Senna da Silva, Ayrton (1960-1994), a Brazilian racing car driver, was one of the world’s most successful Formula One drivers. Ayrton Senna won the 1988, 1990, and 1991 World Drivers’ Championships, driving for the McLaren team. A fast and daring driver, he was able to carry out extraordinary maneuvers on the race track. He built up a great rivalry with Alain Prost, a Formula One (or Grand Prix) racing champion from France. By May 1994, Senna had won 41 Grand Prix races. Mechanical failure of his Williams car led to his death at the San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994.
Senna was born on March 21, 1960, in São Paulo, Brazil. He began racing karts when he was 4 years old. He joined Formula One in 1984.
