Emerson Fittipaldi, Felipe Massa and Esteban Gutierrez will feature in F1 Fan Festival ahead of the Brazilian GP which will be a tribute to Ayrton Senna.
In its quest to make F1 more accessible, Liberty Media have held Fan Festivals around the world in recent years. Following its Hollywood festival in Los Angeles before US GP, F1 will have the next event in Sao Paulo ahead of the Brazilian GP (November 15-17).
The event will take place at Ibirapuera Park on November 9, which will be a tribute to Senna as F1 will celebrate the three-time champion’s 25-year legacy. Fans will bare witness to several high-speed runs of Renault and Mercedes F1 cars during the six-hour soire.
It will also have demonstrations of historic Senna cars, including his debut 1984 Toleman TG184 and the iconic Lotus 97T, which will all be driven by fellow Brazilian F1 racers Fittipaldi and Felipe Massa. Mercedes sim driver Gutierrez will be there too.
Outside the car runs, a concert is also in order, with a lead act of Meduza and other activities will include pit stop challenges and eSports racing. “Ayrton Senna is a true legend of our sport and his legacy is both immense and inspiring,” said Sean Bratches.
“It is our honor to bring F1 to the streets of Sao Paulo with our partners Heineken to celebrate his life and his importance to the people of Brazil. We will be celebrating his life by giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with modern and historic F1 cars that will give them a once in a lifetime experience of the speed, sound, and excitement that F1 has to offer.
“Brazil has a special place in the F1 family, and we are really excited to bring this event to Sao Paulo a week before the Grand Prix at Interlagos.” The event will be graced by Senna’s family as well, with his niece Bianca Senna stating:
“I’m sure it will be an unforgettable day to Ayrton’s fans. The opportunity of seeing, so close, historical cars, that were part of some of his best moments in F1, will be incredible. Having the chance to see an event with so many attractions, happening in Ibirapuera, the heart of Sao Paulo, will be even more remarkable, crowning 2019, a year full of beautiful tributes to celebrate 25 years of legacy.”
Heineken will be the tribute event’s official partner as its Brand Manager Guilherme Retz added: “This is a very special year as we celebrate 25 years in memory of one of the greatest idols of all times; Ayrton Senna.
“As F1 global sponsor, Heineken, in partnership with the Senna family, we have developed a campaign #ObrigadoSenna (#thankyouSenna) to celebrate the life and legacy of the greatest idol in Brazil, and reconnecting Brazilians to F1.
“The aim of the “Heineken F1 Festival – Senna Tribute” is to bring the thrills that Ayrton Senna used to cause closer to the public, by highlighting his legacy and inspiring new generations.”
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Here’s the details about the LA event
The story was written by Duncan Leahy and edited by Darshan Chokhani