Brazilian racing driver. One of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to become World Champion, Senna won 41 Grands Prix and set 65 pole positions, with the latter being the record until He died as a result of an accident while leading the San Marino Grand Prix , driving for the Williams team. Senna began his motorsport career in karting , moved up to open-wheel racing in and won the British Formula Three Championship.
He made his Formula One debut with Toleman Motorsport in , before moving to Team Lotus for the season and winning six Grands Prix over the next three seasons.
Between them, they won all but one of the 16 Grands Prix that year, and Senna claimed his first World Championship. Prost claimed the championship in , and Senna his second and third championships in the and seasons. In , the Williams-Renault combination began to dominate Formula One. Senna managed to finish the season as runner-up, winning five races and negotiating a move to Williams in Senna was recognised for his qualifying speed over one lap and the ability to push his car to the very limit.
From until , he held the record for most pole positions. He holds a record six victories at the Monaco Grand Prix , is the sixth-most successful driver of all time in terms of most Grand Prix wins , and has won more races for McLaren than any other driver.
Senna courted controversy throughout his career, particularly during the turbulent ProstβSenna rivalry. In the Japanese Grands Prix of and , each of which decided the championship of that year, collisions between Senna and Prost determined the eventual winner. It was located on the corner of Avenida Aviador Guilherme with Avenida Gil Santos Dumont, less than meters from Campo de Marte, a large area where they operated the Aeronautics Material park and an airport. Senna was highly athletic, excelling in gymnastics and other sports, and developed an interest in cars and motor racing at the age of four.
