(1 May 2014) Fans and family members of Ayrton Senna paid their respects to the Brazilian Formula One driver in a memorial at his grave in Sao Paulo on Thursday, marking 20 years since he passed away.
Senna, three times F1 world champion, lost his life in a violent crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Atilio Bonfigliogli,one of the fans who came to Sao Paulo for the commemoration, said Senna was more than an idol for him.
"For us, he's a member of our family, a person whom we used to get up with, any time, night or day," he said.
"No one is going to replace him," said Francisco Viana da Silva, another fan who came to pay his respects.
"He's a star who always brought joy to the whole nation," he added.
Senna was a symbol of pride and patriotism for many in Brazil, along with the country's worldwide football icon Pele.
When Senna's body arrived from Italy, authorities estimated that more than a million people lined the streets of Sao Paulo to bid farewell.
Senna's first victory at home, in 1991, was just as special to him as it was to Brazilians who packed the Interlagos track year after year to see their idol.
Senna had come close to triumph at the Brazilian GP several times and finally came through after overcoming a faulty gearbox late in the race.
Fans invaded the track and swarmed Senna's McLaren to celebrate.
The first time Senna used the Brazilian flag to celebrate inside his car was at the 1986 US GP in Detroit.
He stopped after crossing the finish line and asked a steward to give him the flag from a fan.
The gesture was especially meaningful because it happened the day after Brazil's national team lost to France in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Mexico.
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2 авг 2015
