Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian legend who took the world of F1 by storm with his extraordinary racing skills, suffered a problem which is unusual for a prospective racing driver.
Doctors told Senna’s parents that he had a ‘motor coordination’ problem. By the age of 3, the young Brazillian was struggling to do basic things such as climbing stairways.
When he was told to walk straight, he would take a turn. When asked to ride a bike, he would end up walking. He was ‘different’ and was labelled ‘awkward.’
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Ayrton Senna rose above his shortcomings
The young Senna never let these shortcomings disrupt his athletic interests. He excelled at many sports, including gymnastics. By the time he turned 4, he was extremely passionate about cars and motor racing.
Senna was different. He was wondrous on the racing track and at a very young age, he had taken over Brazil as a young star who would emulate his compatriot Emerson Fittipaldi. And he did.
He entered his first Karting competition at the age of 13 against some very experienced drivers and won the first race. 4 years later, he won the South American Kart Championship and his career as a racing driver began to look up.
The exploits of Senna
Senna made his debut in F1 in the 1984 season with Toleman. He turned the second-tier team into a title contender before moving to Lotus, then McLaren, setting the world on fire.
Teamed up with his greatest rival and 2-time world champion Alain Prost in the 1988 season in McLaren, Senna won eight races and went ahead to clinch the title.
In 1989, he finished second in the championship standings before the feud between the duo led Prost to leave for Ferrari. Senna meanwhile stayed at McLaren and won the 1990 and 91 seasons.
The Brazillian switched to Williams in the 1994 season hoping to claim his 4th championship title but it all ended for him at the remorseful San Marino Grand Prix.
The world got drenched in the sadness of Senna passing away in the horrific racing accident.
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