“Only One Who Can Equal Him Is Pele”: F1 Prodigy Gives Insights Into Ayrton Senna’s Stature in Brazil 29 Years After Tragic Death

The Brazilian Grand Prix has cemented itself as one of the most entertaining races of the year after this weekend. The Interlagos circuit is the perfect environment for thrilling overtakes amongst the world’s most passionate fans. Whilst there are no Brazilian drivers on the grid currently, one man left an impact so huge on the nation that they still religiously follow the sport to this day!

That man is none other than Ayrton Senna, one of the most talented drivers to grace the grid in the history of the sport. Collecting three world titles and 41 wins, the Brazilian maestro is an icon to top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc and is considered to be the greatest of all time by many. Joining in on the F1 driver’s love for Senna over the weekend was a young and upcoming talent, Felipe Drugovich.

Felipe Drugovich credits Ayrton Senna for Brazil’s never-ending obsession with Formula 1

The 2022 Formula 2 world champion, Drugovich, is touted by many Brazilians to be their next entrant in Formula 1. And it’s no surprise after the form he has shown in Junior Formula. In attendance amongst the 267,000 fans flocking to Interlagos, he shared the main reason behind the continuous passion the Brazilian Tifosi show for the sport despite no home-grown driver present.

He was quoted by BILD, “I think it’s up to Ayrton Senna. He is still a huge idol. The only one who equals him is perhaps Pelé, but that was it. He is a kind of God in Brazil. Everyone looked up at him and still does. I think the Brazilians miss someone like that in the country.” The Aston Martin reserve driver reflected on the impact Ayrton Senna had on the nation. It’s well-known how seriously Brazilians take their sports, which led to Drugovich confessing that only the legendary football icon, Pele, could match Ayrton Senna’s hold over the Nation’s people.

The Soccer sensation wowed the world at the same time broadcasts for the Apollo 12 moon landing failed by scoring his 1000th goal in an iconic career that started at age 15. It’s safe to say that Pele may not just equal Ayrton Senna in the eyes of the Brazilian fans, but perhaps surpass him.

The 23-year-old reflected on the lack of a Brazilian driver on the grid since Felipe Massa’s retirement, but Drugovich had only love for his home fans, “Currently, there is no one who represents the country in Formula 1. But they continue to love this sport. They still eat from the past, continue to enjoy it, approach it very positively.”

READ MORE: How Ayrton Senna Inspired Lewis Hamilton to Carry His Brazilian Racing Legacy Forward

Whilst the Brazilian Tifosi are left without representation in the Pinnacle of Motorsport, the magic Ayrton Senna created on-track has stuck with the Nation. His 1993 win in Sao Paulo enchanted the hearts of motorsport fans forever. It also helps that the Brazilian GP always provides for some of the most dramatic race weekends on the calendar!

Aston Martin assists Felipe Drugovich in preparing for the future

After winning the 2022 F2 Championship, Drugovich restored hopes in the heart of the Brazilian Tifosi about the return of a home-grown driver to the grid very soon! He was announced as Aston Martin’s reserve and test driver at the end of last season, making his debut run at Monza in FP1. Throughout the year, the Junior Formula champion has been hard at work testing out various parameters at Silverstone, Hungaroring, and Austria.

Reflecting on the impact that being a test driver for Aston Martin has had on the aspiring Brazilian’s craft, Drugovich was quoted by Formula1.com, “My experience this year has made me a more complete driver and I’ve used this year to work on areas that you wouldn’t get to do in the feeder series. Obviously, I’m a racing driver first and I want to be on track, but I feel I’ve really improved.”

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It’s safe to say that the Brazilian is in the right hands under Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin after a mega weekend in Sao Paulo! With fans eager to see Felipe Drugovich in Formula 1, the Brazilian aims to continue building on a strong foundation with Lawrence Stroll’s long-term project.