Ayrton Senna honored by Portuguese football team

A Portuguese football team honored the 40th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s maiden Formula 1 victory with a special, one-off jersey in his signature colors. The late Brazilian legend celebrated his first Grand Prix win at the rainy 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, and to commemorate the occasion, GD Estoril Praia donned a unique uniform during their match Saturday night.

Fittingly, the club colors are yellow and blue — two of the three iconic colors from Senna’s helmet. The special kit also included black and gold as a tribute to the legendary Lotus 97T in its famous John Player Special livery. However, the special edition kit didn’t bring them much luck during their home league match against Sporting Braga. Estoril lost 0-2 to the favorites from the north of the country after conceding two early goals. In Portugal’s top division, Braga currently sits in third place, while Estoril is in ninth.

The small coastal town west of Lisbon hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996. At the time, large investments were made to boost tourism, and drivers appreciated the track on the inland plateau for its mild climate and unique charm. In 1985, however, the weather didn’t cooperate and Senna stormed to victory by hosting a masterclass in the art of racing in the rain. All subsequent Grand Prix races in Estoril were then held in September.

Ayrton Senna, Lotus 97T

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Curiously, Senna’s maiden win on April 21, 1985 – ahead of Michele Alboreto and Patrick Tambay – would remain his only victory in Portugal, despite 40 more Grand Prix victories throughout his storied career. Still, the small country became a second home for the F1 star. In addition to his apartment in Monte Carlo, Senna eventually owned a house in Quinta do Lago, located in the Algarve in the country’s south. Due to the linguistic and culinary ties to his native Brazil, Senna felt particularly at home there.

In Estoril, meanwhile, a memorial plaque at the circuit entrance in front of the main grandstand still commemorates Senna’s special connection to the place of his first F1 triumph. And for now, that will likely remain the only tribute – because this latest Senna homage won’t be making its way into fans’ closets: reportedly due to licensing issues, the club was unable to offer the special kit for general sale – much to the disappointment of the fans.