Formula 1: Ayrton Senna's other legacy

The beauty of a legend also lies in that of its soul. That of Ayrton Senna, the eternal king of the Monaco Grand Prix with his six victories, combined F1 and generosity. For the famous Brazilian driver, who died at Imola in May 1994, "if we want to change something, we must start by educating children." "He was very sensitive to the state of his country," recalls his niece, Bianca, now in charge of the Senna brand and, following her mother, president of the Ayrton Senna Foundation. "My mother created it and ran it for thirty years. We are very proud of her; she was the Ayrton of education!" In 1993, Brazil had barely been seven years out of the military dictatorship. "The country's economy was still very poor. Ayrton, however, wanted the children of Brazil to have as much luck as he had." He wanted to give back, but his donations to charities and hospitals weren't enough. He spoke to my mother about it in 1994, before the season began, explaining that he wanted to do something more professional than just making donations. After his death, as a family, we decided to fulfill his wish and create a foundation.

Thanks to corporate donations, former sponsors of the Brazilian driver, such as TAG Heuer, and royalties from his image, the Ayrton Senna Foundation was able to take over from the state to change the country for the better. Not through philanthropy, but through education, in a country where 90% of children are educated in public schools. True to its approach of comprehensive education, its projects have helped more than 36 million students in 30 years. It has also trained more than 300,000 teachers and educators. "In this country, over a century, everything has progressed, except education. For twenty years, we have been developing a true socio-emotional program, the results of which can be measured. And now, we are also applying it to adults, and even to businesses, so that everyone can reach their full potential." We really wanted to bring the best knowledge from different sectors (economics, neuroscience, etc.) to combat academic failure and change the way education is done in Brazil. Neuroscience is important for understanding how children learn, read, and write, but also for improving the emotional skills that help us succeed in life. Given that Brazil is a huge country, we are proud of what we have accomplished. But there is still much to do.