“Our role is not to preserve this legacy like a museum”

Ayrton embodied the idea that a Brazilian could compete on equal terms with the rest of the world and win, without giving up who he was. On that first of May, we lost a national symbol, and I grasped the full scale of it in that very moment, watching how people were overcome. More than thirty years on, Ayrton’s values and mindset remain relevant because they are timeless. And also because they continue to reach people through so many different channels: experiences, products, tributes. This work of keeping the memory alive through the Senna and Senninha brands and through the Ayrton Senna Institute transforms that legacy into inspiration and purpose.

Ayrton possessed qualities that inspire us as individuals. Pushing past your limits, striving to become the best version of yourself, doing good, having courage these are values that apply to every one of us, regardless of who we are. It is a call to believe in our own potential and to awaken the hero that exists within each of us. Ayrton raised Brazil’s flag on the highest step of the podium at a time when the country’s self-esteem was fragile. That left a profound mark, and it remains to this day a symbol that it is possible to believe in your dreams.

First, an update: in 2026, the Institute reached the milestone of 40 million educational engagements with children and young people in Brazil. This work is the translation of Ayrton Senna’s legacy not merely as memory, but as a concrete strategy for social transformation. His trajectory showed that talent can exist anywhere, but it needs to find opportunities in order to develop. In education, that means refusing to accept that a child’s background should determine their future.

That is why we develop evidence-based educational solutions and work in partnership with public education networks, strengthening teachers, school leaders, and pedagogical practices. The teacher holds a central role in this strategy, because it is the teacher who transforms knowledge into learning and who, day after day, expands the possibilities for every student. By working systemically with municipal and state education authorities, we ensure that good practices are not confined to a single school or a small group of students but reach entire networks. Over more than thirty-one years, we have been present in every Brazilian state and in more than 3,300 municipalities, accumulating over 40 million educational engagements with children and young people.

That is how Ayrton’s legacy comes to life: by creating the conditions for millions of students to develop their potential, and by contributing to a country in which opportunities are less determined by social inequality.

In education, social justice means ensuring that the place where a child is born does not determine how far they can go. Although Brazil has made progress in universalizing access to basic education, profound learning gaps persist between regions, municipalities, and social groups.

That is precisely why the Institute concentrates its work on public networks and territories facing the greatest challenges. Our premise is that vulnerability must never mean low expectations: every child and every young person can learn, provided they have access to the right opportunities and conditions.

Over the course of our work, dozens of partner municipalities have achieved systemic transformations in their education networks. Cities that once ranked among the lowest on educational indicators have risen to the top, becoming national benchmarks. Cases such as Sobral, Licínio de Almeida, and Coruripe, among others, show that it is possible to consistently change the trajectory of an entire network.

These results are not the product of isolated action. They occur when education becomes a political priority, when leaders work with targets and evidence, when teachers receive training and support, and when pedagogical practices reach every school in the network. Transformation then ceases to benefit only a few classrooms or a few students and becomes part of the municipality’s educational culture and policy.

Ayrton Senna remains a powerful source of inspiration, but the strength of his legacy lies precisely in its ability to mobilize thousands of people around a shared cause. When that inspiration is converted into knowledge, public policy, well-prepared teachers, and concrete learning, an individual legacy begins to drive a collective and enduring movement of social transformation.

The comparison should be understood with respect for the particularities of each trajectory. Both Coluche and Ayrton Senna demonstrate how admiration for a public figure can be transformed into social mobilization and continue to produce impact long after their death.

These are legacies that respond to different challenges and adopt distinct models of action. In the case of Ayrton Senna, his story, his values, and his capacity to inspire generations found in education a long-term social expression. Rather than limiting itself to preserving his sporting memory, his legacy has contributed to addressing one of the structural causes of Brazilian inequality.

For Senna Brands, the strength of this legacy lies precisely in its ability to remain current and mobilizing. In the work of the Ayrton Senna Institute, it comes to life through solutions that strengthen public education, expand opportunities, and help children and young people develop their full potential.

In that sense, Ayrton’s legacy can indeed be understood as a long-term project: a permanent commitment to turning inspiration into opportunities, and opportunities into real impact for society.

It falls to Senna Brands to sustain and expand the points of contact between fans of every generation and Ayrton Senna’s trajectory and values. We do this through a global business platform built on product licensing, experiences, events, and tributes. For us, it is a joy to see young people "discovering" Ayrton Senna. In the United States, for example, six out of ten Gen Z young people maintain some form of connection with him whether by watching old races, following him on social media, or engaging with official products and initiatives.

Audiovisual content plays a very significant role in this. The series Senna, released on Netflix in 2024, was among the most watched in more than 50 countries. And 85 percent of the American audience said they wanted to learn more about him after watching it. Another project that illustrates this well is Minecraft: Senna is the first racing driver to have an exclusive map in the game. We have access from 150 different countries.

All of this work remains faithful to Ayrton’s values, and our responsibility at Senna Brands is enormous: every product, every partnership, every piece of content must pass through the same filter does this genuinely represent commitment, excellence, and social responsibility, or is it simply using his image to sell something? We would rather turn down a partnership than accept something that empties that meaning of its substance.

This model positions us as a global business platform that is currently present directly in more than 70 countries, with a portfolio of over 60 partner brands across a wide range of segments including the ones you mentioned. The curation process is extremely rigorous and involves criteria of synergy and purpose. And the logic of this ecosystem provides for a share of the royalties generated by brand activities to be transferred by Senna Brands to the Institute.

Over the past six years, Senna Brands has grown eightfold. We are pursuing our global expansion strategy, targeting new territories and new audiences, in order to reach ever more people with Ayrton’s values. In the end, we are not selling a product: we are conveying a mindset, a timeless symbol.

Ayrton’s legacy has never depended on any particular media format. It is built on human connection. It evokes an inner calling and a desire to be the heroes of our own story. That awakens something that crosses generations. Today, people discover Ayrton through streaming, social media, games, or through the Institute’s work in schools. The channel changes, but the message is very strong and enduring.

Formula 1 has grown considerably in recent years. Current drivers regard Ayrton as the ultimate reference point, and the sport itself ranks him among the greatest of all time. In other words, Senna is the idol of many young people’s idols. That too is a contemporary factor of identification and helps awaken even greater interest.

Our role at Senna Brands is not to preserve this legacy like a museum. We want to keep translating Senna’s values into the language of each generation, wherever that generation may be. As long as there is someone, somewhere in the world, trying to be better than they were yesterday, Ayrton’s legacy will have a reason to keep living.