April 21, 1985. For any motorsport and Formula 1 enthusiast, this date brings to mind one particular name: Ayrton Senna. Yes, because on that day, 40 years ago, the Brazilian champion claimed the first Formula 1 victory of his career.
It happened at the Portuguese Grand Prix, which at the time was held at the Estoril circuit, at the wheel of the legendary Lotus 97T in heavy rain. It was also from that moment that the legend of the driver from São Paulo began—one of the strongest ever seen in the world championship, especially in wet track conditions.
Nearly 40 years after that April 21, a football club has decided to pay tribute to Senna. Not just any tribute, but a celebratory competition jersey that will be worn by the players in an official match.
It is Estoril Praia, a team competing in the Primeira Liga (Portugal’s top football league, equivalent to Italy’s Serie A for those unfamiliar with international football). Together with technical sponsor Kappa, they created a kit for Ayrton that will be worn in the home match on April 19 against Sporting Braga.
This will be Estoril Praia’s fourth jersey, in addition to their regular home kit, the away kit often used for travel games, and the third kit, which can be worn when the first two clash with the opponent’s colors.
Certainly, the kit the Portuguese team will wear on Saturday will have few imitators. The uniform features a completely black base, evoking the dominant color of the Lotus 97T livery. Across the chest are three equally sized stripes referencing Senna’s helmet: a green band on top, followed by yellow and then blue. The team and sponsor logos are also black, drawing all attention to Senna’s helmet colors.
There’s another nod to the Lotus livery as well—a golden stripe along the edges of the short sleeves and collar.
Estoril Praia’s marketing director, António Nobre, explained the reason for the tribute: “The goal of launching this fourth piece of kit is, on one hand, to celebrate one of the most beautiful legacies the Cascais region has left us. Emotionally, this story has marked several generations and continues to be remembered fondly even today. For Estoril Praia, this is a tribute to Ayrton Senna. On the other hand, it’s a reminder of a legacy born here with the driver’s first-ever Formula 1 win, the highest form of motorsport, and someone who chose to spend a large part of his life in the municipality of Cascais and in Portugal.”
“We are very proud that Ayrton Senna’s victorious journey began at Estoril on that unforgettable rainy afternoon, a memory that will be passed down from generation to generation, both by the people of Cascais and all Portuguese motorsport fans. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Senna Brands for supporting this initiative, as Senna is an essential icon of our region and this is a worthy tribute to one of the most charismatic and talented figures in global sport,” he concluded.
Corinthians also dedicated a jersey to Senna in 2018
Estoril Praia is not the first football team to dedicate a shirt to the three-time Formula 1 world champion. In 2018, Corinthians did the same.
Seven years ago, the team competing in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A presented its third official kit for the 2018/2019 season, created with Nike, using the same black-and-gold color scheme of the Lotus cars driven by Senna in 1985–1986.
It was easy to tell that the jersey was dedicated to the Brazilian champion, as Ayrton Senna’s name, in yellow, replaced the club’s usual main sponsor on the chest.
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