4/8, Williams FW16.
46- Ayrton Senna had 10 teammates throughout his F1 career: Johnny Cecotto (Toleman), Stefan Johansson (Toleman), Elio de Angelis (Lotus), Johnny Dumfries (Lotus), Satoru Nakajima (Lotus), Alain Prost (McLaren), Gerhard Berger (McLaren), Michael Andretti (McLaren), Mika Hakkinen (McLaren) and Damon Hill (Williams).
47- Ayrton Senna drove with four different engine suppliers in Formula 1: Hart, Ford Cosworth, Honda and Renault – but he even tested other models, including Lamborghini with McLaren.
48- Phil Collins, Milton Nascimento, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson and Madonna are some of Senna’s favorite musicians.
49- In his F1 career, Senna was left without points in the first two races of the season only once, in 1994. The driver was on pole in both races (Brazil and Japan), but retired.

50- The place where Senna was on the podium the most was in Monaco (8 times),which is also where the driver holds the title of the biggest winner on the circuit (6 times).
51- Ayrton Senna’s first test in an F1 car took place in 1983 for Williams at Donington Park, England.
52- Ayrton Senna’s debut in Formula 1 took place at the 1984 Brazilian GP in Jacarepaguá.
53- Tennis was one of the sports that Ayrton Senna had as a hobby. The driver also attended Wimbledon and Roland Garros during his racing career.
54- Senna always dreamed of, but never raced for, Ferrari. But Luca di Montezemolo, then president of the Italian team, revealed that there were strong negotiations as early as 1994 to make this happen. “He wanted to come to Ferrari and I wanted him on the team,” said the manager.
55- Senna has 91 victories in his complete motorsport career after karting. Considering Formula Ford (1600 and 2000), Bristih F3 and four other non-championship races, Senna achieved 50 victories outside of F1, totaling 91 triumphs in motorsport.
56- Senna accumulated 614 points in the history of F1.
57- Senna’s best start to the season in F1 came in 1991 with four consecutive victories in the first four races.
58- Senna holds the record for consecutive victories on the same circuit: 5 triumphs in Monaco, between 1989 and 1993.
59- Ayrton was 28 years old when he won his first title, in 1988 with McLaren. In 1991, Senna was the youngest three-time F1 champion (31 years old), a record that would later be beaten only in 2012 by Sebastian Vettel (25 years old).

60- Senna’s first point in Formula 1 was in 1984, with a sixth place in the South African GP, ​​a race that was only the second of the year.
61- Ayrton Senna tested an IndyCar in 1992, following an invitation from Emerson Fittipaldi and Roger Penske.
62- Ayrton Senna brought the Audi brand to the Brazilian automotive market in 1994.
63- Senna won the “Race of Champions”, held in 1984, at the Nürburgring, with a Mercedes. The pilot replaced Emerson Fittipaldi at the last minute.
64- The striking helmet worn by Senna throughout his career was inspired by the design used by the Brazilian delegation at the 1979 Karting World Championship.