Team Lotus was founded by Colin Chapman in 1952, after purchasing the old RAF Hethel airfield, just south of Norwich.  The airfield has been converted into a testing track (see photos), and now is a modern factory for Lotus sports cars, along with Classic Lotus.  Chapman was an engineering genius, designer, maverick, cad and businessman.  His influence on motorsport engineering is still felt today. Team Lotus was competing against teams like Ferrari and Maserati, and winning. With such drivers as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti & Ayrton Senna, Team Lotus  competed in 491 Formula 1 races, with 79 wins, 7 Constructors World Championships and 6 Drivers Championships, between 1958-1994.  Colin Chapman died at just 54, on 16/12/1982.  His legacy to Motorsport lives on.

Ayrton Senna De-Silva left his home country of Brazil to compete in Europe, in Go Carts.  His emerging talent was soon embraced by Formula 1 and he began his F1 career with Toleman before being signed by Colin Chapman, to drive for Lotus.  His first F1 win was on 21/4/1985, in Estoril at the Portuguese GP.  He was driving the iconic Black & Gold Lotus 97T, with its famous JPS logo.  The race turned into a monsoon, conditions which Senna excelled in.  Senna had 6 wins, 22 podiums and 16 poles with Lotus before signing for McLaren.  With McLaren, he became F1 World Champion 3 times in 1988, 1990 & 1991.  The Williams team had new suspension technology, making it the car of future, so Senna signed for Williams.  However, the electric technology was banned and he struggled to settle in with his new car and team before tragedy struck at a fatal weekend at Imola.  The entire weekend was dogged by accidents and Roland Ratzenberger tragically lost his life in qualifying on the Saturday.  Senna did not want to race the next day, he was tense and thoughtful throughout, even though he was on Pole.  Driving his Williams during the race, with Michael Schumacher behind him, the car veered to the right, without taking the Tamburello corner.  It was a devastating fatal impact into a concrete wall, after the steering wheel column failed.  The date was 1st May 1994.

Ayrton Senna was/is, arguably the Greatest F1 racing driver of all time.   His F1 career included 65 poles, 41 wins, 80 podiums and 3 World Championships.  His legacy to racing, sport and Brazil lives on.  30 years on since his tragic early death at 34, he still has hundreds of thousand fans world wide, including me.