This past weekend marked the 21st year since Ayrton Senna was lost in 1994. For many Formula 1 fans, May 1 will go down in history as one of the saddest days in the sport's history.
Of course, we cannot forget Roland Ratzenberger who also passed during that week's race at Imola.
But there was something about Senna that connected with the fan base. There was something about his personality that was caring, compassionate and electric. And, damn, you did not want to be on a track racing against him. In "race mode" he was a force to be reckoned with.
In a behind-the-scenes look back at Senna, Autocar revived a story from its archives. It had the opportunity to spend 24 hours with Senna as he spent time at Silverstone before the British Grand Prix.
**Click "Read Article" below to read the FULL, fascinating look into Senna.
Sunday 23 June 1991, 6:30pm, Kidlington Airport – Michael Harvey reports
The sky is as bleak as the three grey stripes on the flanks of Ayrton Senna's British Aerospace HS125, making the arrival of the Formula 1 world champion in Oxfordshire difficult to spot. He's filed three different flight plans today for this short hop from Paris, but lands on the dot of 6.35pm.
Senna is first off the plane, his plain white Reeboks and straight uncuffed jeans sliding into sight first on the blind side of the aeroplane. He is slighter than you might think, but big in the chest and arms beneath the pale blue cotton short-sleeved shirt and the red McLaren bomber jacket.
The Honda PR man is standing beside me with his little boy, Jack. Jack wants to know if Senna can fly aeroplanes like he drives cars.
"No‚" says dad, "but he flies his own helicopter back in Brazil." Jack is impressed; has Senna really got a helicopter as well as a racing car and an aeroplane? "Oh yes," says dad. "He's got everything...
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