Tributes mark the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death | National Newspaper

The mere mention of the name still makes an impact.

“I arrive to have a doctor’s appointment, with my wife, or something like that, or they say my name out loud, everyone looks. It seems like I’m a celebrity”, jokes Ayrton Senna de Oliveira da Silva.

Yes, this is Ayrton Senna.

Thirty years ago, on the exact day of the pilot’s death, his parents decided: their son would have the same name as the idol the country lost that Sunday.

According to IBGE, 316 children were named “Ayrton”, in the same spelling as the driver, in the 1980s. And this number more than tripled in the following decade, at the height of Senna’s career.

“For me it’s an honor. And it makes me want to be a better person. I carry a name, and for me I have to honor the name I carry”, comments Ayrton Senna de Oliveira Silva.

This young man shares the same feeling. This Wednesday, he went to the Autódromo de Interlagos, in São Paulo, in search of an encounter with history itself. Gabriel Senna, 18 years old.

“People always asked if I was related, then I started questioning my father, then he started telling stories and the relationship he had with Senna, how Senna improved his life in many ways”, says Gabriel Senna, 18 years old.

His father, Julio, is not related, but is an unconditional fan.

“I was inspired by Ayrton. I’ve brought this with me since my childhood, and it continues to this day, inspiring me in my work, my family, my relationships”, says Julio.

Many people went to the race track to satisfy their desire to see Senna again or to learn more about the driver’s history in the street race that Interlagos has hosted for almost two decades, always on the anniversary of his death.

It is a way of celebrating Senna’s life, with exhibitions of personal items and memories of remarkable achievements.

On this May 1st, Ayrton Senna’s name was also praised at another race track, far away from here. In Ímola, Italy, the day was marked by memories and tributes to the Brazilian.

A huge flag welcomed fans who came to visit the scene of the fatal accident.

The statue of the idol, erected on the inside of the Tamburello curve, the location of the crash, received flowers, Brazilian flags and applause.

On that May 1, 1994, Senna crossed the escape area at more than 200 km/h and crashed into the protective wall.

This Wednesday, at the same time as the accident, a minute of silence was observed.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira; Stefano Domenicali, executive director of Formula 1; and family members, such as pilot Bruno Senna, Ayrton’s nephew.

Throughout these 30 years of nostalgia, Brazil never stopped remembering its idol. According to the post office, there are 458 streets and avenues named after Senna across the country.

Many tributes emerged due to popular commotion, such as one in the city of Santo André, in the state of São Paulo. Seu Jacinto, an admirer of the driver, brought neighbors together three decades ago so they could live on streets that remembered Senna’s career, with names in reference to places where Ayrton had won big.

“Many residents, just hearing about him make them cry, right”, comments retired Jacinto Ezequiel de Medeiros.

The three decades without the idol were also used to build another type of legacy, which transcended sport.

The Ayrton Senna Institute, created by the pilot himself two months before his death, turns 30 in 2024. With educational projects, the institution has served 36 million people in more than 3,000 Brazilian cities.

“With this we literally changed the trajectory of millions of children, who were doomed to drugs, prostitution, poverty, illiteracy, and today they are businessmen, engineers, journalists, successful people in life”, says the president of the institute, Viviane Senna.

Hearing so many people talking about Senna makes you want to remember or learn more about his career, right?

Globoplay released the documentary “Senna by Ayrton” this Wednesday. Using more than 150 hours of archives and extensive interview research, Senna’s trajectory is told from his point of view.

30 years have passed…but who said that passion gets old? Just listen to people. Ayrton Senna da Silva remains a giant.