Ayrton aSenna celebrations 25 years after his death

Motor-racing

With little at stake at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, the Formula One race is an opportunity for fans to remember and celebrate home favorite Ayrton Senna, 25 years after his death.

Lewis Hamilton – a huge fan of the Brazilian F1 great – and his Mercedes team have already secured this season’s driver and constructor titles, with second places also going to Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari, respectively.

A Brazilian TV helicopter painted in the yellow and green colors of Senna’s racing helmet has flown around Interlagos since Thursday. Banners at the track say “Obrigado, Senna” (Thank you, Senna).

Three-time F1 champion Senna died after a crash at the San Marino GP in May 1994. His titlewinning McLaren car will take pride of place on the track before today’s race. Bruno Senna will be driving it and is set to stop the car to take a Brazilian flag from a steward, as his uncle famously did after winning in Sao Paulo.

Many of the 60,000 fans expected for the race will wear shirts and flags bearing Senna’s face.

Six-time F1 champion Hamilton is once more wearing a helmet paying tribute to his childhood hero.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari is also paying his own tribute to Senna, with a wristband in yellow and green colours. He visited the Brazilian driver’s institute, which focuses on helping educational projects for poor children.

The commemorations started a week ago at a sponsor’s event when two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi drove Senna’s 1985 Lotus on the streets of Sao Paulo, causing some fans to cry.

Veteran Brazilian journalist Flávio Gomes, who covered Senna in F1, says the driver wouldn’t necessarily agree with all the attention.

“It is looking as if Senna was the only good thing that Brazil produced in F1,” said Gomes. “Six drivers have already won races. Two others, Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet, have won titles.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen takes pole

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has taken pole position for today’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

It’s the second career pole for the Dutch driver, who beat Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by just 0.123 seconds.

Verstappen’s first pole was earlier this season at the Hungarian GP in August.

Six-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes will start from third position. The 2018 winner at Interlagos finished 0.191 seconds back.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon finished in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.