EDDIE
JORDAN (JORDAN F1): "....In September 1982,
I gave Ayrton da Silva, as he was known before he changed
his name to Senna, his first F3 test at Silverstone - and
he was staggeringly quick ...Having failed to sign him for
the 1983 F3 season, I was lucky enough to sign Martin Brundle
and the titanic battle of Senna and Brundle during that year
is a matter of motorsport folklore. Jordan and WSE joined
together to form the Theodore team at Macau that year, where
our drivers were Senna, Brundle and Geurrero. We finished
1st and 2nd with Senna winning his first ever international
race in Asia ... Ayrton remained a great friend and supporter
of the team until his untimely death at Imola. That weekend
started in a devastating manner with the huge accident and
hospitalisation of our driver Rubens Barrichello on Friday,
followed harrowingly by the tragic and sudden death on Saturday
of Roland Ratzenburger, and then the cruel loss of Ayrton
during the race ... I can distinctly remember the FOCA flight
home, which, to the best of my recollection, is the only time
I have been on a flight in total silence. Ayrton was a great
talent, a great champion, a great person. The world is a lesser
place without him.
JACKIE
STEWART (WORLD CHAMPION): "... He was probably the fastest
champion I ever saw. He was always stretching the
elastic. My goodness was he quick."
RUBENS
BARRICHELLO (FERRARI): "... it is a weekend when everyone
is going to be talking about Ayrton ... I just hope that people
will be celebrating his life and remembering all the good
things about him. Imola is the place where he got
killed, but we have to remember his achievements and I am
going there in a positive frame of mind. Also, we should not
forget that Roland Ratzenberger lost his life that weekend
too ..."
GERHARD
BERGER'S TRIBUTE: he drove Ayrton Senna's JPS Lotus
around Imola wearing a badge in the shape of Roland Ratzenberger's
helmet:
"... What I did was a great way to remember my colleagues
...It was very emotional for different reasons, firstly at
Tamburello seeing the marshals who saved my life in 1989 and
who tried to save the life of Ayrton. Seeing the fans as I
drove round the circuit was also emotional, as well as remembering
back to these types of cars. It was a great thing to do and
very special too"
BERNIE
ECCLESTONE (F1): "...Ayrton was something quite special"
