Stars must shine to honour late, great Ayrton Senna

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13 April 2012

In 2010's opening race in Bahrain, an F1 rookie retired from the race on lap 18. The victim of a reliability issue, he joined the long list of newbies that hadn't managed a finish on their Formula One debut.

He stopped, turned off his engine, lifted the visor on his helmet, and there was. . . the most evocative and famous stare to ever to grace the sport.

You see, the driver was Hispania Racing's Bruno Senna, whose uncle is the late, great Ayrton Senna. A man with whom he shares more than just a passing resemblance. Ayrton once remarked "If you think I'm quick, wait till you see my nephew".

Talk about pressure! Bruno's participation in the sport carries even more significance this week for if his uncle were still with us he would have just turned 50.

The three-time world champion was a driver quite like no other and I wonder what he would have made of the sport today.

If there was one thing Ayrton thrived on, it was being the very best. And what an achievement it will be for whoever prevails in 2010. This season's champion will know they have achieved the ultimate, probably during the sport's most competitive driver era.

A seven-time world champion in Michael Schumacher, the two most recent British world champions Lewis and Jenson, the deliciously talented Fernando Alonso and a whole host of pretenders such as Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg. Ayrton would have relished beating the lot.

He also enjoyed putting on a show for his adoring public, and the show' has been under the spotlight after a season-opening race described in some quarters as dull and processional. Yes, the drivers struggled to put on a decent showing in the Bahrain desert but give this season time to spark into life.

I predict things will become more exciting in the coming weeks, hopefully starting on Sunday. If there is one race weekend when this sport could do with a few fireworks on the track, and for the current crop of global superstars look to prove F1 has all the drama, excitement and skill of years gone by, it's this one.

I know of one man, who if he was still with us, would most certainly be tuning in.

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