IMOLA, ITALY – OCTOBER 29: The tribute to Ayrton Senna is depicted during the previews of the Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit on October 29, 2020 in Imola, Italy. Red Bull Racing (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrated his three-time F1 world champion teammate in a unique way, matching Senna’s record of eight consecutive pole positions on a sunny afternoon at the circuit near Bologna.
“It’s been 30 years since he passed away at this circuit. So, naturally, I’m very happy to secure pole position here. And in a way, it serves as a beautiful tribute to him,” expressed the 26-year-old Dutch driver, whose father Jos debuted in F1 in that 1994 season.
“He was an extraordinary Formula 1 driver, especially when it came to qualifying laps,” Verstappen highlighted.
Senna still holds the third position in the overall F1 pole list, with a total of 65 in his career, surpassed only by the seven-time champions Lewis Hamilton (104) and Michael Schumacher (68).
Verstappen now has 39 pole positions and is quickly closing in. He also matched a record set by Senna’s French rival, Alain Prost, in 1993, who achieved seven consecutive poles at the start of a season.
The top three finishers on Sunday will also receive a special jeroboam of Ferrari Trento sparkling wine on the Imola podium, which will later be auctioned to support the Senna Foundation.
A faded photo in a grandstand and flowers and tributes left by dedicated fans at Senna’s statue near the circuit and behind the wall where he crashed. He was 34 years old.
The four-time champion Sebastian Vettel is driving laps in Senna’s 1993 McLaren and has involved teams and drivers in other activities to honor the Brazilian and Austrian Roland Ratzenberger, who also passed away that same weekend.
F1 drivers ran around the circuit on Thursday and gathered for a moment of silence at the Tamburello corner, attaching padlocks with the #Forever Senna mark to other tributes on the fence. They were also asked to wear Senna fireproof balaclavas throughout the weekend.
“What I particularly admired about him, long after,” Vettel recalled. “Was that he was not only one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, but also showed compassion and support for challenging social issues and poverty affecting his home country.”
“The closest I got to Ayrton was watching a practice session on Friday from the grandstands at Hockenheim during the German Grand Prix. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet him in person,” Vettel stated.
Fans and politicians have already gathered on May 1st in Imola, some carrying the Brazilian flag before observing a minute of silence. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
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