Ayrton Senna Would Have Ended His Career At Ferrari Says Luca Di Montezemolo
'Senna Would Have Ended Career At Ferrari'
The Huffington Post UK
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Ayrton Senna has been remembered as a "fighter" who was always "aiming for the best" by Ferrari boss, Luca di Montezemolo, who believes the triple F1 champion would have ended his career with the the Scuderia if tragedy had not intervened.
Montezemolo is the latest high profile figure to pay tribute to Senna as the sport commemorates the 20th anniversary of his death in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on 1 May 1994. Fellow F1 driver Roland Ratzenberger was also killed at the same weekend when he crashed his Simtek-Ford during qualifying.
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Ayrton Senna with Ron Dennis of McLaren with whom he won three F1 world titles
Ratzenberger's death was a tragedy that made Senna seriously consider not racing the following day. However, he took to the track in his Williams FW16 and was leading the race when he came off the track at the Tamburello Curve on the seventh lap, hitting the barrier and suffering fatal head injuries.
It was later revealed that Senna had an Austrian flag in his car's cockpit to wave in honour of Ratzenberger at the end of the race. Their deaths are the last to have occurred in F1.
The Ferrari boss reflected on Senna's quest for perfection, saying: “I always appreciated Ayrton’s style of racing. As with all great champions, he had an incredible will to win and never tired of seeking perfection, trying to improve all the time. He was extraordinary in qualifying, but also a great battler in the races, when he always fought tooth and nail”.
He added that he met with Senna three days before the fateful race when they discussed the Brazilian's potential move to Maranello.
"We spoke for a long time and he made it clear to me that he wanted to end his career at Ferrari, having come close to joining us a few years earlier," Montezemolo told the official Ferrari website.
Other F1 figures to have offered their thoughts on Senna include fellow Brazilian, Emerson Fittipaldi. In an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post UK, the double F1 world champion said the sport would not see the like of Senna again.
"I think Senna was one of the drivers you could never think would die in an auto race," Fittipaldi said. "It was a tragedy that had a global impact in motor racing. I think he was a one-off."
Story continues after slideshow
20th anniversary of Senna's death
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Senna speaks with triple F1 world champion Niki Lauda on the day of the race. In 1976, Lauda survived a life-threatening crash at the Nürburgring, in which he suffered severe burns. (credit:Getty)
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Adriana Galisteu, girlfriend of Formula (20 of32)
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Adriana Galisteu, girlfriend of Formula One champion Ayrton Senna, cries as she visit his coffin, on May 04, 1994, at the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly, Brazil. Senna died from injuries suffered after a high-speed crash in the San Marino Grand Prix on May 01. (Photo credit should read PAULO WHITAKER/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
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Thousands of Brazilians gather at the gates of Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly 04 May 1994 as they await the arrival of the funeral cortege carrying the coffin bearing the body of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. Senna,a national hero and a native of Sao Paulo,died 01 May at the age of 34 in a high speed crash while racing in the San Marino F1 One Grand Prix. (Photo credit should read ANTONIO SCORZA/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
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SAO PAULO, BRAZIL: Thousands of Brazilians gather at the gates of Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly 04 May 1994 as they await the arrival of the funeral cortege carrying the coffin bearing the body of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. Senna,a national hero and a native of Sao Paulo,died 01 May at the age of 34 in a high speed crash while racing in the San Marino F1 One Grand Prix. (Photo credit should read ANTONIO SCORZA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Brazilian Formula One pilots (L-R) Cristian Fittipaldi, Raul Boesel, Rubem Barricello and Portuguese driver Pedro Lamy pay their respects to Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna, 04 May 1994, in Sao Paulo. Senna, three-time Formula One champion, died after a high-speed crash 01 May during the Italian Grand Prix in San Marino. (Photo credit should read AE/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Formula One pilots Emerson Fittipaldi (L(24 of32)
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Formula One pilots Emerson Fittipaldi (L) an Christian Fittipaldi (3rd-L) of Brazil, Alain Prost of France (2nd-L), Gerhard Berger of Austria (R) and Jackie Stewart of Scotland (2nd-R) carry the casket of their colleague Ayrton Senna, on May 05, 1994, during his funeral in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Senna died from injuries suffered after a high-speed crash in the San Marino Grand Prix on May 01. (Photo credit should read JULIO PEREIRA/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Formula One pilots Emerson Fittipaldi (L) an Chris(25 of32)
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SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - MAY 5: Formula One pilots Emerson Fittipaldi (L) an Christian Fittipaldi (3rd-L) of Brazil, Alain Prost of France (2nd-L), Gerard Berger of Austria (R) and Jackie Stewart of Scotland (2nd-R) carry the casket of their colleague Ayrton Senna, 05 May 1994, during his funeral in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo credit should read JULIO PEREIRA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - MAY 4: The first of thousands of Brazilians start queueing 04 May 1994 to pay their last respects to late Formula One champion Ayrton Senna as the coffin bearing his remains lies in state at the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly. Senna, considered by locals as the country's greatest sporting hero since Pele,died 01 May while racing in the San Marino F1 Grand Prix. (Photo credit should read PAULO WHITAKER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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The first of thousands of Brazilians start queueing on May 04, 1994 to pay their last respects to late Formula One champion Ayrton Senna as the coffin bearing his remains lies in state at the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly, Brazil. Senna, considered by locals as the country's greatest sporting hero since Pele, died May 01 while racing in the San Marino F1 Grand Prix. (Photo credit should read PAULO WHITAKER/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
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Neide Senna (R), mother of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, is accompagnied by her son Leonardo on May 05, 1994, during the funeral of Ayrton Senna in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Senna died from injuries suffered after a high-speed crash in the San Marino Grand Prix on May 01. (Photo credit should read PAULO WHITAKER/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
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When asked why he is considered to be the greatest F1 driver, Senna's former boss at McLaren, Ron Dennis, said it was because of more than just his racing.
"I think it’s because he was so good for the whole time he was on the planet. I can see no positives from the fact that he had an accident and lost his life, but it means that you didn’t see his decline. There are lots of drivers that stay in the sport too long and tarnish their greatness," he said.
"I also think he’s remembered because he was just so unbelievably competitive. He was great, but he had good, human values. He had a few lapses in his life, but he was incredibly principled. And he was a good human being."
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Ayrton Senna's Lotus F1 car on display at the RAC Club in London to commemorate 20 years since his death