On 21 March 2014, Google paid tribute to an icon who should have been celebrating his 54th birthday if that tragedy in Imola twenty years ago did not occur. He is none other than F1 legend, the late Ayrton Senna, whose birthday is on 21 March 1960. Internet search engine giant, Google, has been doing “doodle” on its website to commemorate special events, holidays and famous person’s birthday. As seen in this doodle are the colors from the Brazilian national flag and the silhouette of his Mclaren MP4/6 machine.
During Senna’s ten years in Formula One, he is arguably the greatest driver in F1’s history. The Brazilian drove for teams such as Toleman, Lotus, McLaren and Williams, where he won three F1 driver’s titles with the Honda-powered McLaren. He tragically lost his life at the age of 34 when he went offtrack and hit a concrete wall during the San Marino GP in Imola on 1st May 1994. Despite his demise, he has continued to inspire many young racers (including Lewis Hamilton) to live their dreams in F1. He is also the man behind the iconic Honda NSX, where he gave feedback to Honda during its development.
As someone who watched and admired Senna for as long as I can remember, I have nothing but high praises for Google for the poignant yet beautifully made doodle to Senna. Well done!
