Sao Paulo to Host a Tribute Festival for Ayrton Senna

Published 10/17/2019, 10:15 AM EDT

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Ayrton Senna was undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers to come from Brazil. Sadly, he was gone too soon when he was killed in an accident in San Marino 1994, in an already dark weekend.

Senna was practically a hero for Brazilians and this year, there will be a special tribute festival for the late Brazilian legend. In fact, a number of current F1 drivers admired him, including Lewis Hamilton.

Now, in the wake of previous global Formula 1 Fan Festivals, Sao Paulo will host a special event on the 9th November 2019. This festival will celebrate the life of the three-time Formula One World Champion. It will also will pay tribute to the indelible mark that he has left on Formula 1 and the people of Brazil.

The HEINEKEN F1 FESTIVAL – SENNA TRIBUTE will also be a free event, taking place at Ibirapuera Park This event will build up to the Brazilian Grand Prix 2019 weekend starting on 15th November.

In addition to that, modern F1 cars from Mercedes and Renault will perform high speed car runs on the streets of Sao Paulo at the hands of their drivers, including Mercedes’ Esteban Gutierrez.

F1 legends will also be present, including two time World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi and former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. The two will join the celebration by driving Senna’s historic cars. In terms of Senna’s cars, the Toleman TG184 and the Lotus 97T will race at high speed and up close through Sao Paulo’s streets.

Alongside the modern and legend’s live car runs, the event will feature a music concert with headline act Meduza.

According to Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations, “Ayrton Senna is a true legend of our sport and his legacy is both immense and inspiring. It is our honour to bring Formula 1 to the streets of Sao Paulo with our partners Heineken to celebrate his life and his importance to the people of Brazil.”

“We will be celebrating his life by giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with modern and historic F1 cars that will give them a once in a lifetime experience of the speed, sound, and excitement that F1 has to offer. Brazil has a special place in the F1 family, and we are really excited to bring this event to Sao Paulo a week before the Grand Prix at Interlagos. Formula 1 is also delighted to announce that fellow Brazilian F1 hero’s Felipe Massa and Emerson Fittipaldi will be joining us to drive Senna’s historic cars.”

Bianca Senna, niece of Ayrton Senna and Director of Ayrton Senna Institute, said, “I’m sure it will be an unforgettable day to Ayrton’s fans. The opportunity of seeing, so close, historical cars, that were part of some of his best moments in F1, will be incredible. Having the chance to see an event with so many attractions, happening in Ibirapuera, the heart of Sao Paulo, will be even more remarkable, crowning 2019, a year full of beautiful tributes to celebrate 25 years of legacy.”

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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