The private face of Ayrton Senna
This coming year, on May 1, it will be 16 years since the world watched the final moments in the life of Ayrton Senna, played out live on TV. As time passes, his legacy as the fastest, most important, charismatic and ambitious racing driver of his generation continues to grow.
To many, he remains the greatest there has ever been. To others, the flaws that pushed him way beyond the sporting moral code we expect from our heroes will forever smudge his reputation. Whatever, he remains a colossus of our sport, as intriguing now as he ever was in his lifetime – and as time moves on, perhaps more so.
We know the statistics: the 41 Grand Prix wins, the 65 pole positions, the three world titles. But only a lucky few gained a real insight into Senna, the complicated, serious and very private man. One of those was journalist Mike Doodson, who grew close to a young Ayrton in the formative years of his Formula 1 career.
Doodson was fortunate to interview Senna many times, even being welcomed into his São Paulo home early in 1984. Senna trusted Doodson – until Mike wrote something that changed their relationship forever.
In the February issue of Motor Sport, we present Mike Doodson’s story of how he befriended the greatest, most enigmatic racer of his age – and how he lost that trust and access to the Brazilian’s inner circle. It’s a fascinating, and slightly disturbing, tale.
Elsewhere, Adam Cooper meets Nico Rosberg to talk about his new dawn as a Silver Arrows Grand Prix driver with Mercedes-Benz; Andrew Frankel adds to the three-pointed star theme by driving a Merc-powered Penske Indycar – the last of its breed to win races; and Simon Taylor lunches with Desiré Wilson, perhaps the fastest woman racing driver we have yet seen.
To cap another eclectic mix of the past and the present, we introduce two new columns.
The first is by a man who has done it all. He’s been an Indy 500 winner, a GP driver, a team owner, a series president and now the creator of an exciting new historic racing initiative. He’s Bobby Rahal, and you can read his thoughts on racing every month in Motor Sport.
Ed Foster, our promising young writer (not to mention tech-whizz web editor and podcast producer), is the other new columnist taking his bow in the February edition. Ed has the use of the bright yellow Motor Sport Lotus Elise to bring us On the Road, featuring tales from all corners of the motor racing world.
From everyone here at Motor Sport, happy new year.
Filed under: Formula 1, Miscellaneous, Notes from the Editor, Personalities
R Tanveer:
December 24th, 2009 2:51pm
Looking forward to the Doodson piece.
Steve Selasky:
December 28th, 2009 2:05am
Looking forward as well. Only wish …. USA mag. subscriber got their issues quicker.
Carl S:
December 29th, 2009 10:00pm
Senna was both tremendously talented and tainted by his obsession to prevail regardless of fairness or the rights of other drivers.
mike wessel:
December 31st, 2009 4:13pm
I echo Steve’s comment, printed in the USA but still sooo late in getting each issue.
Still wouldn’t miss one for the world!!
Alastair Warren:
December 31st, 2009 7:32pm
Is that someone wishing me best wishes for 2010 on page 20?
David Fisher:
January 2nd, 2010 10:24am
It is sometimes said that a sign of greatness is that the object is both revered and reviled, some who think that there has never been anyone like that and those who just don’t get it. I’m in the latter camp with Senna, for, for me a true great has no detractors. Which is why Jim Clark, Stirling Moss or Juan Fangio are truly great whlist Senna was merely brilliant.
Greg Price:
January 2nd, 2010 3:49pm
Looking forward to the issue, has anyone in the UK received it yet? there is no sign in Yorkshire unfortunately.
Drood:
January 4th, 2010 2:04am
Thing I always liked about Senna was yes, he was a bastard on track, but he never pretended to be otherwise.
I mean he admitted he took Prost out deliberately in 1990 for example.
If only certain German’s had the character to admit such things.
Ian Garden:
January 5th, 2010 3:45pm
Greg – As yet oo sign of the magazine making it to Surrey either.
Chris Scholfield:
January 6th, 2010 6:27pm
Or Hertfordshire. On the subject of Senna, I’ll never forgive him for his antics with Prost. They were those of a spoiled brat. And I wasn’t over-impressed with the way he kept Derek Warwick out of his team. Perhaps he thought he was too much competition?
Damien Smith:
January 7th, 2010 12:51pm
Motor Sport would like to apologise for the late delivery of subscription copies of the February issue. We have just been informed by our printer that the issue was mailed out late, on December 31, when they should have been sent before Christmas. We are conducting an investigation to uncover why this happened and will be doing everything we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Thank you for your patience.
DS
peter mutch:
January 7th, 2010 5:14pm
Senna was a special individual competing at the pinnacle of a sport that was going through dramatic change. We can never know or understand the pressures he worked under , which were very different to those of say Moss or Clark , so for any of us to stand in judgement is flawed as we don’t have a grasp of the circumstances – indeed Nigel has often commented that we the public know little of the truth as to what goes on behind the scenes for fear of publications that would inform us being sued – how i wish this were different.
António Posser:
January 7th, 2010 9:19pm
Hey Drood,
And what about the french one?
Rgds
peter walker:
January 9th, 2010 6:35pm
Looking forward to the Senna piece. US subscribers have to be patient the mag arrives long after the shops have it.
P.S. Have to agree with David Fisher.
Will Boud:
January 11th, 2010 8:03pm
I just wanted so say that I’ve read the above article. And while it was interesting, it didn’t really contain any great new insight into Senna (which is probably to be expected given the sheer number of books and articles written about him in the last fifteen years). My main issue with it though is the photos, which the author claims are his own. Now I wouldn’t want to call him a liar but I seem to remember some of those picture published previously in a book that I owned by Keith Sutton titled “Senna: A personal Tribute”. I don’t suppose it matters really, but I just wondered!
Dave Cubbedge:
January 12th, 2010 7:09pm
there is a huge difference between what happened in 1989 at the Suzuka chicane and what happened in 1990 at the first curve.
Antonio Posser:
January 22nd, 2010 6:22pm
Dave,
The huge difference was the last curve and the straight of suzuka.
lolol
catherine:
January 23rd, 2010 7:43pm
i have searched high and low for the febuary edition cannot get it anyware.when is the march one out.