Tina Turner, who is commonly referred to as the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll” passed away on Wednesday, leaving the whole world saddened. For F1 fans, she will always be remembered because of the emotional tribute she paid to Ayrton Senna back in 1993.
Senna, who is one of the most beloved figures in the sport’s history, tragically lost his life in 1994. Before the fateful race in Imola, however, his performances on the track and his personality off it, helped him earn millions of admirers. Tina Turner was one of them.
After the 1993 Australian GP, Senna attended a show of Turner’s where the latter claimed to be a huge fan of the Brazilian driver. Senna was in attendance with his then-girlfriend Adriane Galisteu, and what happened next, left him in awe.
Tina Turner sang ‘The Best’ for Ayrton Senna
Senna was already a legend with his name etched in the history books by 1993. He was a three-time world champion, who had provided fans of the sport with countless memories and inspired a whole new generation of racers, whom we see compete today. Hence, it came as no surprise that Turner was a fan of the Sao-Paolo-born driver.
During the show that Senna attended, Turner admitted that she was a huge fan of his as per Globo.com. She went on to dedicate one of her most popular songs to Senna’s career. The song is titled ‘The Best’, and was meant to be describing Senna’s legendary F1 career.
In what was one of the most heartbreaking moments in F1 history, Senna lost his life in a horrific accident at the 1994 San Marino GP in Imola just a year later.
Senna inspired a whole new generation of F1 drivers
Senna may have passed away in 1994, but he is remembered by F1 fans and drivers every single day. The former McLaren driver touched several lives, and inspired drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton to make racing their life.
A young Ricciardo once revealed how watching Senna race in Adelaide when he was a young kid made him fall in love with F1. Hamilton on the other hand, relates to Senna on a whole other level. His love for Senna transcended into the love he has for Brazilians.
After waving the Brazilian flag around Interlagos following his 2021 win, the locals were so happy that the seven-time world champion ended up earning honorary citizenship of the country.
Ahead of this weekend’s Monaco GP, fans are remembering Senna once again. This is because he is regarded as the greatest performer ever in the history of the race’s history. Senna has six wins in the principality, more than any other driver. This has earned him the title of ‘The King of Monaco’.
