Ayrton and Massimo

If a person has no more dreams, no longer has any reason to live. Dreaming is necessary, even if in the dream goes glimpsed reality. For me it is one of the principles of life.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

Rich people cannot live on an island surrounded by an ocean of poverty. We all breathe the same air. You have to give everyone a chance.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

You'll never know how it feels when a driver wins. That helmet hides incomprehensible feelings.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

I'm a privileged, I have always had a very good life. But all I got from the life I gained with the commitment and the strong desire to achieve my goals, to win in life, not as a pilot. So let me tell you that whoever you are in life, whether you are at the lowest level, or higher, you have to have a great strength and great determination and have to face anything with great love and faith in God and one day will reach the your goals and you will succeed.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

The most important thing is to be yourself, not to let anyone hinder you, without being different because someone wants you to be different. You have to be yourself. Many times you make mistakes because of your personality, character or interference that you can find along the way. But you can just learn from your mistakes. And this is the main thing: use your errors to learn. I believe in the ability to deeply concentrate on it in order to make progress and even more.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

You can never change the world alone. But you can do your part to change a bit of it. What I really do for poverty I'll never say to anyone. F1 is a miserable thing compared to this tragedy.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

You think you have a limit, so you try to touch this limit. Something happens and you can immediately run a bit faster. Thanks to the power of your mind, your determination, your instinct, and the experience you can fly very high.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

Running, competing, it's in my blood, it's a part of me, it's a part of my life; I always use to do this and it comes before all the rest.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

Whoever you are in life, whether you are at the lowest level, or higher, you must have great strength and great determination and have to face anything with great love and faith in God and one day you will reach your goals and you will succeed.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

I have no idols. I admire hard work, dedication and competence.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

A singular story is that which binds Ayrton to Massimo, a young boy fallen into deep coma after an accident on a motorbike.
The champion goes to the hospital to see the boy in his spare time, during the Grand Prix of Imola; he has also recorded on a tape a message of encouragement for Massimo, which the parents make often listen to him.

It's a very touching story, and I think that this article written by the Italian journalist Andrea Chiarini for the daily “Messaggero” on May 4, 1994 really expresses the humility and the great heart of Ayrton.

At the following, the article in integral version:

'Wake up, I'm Ayrton'

"Senna died, the struggle continues for Massimo in a room of the intensive care unit of in the hospital in Imola. The TV is on in front of the bed where from four years lives a boy of 22 years. Guilty of a traffic accident, just a few steps from the hospital. The Senna's secret is there, one of those secrets that fill your heart with tenderness.
Massimo weeps in front of the dramatic scenes of the accident, cries silently, because he can only do this, he cannot speak, cannot move, and is assisted by her mother and 70 Red Cross volunteers who take turns continuously. Massimo weeps by rethinking of Ayrton, his voice he knows so well: a message of hope, recorded on tape, which helped him to get out coma - according to the therapy practiced before in the United States and then in use in Italy - a month after the accident.
Four years ago Senna, at Imola, was in pole position: a family friend can contact the Brazilian champion, thanks to the help of some journalists.
"Massimo is your big fan, please send him an augury" . Senna agrees, on one condition: this story must remain far from photographers and onlookers; the promise, in all these years, will be kept.
The words of Senna in original language:
"Ciao Massimo, sono Ayrton Senna, il pilota di Formula 1. Cerca di ascoltarmi se puoi, devi reagire, alzarti, ti devi fare forza perché qui tutti ti vogliono bene e ti aspettano a Imola per le prove. Speriamo che tu guarisca presto, ciao ti saluto "

Two years go by, Senna is on the podium at Imola, is third, then runs secretly in the hospital. A visit full of emotions, words, intense looks and the joy on the face of the boy lying on the bed.
"Yes, sometimes I'm afraid, but the desire to run is stronger" , the Brazilian whispers softly.

Even Sunday Massimo is in front of the TV, as in occasion of every Formula 1 race, by following Senna, his friend, but sees him crashing on the wall, bow his head forward, then the blood on the track and the helicopter that takes him away forever.

He closes his eyes for a moment; condemned to live locked up in the hospital, Massimo will continue his battle with no more hope to see Ayrton. But the will listen to his voice, as before."

The original message recorded by Ayrton was made public only after his death, the video below: