23/06/2011
Wayne
Russell outside his house in Tilehurst, once home to Ayrton Senna
Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna may have won several world titles before
his untimely death in 1994 – but he was a rubbish gardener, according to
residents of the quiet Tilehurst close where he once lived.
Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna
may have won several world titles before his untimely death in 1994 – but he
was a rubbish gardener, according to residents of the quiet Tilehurst close
where he once lived.
With new movie Senna opening
this month to rave reviews, neighbours living in Chelsea Close – including the
man who moved into Senna’s house after he left for Monaco – have shared their
memories of the Brazilian hero.
The life story of triple
Formula 1 champion Senna – full name Ayrton Senna da Silva – is captured in the
documentary directed by Asif Kapadia from his birth in Santana to his death at
the San Marino Grand Prix at the age of 34.
It is a little known fact
Senna lived with friends in a rented detached house in Chelsea Close, on the
Potteries Estate, for a couple of years during the early part of his career in
the 1980s.
After his death, a street was
named after him in Tilehurst – Ayrton Senna Road, off City Road – which
ironically has speed humps, and the town is also home to a play area which
bears his name.
Wayne Russell, managing
director of animal cage specialists Allentown Europe, moved into Senna’s house
in 1984, a
short time after the then emerging star moved away.
Mr Russell said: “He left
Tilehurst to go to Monaco – I don’t think I’ll be doing that – but when I got
in, there was still his stuff everywhere.
“There were bits of car and
racing tyres and I used to get calls at strange times in the morning from people
in Brazil talking in Portuguese.
“I don’t know if Senna
decorated it, but the house was mostly plain and was well looked after,
although it had this horrible orangey coloured bathroom.
“I once got an offer from a
pub in Yorkshire that’s like a shrine to Senna, to buy the toilet seat, but I’d
already thrown it out.
“He’d had the drive
resurfaced really badly and he’d planted all these rose bushes at the front – I
don’t know if he realised they would grow and have thorns.
“His gardening skills were
pretty bad and the neighbours had to help him out.”
Mr Russell said he used to
receive some of Senna’s mail, including Christmas cards from Formula 1 team
bosses, until the racer’s death.
He added: “I’m told he moved
to Reading because it was equidistant between the two big racing teams –
Williams [in Didcot] and McLaren [in Woking] – and he knew one day he wanted to
race for them.”
Senna went on to race for
both.
Ray Hawkins, 74, who lived
opposite the racing driver in Chelsea Close, recalled how his late brother
Walter reversed off his drive and smashed into Senna’s Alfa Romeo, which was
parked on the street.
He said: “I can still
remember the bang. My brother bashed into the side of it.
“There was no one around and
he drove off and left me to sort it out and I put a note through his door. His
[Senna’s] friend came round and told me not to worry about it. He said Ayrton
had plenty of money and to forget about it. He thanked me for letting him know
who had done it.”
The retired delivery driver
would often see his then relatively unknown neighbour out running and
exercising.
Mr Hawkins added: “As a
person, he was a gentleman. He was brilliant when racing.
“He would overtake people on
corners when no one else would.
“He was a popular and
inspirational man and I was as shocked as anyone when he died, but I am sure it
is the way he would have wanted to go, doing what he loved.”
Maureen Edwards, 56, who also
lives in Chelsea Close, recalled seeing Senna out jogging. They would
occasionally share small talk about his racing career.
She said: “He wasn’t that
famous then, just one of a crowd, and was always so busy, going here, there and
everywhere, but we watched his races on TV and we would all support him.
“It was such a shame when he
died. He was so good, but that is the risk they take.
“He will be remembered as one
of the world’s greatest.”
Senna’s F1 career saw him
race with Toleman, Lotus, McLaren and Williams, becoming World Champion in
1988, 1990 and 1991, before he was killed during the San Marinio Grand Prix in
1994.
He was famed for his ruthless
driving style which often led to feuds with other drivers, including former
team mate Alain Prost and Britain’s Nigel Mansell.
Mr Russell added: “I have to
admit I was always a Nigel Mansell fan. As neighbours, we used to watch the
Formula 1 and they would all be cheering on Senna because they knew him, but I
would be there to support Mansell.”
Former Reading Evening
Post editor and motor racing correspondent Dave Murray, who now runs Elcot
Publications in Pangbourne, never met Senna but was also in awe of his driving.
He said: “I used to cover
Formula 3 at the time.
“It was obvious to anyone who
saw him he was really talented and a genius at the wheel.
“Senna had absolute
fearlessness and lightning reactions and a will to win that was beyond most
Formula 1 drivers. It led him to be ruthless at times, but that made him worth
watching.”
SOURCE
Getreading
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