Senna’s Automotive Hall of Fame Induction

If you were to field a poll of hardcore F1 enthusiasts along with current and former F1 drivers and asked them to name their top three F1 idols, one name would most certainly come up: Senna. The Automotive Hall of Fame agrees, and on September 25, 2025 inducted legendary F1 champion Ayrton Senna into their Hall of Fame in Detroit.

Winner

His championship record is certainly a key reason why. Over his 11 seasons in Formula One, Senna achieved:

3 World Championships (1988, 1990, 1991)
41 Grand Prix victories
65 pole positions
80 podium finishes
Six wins at the Monaco Grand Prix (the most by any driver to date)

Much of this period of utter dominance over the rest of the competitive field was powered by Honda, which is why American Honda and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) were one of the first to warmly honor Senna.

Passion

As a Senna fan, it’s not only how many times he won, but how he won that puts him into GOAT status. His fearless driving style was characterized by a mix of technical brilliance and almost spiritual commitment to the perfect racing line and to speed. Nowhere was this more evident than when it started to rain. Footage of him piloting less-than-competitive cars at full send in heavy rain past world champions is seared into the minds of every lover of F1. His performance in the rain in Monaco in 1984 is particularly memorable. Once he linked up with McLaren and the powertrain engineers at Honda, he was at peak performance.

The NSX Connection

The Honda partnership spilled into the showroom. Honda’s new premium brand, Acura, needed the NSX to prove it could stand with Ferrari and the world’s premier luxury marques. Senna tested prototypes, told engineers they weren’t good enough, and pushed them to refine.

The result is still coveted. The first-gen NSX was light, sharp, reliable, and beautiful. People still lust after it, myself included. Knowing Senna helped shape it makes the car more than a collectible. It proved Acura belonged on the world stage.

Beyond Racing

Senna invested his success into helping children in Brazil. The Instituto Ayrton Senna, led today by his sister Viviane, carries that vision forward. Its mission is to provide quality education and opportunity for millions of Brazilian children, giving them the tools to build better futures.

His death at Imola in 1994, one day after Roland Ratzenberger’s fatal crash in qualifying, ended a career too soon but also forced Formula One to act. Senna had been one of the loudest voices calling for better safety, often taking on that responsibility when others stayed quiet. After Imola, the reforms he had pushed for finally gained urgency. Many of the protections drivers rely on today can be traced back to the changes accelerated in the wake of his passing.

Legacy

Senna’s legacy reminds us that greatness is not just about winning, but about lifting the world around you. His induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame honors both the champion and the man. - Glenn Oyoung

The author is Senior Editor of LA Car / LACar.com.