In addition to being three-time world champion in Formula 1 and one of the most legendary athletes in the history of Brazilian sport, Ayrton Senna was also a great uncle. Bianca Senna, the former driver’s niece, recalled how he was the “hero of the track” in his leisure time with his family and spoke about his legacy that remains today, exactly 30 years after his tragic death.
Three decades ago, on May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna entered the Tamburello as leader of the Imola Grand Prix and unfortunately he did not come out of it alive. The Brazilian was the fatal victim of a serious accident on the dangerous curve and left, in addition to a legion of orphaned fans, a niece without the great company of his vacation.
Bianca Senna, who at the time was transitioning between childhood and adolescence, recalled her times with her uncle in an interview with ESPNwhich has been publishing since Monday (29), on all its platforms, a series of special content about the three-time Formula 1 champion.
“My memories with Ayrton are all of him as an uncle. We spent a lot of time together on vacation, whether on the farm, at the beach house, or in Portugal, when he had a house there. So it was a lot of family life. He was the one who taught me how to ride a jet ski, he was the one who taught me how to water ski. He taught me several things that I still like today”, said Bianca.
Currently CEO of Senna Brandsshe revealed that her last meeting with her uncle was at the end of 1993. Senna spent the end of the year vacation in Angra dos Reis, in Rio de Janeiro, before returning to training in Europe, aiming for the 1994 season.
And her niece’s favorite activity during these periods of playing with Senna was playing cards. According to Bianca, Ayrton had fun hiding the letters from the children. And this would be the thing she would love to have the opportunity to do again with her uncle.
“We played cards and he always stole. He would get up from his chair and have a bunch of cards under the cushion. And he would laugh. The funniest thing was that he was happy to be doing it. I wish I could play cards with him again because I’m sure it would make me laugh a lot”, he recalls.
In the most emotional moment of the interview, Bianca revealed the message she would send to Ayrton today if she could: “I would tell him to come back. I miss him so much.”
And the niece could not finish without talking about the vast legacy that Senna left, not just in the sporting world, but in the lives of all people, and which she tries to protect by working in the family company.
“What it symbolizes and what we are transferring to the brand is precisely this desire to not give up on your dreams, to go after your dreams. To take that inner hero, bring it out and fight for what we He believes in our dreams. He represented this very well, not only for Brazil but also abroad. I think that’s why he became so great”, he concluded.
