20 years on from his tragic death, Ayrton Senna still commands a special place in the hearts of Brazilian sports fans.
The former Formula One World Champion will be the subject of widespread tributes today, 20 years to the day he tragically lost his life at Imola while leading the San Marino Grand Prix, on the same weekend that Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger also died as a result of an accident on the track.
As was illustrated in the brilliant recent documentary about his life, also called Senna, Senna was adored in Brazil and was a big fan of Sao Paolo-based football club Corinthians, whose players marked the anniversary of Senna’s death by donning replicas of the yellow helmet he wore during his time as a Formula One driver before their clash with Flamengo last night. They went on to win the game 2-0.
A fitting tribute to the memory of one the all-time greats.
