Ayrton Senna: the limit a little higher

Ayrton Senna is one of the most searched names in Brazilian sport. Much of what circulates under his name, however, has no source. This page separates what is sourced from what isn't.

The no

Senna arrived in Formula 1 in 1984 with Toleman, a small team, far from those fighting for wins. At the Monaco Grand Prix that year, in heavy rain, he started 13th and climbed until he was closing in on the leader, Alain Prost. The race was stopped before the end, and the win went to Prost. Contemporary accounts also record that Senna's car already had damaged suspension, and might not have made it to the end. Even so, it was the race that introduced Senna to the world.

The title didn't come easily either. On October 30, 1988, at the Japanese Grand Prix, at Suzuka, Senna started on pole position and his car's engine stalled. He only got going again because the track sloped downhill at the start; he dropped to 14th and finished the race first. It was his first world title.

What they did

Senna was world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991. He died on May 1, 1994, at the San Marino Grand Prix, at Imola. That same year, his family created the Instituto Ayrton Senna, dedicated to the education of children and young people.

What he said about limits is on record. In January 1989, in a line quoted by the magazine Veja (special edition 1338-A, of 5/3/1994): "Every driver has his limit. Mine is a little higher than the others'." And, to Jackie Stewart, at the 1990 Australian Grand Prix, in a recorded interview: "If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

Two widely circulated lines aren't included here as his. "Whoever you are, whatever your social position…" appears on the Portuguese Wikiquote in the section of attributed quotes, with no recording found. "Being second is being the first of those who lose" circulates on quote sites with no primary source.

What this has to do with Bairo

For Bairo Leandro Gonzalez Martinez, Senna is proof that the decision comes before the victory. He doesn't compare himself to the driver. He remembers him the way one remembers a teacher one never met: before any result, there was a decision, and after it came courage and persistence.

The Suzuka start says something Bairo's story also says: dropping to the back of the grid doesn't end the race. It's in Fifty lives, when everything collapsed, and in The seventh attempt, when it worked. The tribute to Senna opens the story, in Fifty-five years later.

"Senna" and "Ayrton Senna" are registered trademarks. This page quotes lines with credit and doesn't associate the driver's name with any product or company.

The date of the first title has its own page: October 30.

Sources

• 1984 Monaco Grand Prix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Monaco_Grand_Prix
• Motor Sport, "1984 Monaco Grand Prix: the arrival of Senna": https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/1984-monaco-grand-prix-the-arrival-of-senna/
• 1988 Japanese Grand Prix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_Japanese_Grand_Prix
• Honda, on Suzuka 1988: https://global.honda/en/F1/circuit/suzuka/JapaneseGP/1988/
• Wikiquote (pt), sourced and attributed quotes: https://pt.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna
• Wikiquote (en), interview with Jackie Stewart, 1990: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna