Ayrton Senna

Senna started at 13 in a go-kart his father built from a lawnmower engine, tore through European karting and Formula Ford, then took the 1983 British F3 title in a season-long duel with Martin Brundle. He reached Formula One in 1984 with Toleman, moved to Lotus a year later, and won his first race in the rain at Portugal—a preview of the wet-weather mastery that would define him. Joining McLaren in 1988 alongside Alain Prost, the two won 15 of 16 races in the Honda-powered MP4/4; Senna claimed eight victories and his first title by three points, igniting a rivalry that boiled over into collisi…