Murals of Senna - English class

Murals in honor of Ayrton Senna

S T A R T

By Carolina Drago

About Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna was a motorsport driver recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen in Brazilian history. A legend who transcended sport, leaving a legacy that inspires generations. In addition to his success on the asphalt, Senna left a human and social legacy. His concern for the less privileged led him to create the Instituto Ayrton Senna, which continues to make a significant difference in the education and development of Brazilian children and young people. Ayrton Senna was born in São Paulo, on March 21st, 1960, and from an early age demonstrated an incomparable passion for motorsport. He's the son of businessman Milton Guirado Theodoro da Silva and Neyde Joanna Senna da Silva. In addition to Ayrton, the couple had another daughter, Viviane Senna, president of the Ayrton Senna Institute.

Mural in Interlagos (Brazil)

Muralist Eduardo Kobra prepared a mural to pay homage to Ayrton Senna at the Interlagos race track, where the Brazilian driver made history with two notable achievements in Formula 1, in 1991 and 1993. The Secretaria Municipal de Turismo provided a space in the area to carry out the work, which is 27m high by 10m wide. The work was completed in March 2020, but due to the pandemic it was decided to launch on May 12th, 2020, on the 80th anniversary of Interlagos, whose official name is José Carlos Pace, in honor of another great Brazilian driver.

Mural on Av. Paulista (Brazil)

On November 10th, 2015, during the week of the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the panel painted by Kobra honoring Ayrton Senna was inaugurated at the intersection of Avenidas Paulista and Consolação, in São Paulo. The mural ‘The Legend of Brazil’ ('A Lenda do Brasil') is 41m high and 17.5m wide, portraying the idol’s expressive look in vibrant colors and modern graphics. The art began to be conceived on October 21st, 2015, the date on which The 25th anniversary of the São Paulo driver's second championship in the main category of world motorsport was celebrated.

Mural in Imola (Italy)

The mural in Imola race track was launched, 21m long and 7m high, in September 2019. The Italian race track was the scene of the Brazilian driver's fatality on May 1st, 1994, but also a scene of records and achievements of Senna, who remains to this day as the record holder for pole positions in San Marino in F1 (8 in total), in addition to having obtained three victories there (1988, 1989 and 1991). The work is on the facade of the Checco Costa museum, on the inner side of the race track. In the mural, Kobra also made reference to the Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger, who died on the same weekend, during training for the race. Kobra painted an Austrian flag on Senna's helmet, which Senna planned to raise when he returned after the end of the race.

Mural in Miami (U.S.A)

The mural at the Miami race track in the U.S.A was inaugurated on May 2nd this year, dedicated to Ayrton Senna's 30-year legacy. Eduardo Kobra's work is 8m high and 11m wide and portrays the Brazilian driver's striking gaze and the traditional yellow, green and blue helmet. In art, Senna appears with both hands together, symbolizing prayer and peace. WHY CHOOSE MIAMI RACE TRACK? Although Ayrton Senna didn't have a direct connection with the U.S.A during his career, his legacy as a three-time F1 world champion is indisputable. The choice of Miami for this new mural comes at a time when F1 is gaining a new wave of fans in the country, driven in large part by the success of the Netflix series “Drive to Survive”. This scenario caused interest in motorsports to grow in the U.S.A, making the mural a major attraction for both fans and new spectators of the sport.

Thanks for your attention!