In 2000, Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher had just racked up his 41st race win, a victory that put him en route to his third World Championship title — a trophy he would end up winning seven times before his definitive retirement from motor racing in 2012.
After that 41st win, he was informed by a reporter that he had equalled a record set by Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, and Schumacher burst into tears, such was (and is) the legendary Brazilian’s influence on the sport.
Had his career not been tragically cut short by a fatal accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, 30 years ago this week, who knows whether Senna would have added to his three world titles and equalled the seven won by Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. But for many lovers of the sport, particularly those in Brazil, that is irrelevant — and Senna is, and always will be, the greatest driver in motor racing history.
You can read more about Senna’s story and his remarkable feats in our special article: The Legacy of Ayrton Senna, 30 years on, published this week.
Also, check out the creation of this cartoon on The Brazilian Report’s TikTok account (@brazilianreport).
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