F1 | GP Brazil 1991, 27 years ago Ayrton Senna's masterpiece on the home track of Interlagos

Sunday 24 March 1991. A date like many others for ordinary people, but a very specific anniversary for lovers of amarcord and motorsport enthusiasts. In fact, on the aforementioned day 27 years ago, Ayrton Senna accomplished one of his most memorable feats (perhaps the most famous, given the circumstances in which he matured), which will forever remain engraved in the great book of the history of Formula One.

Magic in fact he went on to win the Brazilian Grand Prix with his McLaren's gearbox stuck in sixth gear. An extraordinary, stoic triumph, won by the Brazilian in front of the friendly public Interlagos (destiny always has a hand in it, eh!). The first caught by Ayrton in his homeland, after several unsuccessful attempts.

As in the 1988 edition which took place in Jacarepaguà, in Nelson Piquet's Rio de Janeiro, where he was disqualified for using the forklift (an action prohibited at the time) after a gearbox problem which forced him to start again from the pit lane (at on Saturday he had achieved pole, ed.), then giving rise to a beautiful comeback which was unfortunately thwarted by the black flag. Also worth forgetting is the 1989 race, where a contact at the start with the Ferrari of Berger, who would become his teammate in McLaren the following year, resulting in damage to his car (also in this case he started in front of everyone, but not had a good start), forcing him to finish the race in 11th place.

Even in 1990 the year in which the Circus returns to Interlagos, Senna has to give up, after yet another pole position, due to a clumsy contact with his former teammate at the time of Lotus Nakajima. An unexpected event that forced him to abdicate from the fight for the top step of the podium, with the victory going to his rival Alain Prost who moved to Ferrari.

This is why the crying, also due to the enormous physical effort made to keep the McLaren on the track, and that desire at all costs to raise to the sky - amidst a thousand sufferings - the winner's cup on the podium of Interlagos 1991 have the flavor of liberation and of that goal achieved by literally throwing your heart over the obstacle. But as we know, the most beautiful victories are at the same time the most painful ones...

On the other hand, only a driver with Senna's (crystalline) class, talent, audacity and determination could complete such a feat and give it to posterity.

Piero Ladisa