Leonardo Senna: “Ayrton’s dream was Ferrari”

Ayrton Senna had arrived on Maranello’s doorstep when McLaren’s glory days were long gone, from 1992 onwards when Williams replaced McLaren-Honda. In a recent interview, the director of the Scuderia in the early 1990s, Cesare Fiorio, confirmed that there was a tentative agreement between Ferrari and Ayrton at the time.

As is known, the provisional contract never became a regular contract for unknown reasons and Senna signed with the then much more competitive Williams in 1994. “It was Ayrton’s dream to compete with him “Ferrari”said Leonardo Senna in an exclusive interview with Italian website Formula1.it. “I think it would have happened if he was still alive. We believe it will be resolved “Ferrari”he added.

After Ayrton’s surprise loss at Imola in 1994, Leonardo Senna and his mother Neide spent much of their time at the family home in the small town of Terme Villiatore in the province of Messina in Sicily.

“We are an Italian family, my ancestors were Italian and we came here to get Italian citizenship.” explained Leonardo Senna and spoke of the family’s ties to our neighboring country. “Brazil has one of the largest Italian colonies in the world and as a family we have this connection to Italy and also to its gastronomy.”.

For Ayrton Senna, Brazil and its people were something sacred. No other driver in the history of Formula 1 was as closely linked to his people as Ayrton was to the Brazilians. The Ayrton Senna Foundation, which he founded, has helped millions of children escape their fate in the favelas, receive an education and put their lives on a solid foundation.

However, Leonardo made a very unexpected statement about Ayrton. “He spoke Italian very well, he wanted to drive for them.” Ferrari, and I believe he would have received Italian citizenship today, like my mother, my sister and me.”he argued.

What is even more unimaginable is how different the history of Formula 1 would have been if Senna had chosen Ferrari in 1994. Jean Todt had led the team since 1993, soon after signing Ross Bron and Rory Byrne and in 1996 Michael Schumacher laid the foundation for the Ferrari empire in the period 2000-2004.