Ayrton Senna: Superstar watches over Hamilton, Verstappen, Antonelli & Co.

A new mural at the Interlagos circuit depicts Ayrton Senna, gazing at today’s Formula 1 stars with a gentle smile, naturally with the Brazilian flag by his side.

Senna is also THE idol for the new Formula 1 world champion, Kimi Antonelli: This weekend, the Italian is wearing a helmet in honour of the exceptional racing driver who died in 1994; Kimi met the Senna family, visited Ayrton Senna’s grave and was even allowed to sit in Senna’s legendary John Player Special Lotus. The Lotus and Kimi’s current Mercedes both bear the same number – 12.

Kimi says: “It was incredibly emotional; I’ll never forget this day. I’m very grateful to the family. I would have loved never to get out of the Lotus; I wanted to savour every second. The family couldn’t have been kinder and showed me places where Ayrton liked to spend time. Knowing that Ayrton was here moved me deeply.”

On 1 May 1994, we lost Ayrton Senna. The fascination with the Brazilian continues to this day, particularly in his home city of São Paulo.

Just imagine: 32 years after the death of the exceptional Brazilian racing driver, we see – most strikingly in Japan and Brazil – people in Senna T-shirts and caps, countless banners and pennants, visitors with McLaren-Honda models, all as if Senna were still on the starting grid today.

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TV Program

Today

Sao Paulo: Qualifying

FIA Formula One World Championship

07.11.2026 - 18:40

In São Paulo and Suzuka, the fans’ memories are most vivid, yet on our world tour as Formula 1 correspondents, we discover fans all over the world who show that we haven’t forgotten Ayrton Senna.

This is a phenomenon that is unique even beyond the boundaries of motorsport: at how many ski races, pray tell, do we spot references to the heroes of yesteryear on two skis? In how many US stadiums do visitors commemorate baseball or American football heroes so faithfully? In how many football stadiums do fans still wear shirts honouring Pelé or Beckenbauer?

I can’t help but smile a little at how lavishly we throw around superlatives. These days, anyone who can string together a single error-free sentence on ‘Love Island’ or who makes it through to the themed show stage on ‘Deutschland sucht den Superstar’ (ha!) is already being hailed as a star. Whoever goes on to win remains virtually unknown beyond the borders of German-speaking Europe, RTL or no RTL. Pardon me, but I define a ‘superstar’ a little differently.

To me, a superstar is someone who is instantly recognised worldwide; someone who has truly achieved something; someone with charisma – someone like Ayrton Senna.

The Brazilian exuded – whatever people may have said about Juan Manuel Fangio – a very particular aura. When Fangio or Senna entered a room, people would automatically turn round. When they spoke – both, incidentally, in the same soft-spoken manner – people would listen spellbound.

Even today, world champions such as Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli describe Senna as their idol. I find this tribute from today’s exceptional racing drivers heart-warming.

For my part, I’m simply proud that I was able to watch Ayrton Senna at work. His qualifying laps were incredible – when he took to the track at the end of Saturday’s practice session, everyone knew: something magical is about to happen.

That remains unrivalled to this day.