The official Ayrton Senna Instagram page asked “secretdriverclub” to remove his NFT, deeming it to be “fake”.
Many consider Ayrton Senna to be one of the greatest drivers ever. Not only because of his three world titles but also because of his impact off and on the track. Fans and drivers alike will never forget him. However, he may be immortalized in a lamentable manner now.
The meteoric rise of NFT’s has led to a proliferation of collections that star athletes to entice fans. Yet, Senna’s management was less than pleased in the “secretdriverclub” collection’s inclusion of the Brazilian.
The Secret Driver Club is an NFT collection of racing drivers, which gives you a chance to win “legendary” cars. They previewed their artwork of Senna, and Senna’s representation met the collection with immediate backlash.
The official Senna page had this to say, “Guys, this is not an official Senna product, which means it’s fake. Please take it down.”
The situation brought up questions of exploitations of those deceased. Moreover, the ethical concerns of licensing identities for a quick buck.
Also Read: Why Ayrton Senna’s successful early 1990 style wouldn’t have worked in today’s F1?
What makes it different from other art of Ayrton Senna?
There have been other artworks of the racing legend. What makes this different?
It comes down to exclusivity. That is, NFT’s guarantee ownership of an image through the blockchain. When the image is a portrait, it is almost like certifying the right of their likeness to the owner.
It hasn’t stopped collections from using celebrities, however. Some even endorse them. Steph Curry recently sold a collection of NFT’s that he wore while breaking the three-point record.
An untapped market or an amoral business? You decide.
Also Read: The sportswear manufacturer creates 2974 digital sneakers that can be worn in the metaverse
