How the wider motorsport world reacted to Senna’s death

A Brazilian great was testing at Michigan

Twice a Formula 1 world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, Emerson Fittipaldi became one of Senna’s closest friends in racing. He first met him as a 14-year-old karter, who he invited into the Copersucar Fittipaldi garage during a test at Interlagos: “He was extremely shy, very polite but very quiet.” From there, Fittipaldi became his guide and, later, his confidant.

“When I first came to Britain to race in 1969, my F3 mechanic was Jim Russell’s brother-in-law, Ralph Firman [who went on to co-found Van Diemen, the most successful Formula Ford chassis builder in history]. So, when Ayrton wanted to race in England, like I had done, I called him: ‘Ralph, I have a guy who’s going to win the championship for you’, and he laughed and said, ‘Oh aye, Emerson!’