My Hero by Steve Soper

“I never really had a childhood hero, and the guy who became my hero was younger than me! I thought that Ayrton Senna was very, very special. He could do things that others couldn’t. I first noticed him in Formula Three when he beat Martin Brundle, whom I knew. Then in Formula One, once he was in the Lotus, he showed he could win races where others couldn’t; I don’t believe that car should have won. He seemed to have no weaknesses: he was outstanding in the rain, outstanding over a single lap. Michael Schumacher is similar, but Senna was there before him. His death at Imola in 1994 was a huge shock, because I’d begun to think he was invincible.”