A Tribute to a Driving Legend

     Jenson Button and his McLaren team won this past weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. His victory was overshadowed by Sebastian Vettel's six place finish, a finish that rewarded him with a historic third consecutive Formula One World Championship. The only man who challenged Vettel for the crown was the Spaniard Fernando Alonso, driving for Ferrari. The two were in close enough proximity during the entire race that the championship would be awarded as a direct result of their finish. This made for a hair-raising race as they battled back and forth, up and down the grid. In the end Alonso finished second, finishing just three points behind Vettel in the championship.

     The race was spectacular, and ever more so because it was the Brazilian Grand Prix. Brazil has produced an extraordinary caliber of drivers over the years and none more so than Ayrton Senna. Before his life was taken during a high speed crash while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna was defined for hair-raising driving much like what was seen this past weekend at his home Grand Prix. While he only won three world championships, and others might make a statistical argument that others were better, there seems to be some sort of magic about Senna's driving that leads many to believe that he was the greatest of all time.

     If you enjoyed Top Gear's expose on Ayrton Senna, you might want to check out the 2010 documentary Senna, which offers a much more thorough look into the incredible man and his achievements.