Perhaps Formula1's greatest driver and certainly its most famous fatality, Ayrton Senna had nothing left to prove to the world of Motor Racing when he died at the Tamburello curve at Imola in 1994. After starring in British Formula3, the man who would come to be regarded as the fastest Formula1 driver ever made his debut for the Toleman Hart outfit in 1984, and instantly made people notice, taking two podium finishes in the unfancied runner. A move to Lotus beckoned, and the second race of 1985 saw his first win, at Estoril. A second win followed, at Spa, and a good run in the second half of the season propelled him to 4th.
He was 4th again in 1986, adding two more wins, before improving to 3rd in 1987, the year in which he won the first of his record six victories in Monte Carlo. For the following season he joined McLaren, partnering Alain Prost and beating him to the title by three points, with eight race wins. After losing out to Prost in 1989, he claimed the next two titles, winning 12 races, including 4 in a row at the start of 1991. In 1992 and 1993, the McLaren was unable to compete with the Williams Renault, (although Senna still managed eight wins in this time) and Senna joined Williams for 1994. Although he did not score in the first two races of the season, many felt that another title would be a formality for the Brazilian, until the fateful day when his Williams hit the wall at Tamburello.
