What if Ayrton Senna had Survived?

In the realm of motorsport, there are a few names that instantly evoke a sense of awe and reverence. And among these legends, Ayrton Senna stands tall, a figure etched into the very fabric of Formula One racing.
Senna's talent was undeniable, his charisma magnetic, and his passion for racing unparalleled. But fate took a cruel turn on that fateful day in 1994, silencing the roar of his engines and leaving the world to mourn a true icon.
But today, we're not here to dwell on the tragedy. Instead, we're embarking on a mind-bending journey into the realm of 'what ifs'. What if Ayrton Senna had not succumbed to his untimely demise? What ripple effects would his continued presence have had on the world of motorsport and beyond?
What Does Ayrton Senna Mean To You?
00:00:00 - The Legend of Ayrton Senna
00:00:50 - A Different Reality
00:01:59 - Senna's Global Impact
00:02:54 - A Glimpse of What Could Have Been

[@blackflagqwerty]

Had he lived, 9 times champion. President of Brazil.

[@TomasMisura]

No he would not be 9 times champion. Rumors said he was about to retire soon after couple of seasons maybe after the season he had accident. He planned to become F1 TV commentator . But I would agree that maybe he would eventually became president of Brasil. Who knows...

[@cbyod]

I think Eddie had offered Aryton 50 percent of Jordon for free only stipulation was he would have to be team principal before the 1994 season and they were in advanced stages even through the 1994 season.

[@master-kq3nw]

He would be maybe seven or eight he would be drive untill 40 Williams were strong back then

[@cbyod]

@@master-kq3nw just look at Alonso, Senna could have

[@master-kq3nw]

@@cbyod yes i think that he would say goodbye to f1 2000 he would be in McLaren with mika

[@praveentitus7193]

The big question in 1994 was whether Michael Schumacher's Benetton had illegal traction control. Senna had thousands of questions about it and, had he survived the accident, he would have persuaded the FIA to intensify its investigation into it.

[@petripuumalainen8789]

If Senna had survived, he would have signed for Ferrari for 1995 or at least for 1996. Senna already had talks with Jean Todt about his desire to end his career as a Ferrari driver. Senna was willing to drive for Ferrari in 1994 instead of Williams but Jean Todt said that Ferrari had the sealed contracts with Berger and Alesi and Ferrari was not going to break those contracts. But for 1995 it was possible. How would have it been? Senna in Ferrari means that Schumacher had continued with Benetton. And Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne would have continued with Benetton too. And Ferrari would have not risen to be as dominant force as it was in early 2000.

[@tarawang5466]

He would have been 1994 champion, the car got so much better. 1995 would be Benetton’s year. 1996, he would have partnered Villeneuve and won. Damon Hill would be driving for back-markers much earlier. Same for 1997. In 1998, he would have been so disgusted with the car and retired or go back to McLaren and won Hakkinen’s titles in 1999. So he would have been a 7-time champion. Also, if he did not die, the safety advancements would be so slow there would be at least three more driver deaths since 1994.

[@kevingame3198]

Yeah but like he said here 1:45

[@blackflagqwerty]

In 1995 there's no way Benetton would win. The FW17 was the best car. Damon and David's silly mistakes cost the team races, Schumacher for all his "dirtyness" was a much better driver than Damon. The 1998 situation probably would have not happened, The biggest part of McLaren's 1998 dominance was down to Adrian Newey. A large part of Adrian leaving Williams was down to Patrick and Frank not keeping their word on letting Adrian have a say in driver hiring and firings. Damon's sacking and Heinz-Haralds hiring was the final straw for Adrian. Would Senna be champion in a Newey designed, Mechachrome engined FW20? Probably not, but he would win races.

[@florianwalter704]

Motorsport would have been a way more dangerous business for the next decades

[@agauerm]

He wanted to retire, there's an interview where he says that "maybe he had enough", had been world champ enough times and there was nothing left to prove anymore. He wanted to have a regular life, family, and he was getting afraid to keep racing because he already had pushed the limits too much. He should have listened to that voice and quit, he should not have raced that day, he did not want to race he said. He wanted the race to have been cancelled because Ratzenberger died on track. In the end he ended up making the wrong decision and racing instead of following his intuition.

[@master-kq3nw]

Not he had contract three years with Williams

[@misobozic2634]

senna came from a team where everything was subordinated to him with honda's unreserved support. at williams things were different. he couldn't handle fw16. to make the fastest lap - yes. to do the whole race - no. accept it. after 3 races he has zero points and schumacher 30. if he survived that crash with such a difference in points and the knowledge that the car does not suit him well, you have to be cut off from reality to put him as the winner of the title in 1994.

[@alinsondearaujo2706]

You can't compare!!!. Senna with Schumacher. Benneton was cheating using illegal fuel Plus other irregulations..Senna drove Williams with alot problems!!!. Even tough Senna still put the messes up car in pole posation.If Senna had survived the accident He could lost some races or champioships.But He would some how put Williams car uphead of Benneton.He would have won more champioships than anyone else in formula one..

[@amiqai]

Damon Hill took it to the end with Schumacher. Had Senna lived, he would probably have done better, if not equivalent.

[@raynoraynov5651]

One correction: before Imola 1994 Schumacher had 2 victories and had an advantage of 20 points. AFTER the race Schumacher indeed had 30 points and Senna had 0 points, but at that time Senna was already dead.

[@misobozic2634]

@@raynoraynov5651 for gods sake, he raced in imola and crashed - 0 points for the third race in a row.

[@raynoraynov5651]

@@misobozic2634, for gods sake, if he didn't crash, he'd probably win the race, and the distance in the overall standing would be different. Do you know that during that race he was never behind Schumacher???? Before the crash he was leading, after the crash he was dead.

[@Zukue]

Possibly 4 more championships and President of brasil. His never born son, Ayrton Senna Jr. would have carried in his fathers footsteps as well.

[@SusannaDellavia-FanChannel]

Ayrton never died...of course, alive he would have changed the rankings and destinies of F1...but like a pagan God he brought Formula One into a new dimension with his sacrifice.

[@audreyperrin320]

Then they would have done notting to make it more safe and maybe more drivers would have been killed if the halo was there he might be alive today

[@chrophechrophe9071]

Why are you mixing Ayrton Senna with politics? WHY? Leave him out of the green new deal please.

[@CJMVector321190]

Because he was going to get into politics after his racing career. He said so to try and clean up Brazil and help the poor.

[@chrophechrophe9071]

​@@CJMVector321190 I am brazilian. There is nothing to point out that he was going into politics and as he didn´t like politics in F1 which he clearly stated that he didn´t why would he then want to get into politics as way to make a living. When specifically did he say so and where? He had his foundation and could do much more with that rather than squabbling with politicians. in the parliament. I don´t buy your speculations at all. Going into politics would have weaken his name for sure. Clean up Brazil? I wouldn+t put very much stock in that hope if you mean solving the problem as Brazil unfortunately don´t have atradition to think as a group but only from an individual sense. And that´s where all the problems begin. Brazil is a poor country as the influential people that controls the money in the country wishes to make the people stay poor. It makes their lives much easier as their is plenty to go around then. Would the standard of living increase there would be lots of people to share the riches with. The people that gets voted into office gets voted into office because the financial forces whishes to have them there. A change to that is not going to happen anytime soon. Many people that are poor also do not want to work and have a tougher life than they have without it. Living in favellas means living for free and that becomes a comfort in itself to not have to pay for living costs or electricity while being protected. There are people that wish to stay in that life and there are people that wish to get out of it but the number that wishes to stay is enough to keep the problems going.

[@kevingame3198]

​@@CJMVector321190I did not know this

[@kevingame3198]

​@CJMVector321190 also by this point prior to 1994 my guess he would be in williams for 3 years 1994-1997 and rejoined mclaren the following year raced for the final season in 1999 before retired in 2000 that's my guess

[@liviamoon]

​@@CJMVector321190No. He definitely ruled out going into politics.

[@lewisallen3232]

Senna wouldn’t of been world champion in 1994 if he survived. It would of been three DNF’s for Senna in the first three races. Schumacher won the first three.

[@renardthefox3176]

But then he wouldn't have won the others. Consider that.

[@lethalfright]

I don't think he would have turned into a "green ambassador" as the video suggests. Just my opinion, he doesn't seem to be this kind of person.

[@mihalyzoltantoth9332]

Hé was killed elit didn't want a world which could have been ín senna's humanity

[@harmkuijpers6642]

I think Sschumacher would still have won the 1994 championship. Schumacher would have been 30 points ahead after Imola aind could have won Monaco, given the fact that the Benetton was qute a nimble car. Add to that that Schumacher would probably not have been disqualified in Silverstone and Spa and not banned in Portugal and Italy and he probably would just have pipped Senna. In 1995 - 1997 Senna would have no competition and be a 6 time WDC. Schumacher would still have gone to Ferrari in 1996. After a bad season in 1998, Senna might have returned to McLaren, or aged 39, retired.

[@gold333]

Senns lapped Hill at half race distance in their first race as teammates (Brazil 1994). SCH beat Hill by 1 point to win 1994. Senna would have won 1994 easy.

[@master-kq3nw]

If he survived that crash he would be won champion 1994,1995 ,1996,1997, and maybe drive last years for mclaren Mercedes with hakinnen and retired 2000

[@liviamoon]

One year with Ferrari.

[@master-kq3nw]

@@liviamoon no I diont believe beacuse Schumacher

[@cryptobr236]

Interesting but i think he would not be any of that apart from maybe 7 or 8 championships and later compete owning a own F1 team. He would never go into politics neither as he hated it. Senna was and still is through his Family a Philantropist. He was a tuff contract negotiator who took capitalism very seriously. He was a devoted christian and had traditional family values. I doubt he he would be supporting political parties that do not support these values. If not, would be more on the center right, giving the notion that in his eyes private money did and does more to social programs than the corrupt State.

[@marlonpete5241]

Prost would be equally a legend. ;)

[@liamcalpine]

Please, repeat the question

[@henkvandervliet8746]

Makes no sense what if what if pure fantasy speculations!!!!

[@user-xu9bf4jb8i]

Um menino mimado e rico, azar

[@thepsychologist8159]

NO WAY would Senna have won the 1994 WDC. As much as I can't stand Schumacher, the Williams that year was terrible and the situation wasn't made any easier with an illegal benetton. Without those disqualifications (which would not have happened if Senna was still racing), Schumacher would have wrapped up the WDC by the Italian/Portuguese GP.

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

I agree. I am not a Schumacher fan, but trying to make up 30 points to 0 with only 13 races remaining would have been tough. Schumacher would have still won the odd race and would have racked up steady 2nd places elsewhere. Having said that, if Senna had lived, Renault wouldn't have dared go to Benetton for '95. Senna would have been WDC in 1995, 1996, and 1997. I suspect he would have retired after that (especially if Renault had still left the sport).

[@lesauxjeanyves4800]

​Hill ?

[@mrcottrell]

Spot on ​@FunkyMonk6

[@sergiogallardo7867]

Hill managed to fight the championship till the last race, so Senna would fight too for the champ

[@thepsychologist8159]

@@sergiogallardo7867 The DSQ and two races out for Schumacher allowed Hill to fight for the WDC. Had Senna still been alive I don't believe those events would have happened. Thus, Hill would not have been in the race for the WDC. Don't get me wrong, I still think based on that last race Hill should still have been WDC, but it was a year of strange events.

[@claudiasoares5352]

Eu acho que se o Senna tivesse sobrevivido, ele não teria ganhado mais nenhuma corrida e assistiria de camarote o Schumacher ganhar todas.

[@liviamoon]

👎

[@joelfiat147]

Vc está carente?

[@claudiasoares5352]

@@joelfiat147 que caralho de pergunta é essa? Bebeu foi?🤣

[@claudiasoares5352]

@@joelfiat147 Schumacher é melhor que Senna, e pronto.

[@NormAppleton]

There were THREE fatal injuries, grifter

[@jj5106]

This is pathetic what ifs of the past are futile.

[@misaelsouza3869]

Greatings from your azorian fellow from South Brasil. We from the Santa Catarina’s Island In South Brasil we are descendants of azorians so we consider Santa Catarina as the 10th island of azores.

[@advanceddarkness3]

Brazilians are just fake Portuguese, Braziggas.