{"id":44032,"date":"2025-03-14T11:28:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T14:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/?p=44032"},"modified":"2026-03-23T23:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T02:27:07","slug":"ayrton-senna-and-australia-the-stories-of-the-brazilian-simply-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/portugues-ayrton-senna-e-australia-as-historias-do-brasileiro-simply-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayrton Senna and Australia: The Stories of the Brazilian \u201cSimply the Best\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia, surrounded by anticipation with Brazil\u2019s return to the grid and significant changes among teams and drivers. It\u2019s a stark contrast to the years when Ayrton Senna was on the track, as Australia used to host the final race of the season rather than the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Senna\u2019s unforgettable moments in Australia remain etched in history, despite the fact that he never raced at Albert Park, the venue for Formula 1 since 1996. However, the Brazilian legend made his mark on the streets of Adelaide, where he secured two victories, three podiums, and six pole positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The First Australian Grand Prix<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Ayrton Senna\u2019s story in Australia began with the very first edition of the Australian GP. In 1985, Formula 1 made its debut in the country, and the Brazilian driver claimed pole position in his Lotus 97T. Watch Senna\u2019s flying lap:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Senna Qualifying Adelaide 1985\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8c0o697F1g8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As was often the case on street circuits, Senna dominated qualifying in Adelaide. In addition to his pole position in the track\u2019s inaugural race, he set the fastest qualifying lap in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Final Pole Position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">His last pole position was one of the most remarkable moments of his career. The McLaren team desperately tried to warn Senna that he was running out of fuel. However, with the team radio malfunctioning (or, as some believe, Senna simply ignoring the warnings), he pushed his McLaren to the absolute limit and secured pole position with a 0.436-second advantage over Alain Prost, who was driving the dominant Williams. At the end of the session, even Senna himself could hardly believe what he had accomplished\u2014it was his only pole position of the 1993 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pole inesperada de  Ayrton Senna\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6cLCIr7z84A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Memorable Victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Senna\u2019s victories in Australia were also unforgettable. In 1991, the Adelaide Grand Prix was the first race after he secured his third world championship in Japan. After an intense celebration, Senna started from pole, but torrential rain forced race officials to halt the race on lap 14 due to unsafe conditions. For 30 years, this race held the record as the shortest in Formula 1 history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In 1993, Senna took the victory in Adelaide, sharing the podium for the last time with Alain Prost, who retired from Formula 1 after winning that year\u2019s championship. This race also marked Senna\u2019s 41st and final career victory. It was his farewell to McLaren before joining Williams in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993-1024x666.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993-1024x666.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993-768x499.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993-1536x998.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sennaadelaide1993.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simply the Best<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Following the 1993 race, Ayrton attended a concert by American singer Tina Turner, who dedicated her hit song <em>The Best<\/em> to him. The crowd erupted in applause as Senna took the stage &#8211; though he appeared far more reserved than when he celebrated on the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Senna no Show da Tina Turner\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KiyWgceGgik?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To this day, <em>The Best<\/em> remains closely associated with Senna, reaching new generations who discovered the song through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/serie-senna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>JOURNEY<\/em> Netflix series<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Homenagem aos 30 anos de legado<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Last year, as part of the global celebrations marking 30 years of Ayrton Senna\u2019s legacy, the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de l&#8217;Automobile (FIA), in partnership with the Senna brand, organized a tribute during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/gp-da-australia-faz-homenagem-a-ayrton-senna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">helicopter painted in the colors of Senna\u2019s iconic helmet<\/a> flew over Albert Park. Following the Drivers\u2019 Parade, the aircraft appeared in the sky and traced the circuit\u2019s layout, showcasing to the world the enduring power of Senna\u2019s image and presence in elite motorsport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"787\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/heli_01-1.png\" alt=\"Helic\u00f3ptero com as cores do capacete de Ayrton Senna sobrevoa circuito na Austr\u00e1lia\" class=\"wp-image-32483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/heli_01-1.png 787w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/heli_01-1-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/www.senna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/heli_01-1-768x436.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\" \/><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shortest race, last victory, podium with a rival, and an immortalized song: Ayrton Senna\u2019s legacy is filled with unforgettable moments in the country that kicks off the 2025 Formula 1 season.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":38773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[76,8,314],"class_list":["post-44032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayrton-senna","tag-australia","tag-formula-1","tag-tina-turner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senna.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}