Even among Formula 1 giants, Senna has a special mystique, both due to his scandals—and his tragic end.
1. He’s One Of The Greats
The differences in cars makes ranking drivers from throughout history an impossible task. Yet fans and drivers agree that Senna was one of, if not the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. But they’d admit Senna was also one of the most controversial drivers. He captivated on and off track until his horrifying end. Senna changed his sport forever–but paid the ultimate price.
Instituto Ayrton Senna, CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
2. He Couldn’t Stop Racing
Senna, born in 1960 into a wealthy and tight-knit Brazilian family, was set for a comfortable life. That is, until he discovered racing. At 21 years old, Senna wanted to see how far he could go behind the wheel. He dropped out of university and headed to England to become a driver—but when he arrived he hit an unexpected roadblock.
People in England insisted Senna had no chance to be a driver if he didn’t have a wife to support him. He knew what he had to do.
Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Married His Childhood Sweetheart
With this in mind, he went home and proposed to Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza. On paper, Senna and Vasconcelos were the perfect match. They’d known each other since childhood. They both came from rich Brazilian families.
The two lovers starting a new life together as Senna climbed the motorsport ladder seemed straight out of a movie. But not all movies have happy endings...
Instituto Ayrton Senna, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
4. He Had A Miserable Wife
Senna and Vasconcelos were two fish out of water, but one of them floundered more than the other. While both struggled with culture shock and neither spoke English, Senna at least had Formula Ford. His wife had nothing.
Lilian traded Brazilian high society for what she thought was going to be a dramatic life with her race car driver husband. She was in for a rude awakening.
Gabriele, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Was A Distant Husband
The truth hurts, but Vasconcelos couldn’t deny it: "I was his second passion. His first passion was racing... There was nothing more important in the world for him, not family, not wife, nothing”. But even if she knew the truth, she still gave Senna the chance to prove her wrong when they returned to Brazil.
Racing soon lured Senna back to England, but this time, Vasconcelos put her foot down.
Instituo Ayrton Senna, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Got An Ultimatum
Vasconcelos informed Senna that their marriage was over if he returned to racing in England. But Senna knew he couldn’t be a good driver and a good husband. After a year of not-so-wedded bliss, Senna and Vasconcelos called it quits.
But racing still called out to him—and it was a call he always answered.
StuSeeger, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Had A Notorious Relationship
Senna’s most famous quote is, “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver,” but he maybe he was talking about a different kind of gap…
A year after making it to Formula 1, Senna began dating Adriane Yamin. But this new couple had a constant third wheel: her mom. She was there was a good reason, though. That’s because Adriane was 15 to Senna’s 25. And it gets sketchier.
8. He Wanted A Teenaged Wife
Senna might not have learned anything from his first marriage, because he quickly proposed to the teenager.
Senn would find true love again after Vasconcelos–but not with Yamin. After three years and countless chaperoned dates, the driver dumped his fiance. Probably for the best.
Senna’s love life may have fizzled out, but his on track relationships only burned hotter.
Gabriele, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. He Had A Disappointing Role Model
The young Senna’s idol was Brazilian Formula 1 champion Nelson Piquet. Senna couldn’t wait to meet his compatriot, “because I want to be like him”. But you know what they say: Never meet your heroes.
Piquet snubbed Senna, but that only lit a fire in the younger driver: “I’m going to beat him one day”. But Piquet had even more nefarious plans.
Archives de la Ville de Mont, Flickr
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10. He Was A Threat
After making it to Formula 1, Senna finally got the chance to defeat his idol turned rival. Senna’s talent and champion potential were undeniable, so Piquet knew his spot as Brazil’s Formula 1 hero was at risk.
The champion welcomed the rookie with open arms–and a multiyear smear campaign. Piquet didn’t hold back…Senna didn’t know what was coming.
Instituto Ayrton Senna, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Was Defamed
The media went wild when Piquet accused Senna of being a closeted gay man. Piquet swore one of Senna’s ex-girlfriends–one he couldn’t name but definitely didn’t invent–was his source. Senna was itching to sue, but realized this would attract even more attention.
And regardless, he didn’t need to prove himself. It didn’t hurt that one of Senna’s (actually real) ex-girlfriends declared “If that man is gay I would like to have a gay man in my bed every night”. But once the drama started, it never ended.
12. He Was In A Legendary Rivalry
Rivalries are a dime a dozen in sports–but there has never been and never will be one quite like Senna and Prost. Their nicknames, “Magic Senna” and “The Professor”, might as well have been fire and ice. That didn’t stop Prost’s McLaren from hiring the Brazilian in 1988. Turns out, McLaren didn’t just make the two rivals teammates–they made motorsport history.
13. He Wanted To Dominate
You always want to beat your teammate in Formula 1, but Senna took it too far. Prost realized Senna “didn’t want to beat me, he wanted to destroy me”. But at this point, Prost was already a two-time champion. Not to mention, the Frenchman had been with McLaren for four years.
Senna had zero titles and zero years with what was effectively Prost’s team. If Senna was most drivers, Prost might’ve been able to brush it off. But it was Senna.
14. He Had An Addiction
Senna could resist every vice–except one. He confessed, “Winning is like a drug…I am totally dependent at this moment on winning”. He couldn’t control this addiction. It controlled him. Senna has been compared to an addict who would commit any crimes to get his next fix.
With this mindset, he was doomed to cross lines and hurt people.
15. He Dated Celebrities
Senna dated many women–but few mattered more than Xuxa. One day, the gorgeous Brazilian TV star was flipping through a magazine when she came across a photo of the dashing Senna. Xuxa thought, “Wow, look at his face. He likes animals just like me, and is also famous”. He was the total package!
But even though Xuxa was richer and more famous in Brazil than Senna at the time, she still wasn’t optimistic about her chances. As she put it, “These things don’t happen in my life”. Well, she was wrong about that.
José Cruz, CC BY 3.0 BR, Wikimedia Commons
16. He Wooed A Star
A week later, Senna called Xuxa out of the blue. He started with “Hi, most beautiful woman of Brazil” and ended with an offer to send his plane the moment she was available. She quickly took him up on the offer, and the sparks flew immediately.
After just one night of talking, they realized this could be something special. But sadly, it just wasn’t possible–at least not yet.
17. He Had A Bittersweet Romance
Right person, wrong time: Senna and Xuxa’s jobs required too much time apart. After joining McLaren, Senna was on the verge of not only stardom, but his first championship. He wasn’t going to take his foot off the gas for anyone. Oh, and he was still fooling around with other women. There’s that too.
The only relationship Senna could offer Xuxa wasn’t enough. Their romance couldn’t bloom under these conditions–but they planted the seed.
18. He Was Controversial
Stories need heroes and villains; Senna was both. Off track, he ditched drivers, teams, and even romantic partners when they were no longer useful. On track, he drove dirtily and dangerously. Gentlemen’s agreements among fellow drivers? Merely suggestions.
Senna’s mentality polarized everyone. But Senna’s mindset, along with his skill, was championship worthy. All he needed was a good enough car.
19. He Almost Had It All
At McLaren, this final puzzle piece fell into place. Senna finally had the fastest car…but he also had the fastest teammate. This combination handed McLaren the team championship on a silver platter. But the driver’s championship became a nightmare. Only one McLaren driver could win—and both Senna and Prost would do anything to be the one on top.
20. He Made His Dreams Come True
Senna wanted it m ore. In his first year at McLaren, and in his first year driving a title contender, Senna emerged on top. The 28-year-old Brazilian dethroned the 32-year-old French veteran.
But Prost wasn’t going to lie down that easily. Senna had no way of knowing he was in for the worst year of his life.
21. He Found Love Again
Senna headed straight to Brazil to celebrate, and he had a certain TV star in mind. He was ready to give Xuxa the relationship she wanted and deserved. Senna, who always stayed with his parents in Brazil, made a huge statement. He bought a home just for him and Xuxa.
It was a lot of money, but Senna knew everything would change after his first title. Turns out, he was right–but in the worst ways.
22. He Made His Rivalry Vicious
Once again, Senna and Prost found themselves on the same team, driving the same car, and fighting for the same championship. But their rivalry took an even nastier turn. The season after Senna’s first win, accusations of cheating, sabotage, and favoritism flew around like shrapnel after a crash.
It all came to a head at the penultimate race of the season. Senna may have won in love, but he couldn’t say the same for his title defense.
23. He Had To Win
Senna began the 1989 season in the lead, but several car failures swung the championship in Prost’s favor. Senna knew that remaining in the title fight required winning the Japanese Grand Prix. He couldn’t afford another retirement–but Prost could. After the teammates conveniently collided, Prost–the presumed champion–was forced to exit his car, and the race. Senna wasn’t going to give up that easily, though.
24. He Was Relentless
Senna frantically had the marshals push him back into the race. After a remarkable comeback, he ended up taking the checkered flag. The shocking win put him right back in the title fight–but not for long. Remember that little push start? That’s against the rules, and officials disqualified Senna for it.
I bet you can imagine how that went: Senna went on a media rampage, accusing the officials of conspiring to make Prost champion. It didn’t make a difference: Senna lost the championship. But at least he’d won over Xaxu, right?... Right?
25. He Had Another Doomed Romance
Senna and Xaxu eventually couldn’t ignore two heartbreaking facts. First, they were deeply in love. Everyone thought they were meant to be together. They were supposed to marry and live happily ever after. But second, their careers made this relationship impossible in the long term, so Senna and Xaxu’s romance had to cross the finish line.
26. He Had A Grudge
Senna held grudges almost as well as he held trophies. Despite winning the driver’s championship, Prost had had enough of the dysfunctional mess that Senna turned Maclaren into. In a shocking move, Prost went to Ferrari the next season—but still, Senna couldn’t forgive or forget.
Like deja vu, it all came to a head at the Japanese Grand Prix again.
27. He Got Revenge
To Senna, payback was a dish best served on track. Prost needed to do well that day to block Senna from winning his second championship. But Senna needed revenge. Senna crashed into Prost on the first lap. There was no way to spin this as a racing incident, a mistake, or a car failure. It was revenge. It was classic Senna.
He went on to win the 1990 and 1991 championships. It felt like Senna was never going to lose again—but the winds can change very quickly in the world of Formula 1.
28. He Found Love Again
In 1993, Senna met his third–and final–great love. Adriane Galisteu was a 19-year-old Brazilian model who got the opportunity to be a hostess at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Galisteu almost turned down the gig since it wasn’t “real” modeling work…but she needed the money.
Well she was in for more than she realized: “It never crossed my mind that during that weekend I would find the love of my life”.
Record TV Goiás, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. He Was A Heartthrob
Senna wasn’t just an eligible bachelor, he was the eligible bachelor. When the models at the Brazilian GP heard the hometown hero was interested in them, they raced to the bathroom to fix their hair and makeup. Well, most of them did: Galisteu couldn’t care less about Formula 1, let alone Senna.
That is, until she saw him. Even from a distance and surrounded by crowds, Senna intrigued her. Then they locked eyes.
30. He Was A Ladies Man
Galisteu was a goner the moment Senna made eye contact and smiled at her–but she refused to show it. After his assistant asked for her number, Galisteu showed up to find Senna celebrating his win at a club…surrounded by other women. He still made a move on Galisteu, but she didn’t like competition.
She gambled and walked away from him—and it paid off.
31. He Settled Down
Senna and Galisteu began a game of cat and mouse–until Galisteu decided she was done with games. When she realized that Senna still saw other women, she decided to put all her cards on the table. Senna felt the same, and the couple dropped the games to start a real relationship.
At first, for Galisteu, their romance felt like a dream. But Senna’s fame was more than she was prepared for. If this was a dream, it was more like a nightmare.
32. He Had A Secret Baby Scandal
Senna and Galisteu discussed all of their exes together so they could put it all behind them–but one of Senna’s flings clung on. Senna confessed that one of his exes blabbed to the press that she’d given birth to his illegitimate daughter. Senna insisted that while they’d spent a night together, there was no way the baby was his. By the time the truth came out, it was too late.
33. He Was A Complicated Boyfriend
Secret baby rumors added unnecessary drama to Senna and Galisteu’s relationship–and they created enough drama on their own. Senna once threw a tantrum at one of Galisteu’s swimwear photoshoots—that he approved beforehand, by the way.
Galisteu knew about Senna’s temper on the track, but when he directed it at her, she crumbled, bursting into tears and apologizing to him. But if anything, Senna’s family was even worse.
34. He Started A Family Feud
Senna was close with his family–until Galisteu came along. The Senna family didn’t just dislike Galisteu, they degraded her. In their eyes, she was no better than a peasant. She wasn’t enough for their golden boy, and they let her know it.
I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he was spending all his time with her instead of them. His relationships on track were just as fractured.
35. He Felt Threatened
A champion lashing out at a rising driver, we’ve seen this story already—but this time, Senna was the champion and Michael Schumacher was the newbie. Once Schumacher hit the scene, the two quickly clashed on the track multiple times. Then at the German Grand Prix, Senna snapped. During pre-race testing, Senna accused Schumacher of blocking him, before grabbing him by the throat.
Schumacher later dismissed the fight as a mere “neck massage”. Senna’s other rivals weren’t as forgiving.
Gunnar Richter, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
36. His Rival Obstructed Him
Senna still had the talent to win the championship, but no longer had the car. By 1992, Senna wanted to drive for Williams more than anything. He even offered to drive for free, just for the chance at another title. But Senna’s past had come back to haunt him: Williams had to turn him down, because one of their drivers banned them from signing Senna in his contract.
That driver’s name was Alain Prost. When Senna found out, he called Prost a coward at a press conference, but there was nothing else he could do...for now.
Unknown Author , Wikimedia Commons
37. He Was Disappointed
When Prost retired in 1994, Senna rival jumped into Williams and back into the best car on the circuit. Well, Senna he thought was the best car. After getting behind the wheel, he discovered the car was not only disappointing, but downright unsafe. Senna couldn’t help but feel dread. He should have listened to that feeling.
38. He Was Aware Of His Mortality
Formula 1 is dangerous–even when it wasn’t Ayrton Senna driving. In 1994, however, it felt like the sport was reaching a breaking point. Senna confessed, "It's going to be a season with lots of accidents, and I'll risk saying that we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen”.
He knew his skill could only take him so far–and his luck was about to run out.
39. He Drove In An Infamous Race
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix went down in history in the worst ways. The ball started rolling in the first qualifying session when Rubens Barrichello, Senna’s protege and compatriot, crashed on the notoriously dangerous track. After being knocked unconscious, Barrichello woke up to find his nose and arm broken, and his race over.
At the time, he was disappointed. Turns out, Barrichello was lucky. Others weren’t.
Phillip Asbury, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Was Distraught
The next day, the final qualifying took place, and the race took its first life. A piece of Roland Ratzenberger's car broke off and got stuck under the chassis, making the car spin completely out of control. With no steering, Ratzenberger slammed into a barrierless concrete wall. He didn’t survive.
When Senna heard the news, he broke down on the shoulder of his close friend, Formula 1 doctor Sid Watkins. The neurosurgeon, concerned about Senna’s mental state, begged him to retire. The three-time champion insisted he couldn’t stop racing and sealed his fate.
Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. He Wanted To Propose
Senna had no idea he’d already said his goodbyes. Before Senna left home, he promised Galisteu “One day I will marry you and one day I will work for Ferrari. I will end my career there and end my life with you”. The night before the race, Senna and Galisteu spoke on the phone. The lovers made plans to finally reunite at the airport the moment he flew home.
Braswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
42. He Didn’t Know It Was Goodbye
The next morning, Senna, fellow drivers, and Prost met up before the race. For once, the drivers were in agreement: They needed to make Formula 1 safer. But it was too little too late. Once the race started, Senna’s lead over Schumacher was derailed after two cars collided. Debris flew into the grandstands, injuring an officer and eight fans. It gets even worse.
43. He Had A Horrific Crash
Juan Manuel Fangio, a retired driver and Senna’s idol, was watching at home when he saw Senna slam into the wall at high speed. Once the car finally stopped, cameras caught movement coming from the cockpit. Some viewers were relieved at the sign of life, but Fangio immediately turned off his television. He’d seen a lot of crashes—and he knew what was coming next.
When Galisteu saw Senna crash, meanwhile, she couldn’t help thinking, “Oh that’s good! He’ll be home sooner”. After all, Senna had survived countless crashes.
Scanned from Clarín, Wikimedia Commons
44. He Didn’t Make It
The more time passed with no sign of Senna, the more anxious she Galisteu. When she realized this crash was different, she started screaming.
On the scene, Watkins was one of the first people to reach Senna. He took one look inside and made a sickening realization: His friend was gone. They’d rush Senna to the hospital and try everything, but Watkins already knew.
45. He Had Secret Plans
Afterward, medical staff made a heartbreaking discovery in Senna’s car: an Austrian flag. Senna wasn’t Austrian, but Ratzenberger was. The Brazilian driver intended to raise this flag after the race to honor the fallen driver. Senna planned to mourn and honor Ratzenberger, only to join him. After the most depressing podium celebration, Formula 1 spent years trying to figure out how one weekend could go so wrong.
46. He Was Deeply Mourned
Formula 1 mourned a champion, but Brazil mourned a hero. Over 3 million people came out for Senna’s funeral procession in Sao Paulo, making it one of the largest in history. Everyone from Senna’s rivals to Brazil’s World Cup winning soccer team dedicated their victories to him.
Even today, Senna’s name lives on, in some good and some…questionable ways.
47. He Was Exonerated Too Late
Since they weren’t married, Senna left Galisteu with more memories than money. But there was one thing she didn’t count on: more secret child drama. Model and former fling Marcella Praddo swore for years that Senna was the father of her child–one conceived during his and Galisteu’s relationship.
16 years after his passing and after DNA testing, the truth came out: fake news.
48. He Saved Many Lives
Formula 1 is significantly safer today-but its regulations were created in Brazilian blood. The preventable tragedy contributed to increased regulations that saved the lives of other drivers. It’s a shame these changes came too late for Senna himself. In a way, he had to die to save others. This is just one part of his incredible legacy.
49. He’s In The Hall of Fame
A driving force behind Senna’s mystique is his premature end. He still had more life–and racing–in him. People can’t help but wonder what else he would have accomplished. Countless drivers, including fellow greats like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, point to him as inspiration.
To be compared to Senna is one of the highest compliments a driver can receive.
50. He Left Incredible Legacy
Senna gave his nation hope, glory, inspiration, and didn’t stop there. Not only did Senna secretly donate a fortune to causes in his home country, he also had dreams of founding a charity. Viviane, his sister, poured her grief into founding the Instituto Ayrton Senna. The result: millions of dollars devoted to uplifting Brazilian children.
So while many drivers have won and will continue to win championships after Senna, his on and off track legacy remains inimitable.
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