Nicolas Costa and Pino pay tribute to Ayrton Senna’s legacy in Imola

Brazilian racing driver Nicolas Costa and partner PRIO will honour the memory of Ayrton Senna at the 6 Hours of Imola this weekend, with design tributes on the #59 McLaren LMGT3 and Costa’s race helmet.

In May 2024, it will mark 30 years since the tragic death of Brazil’s three-time Formula One champion at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. As the FIA World Endurance Championship prepares for its first race at the Italian Circuit, Nicolas Costa and PRIO - Brazil’s largest independent oil and gas production company - want to pay tribute to Senna’s legacy.

“Me and all my Brazilian friends and sponsors are really looking forward to the Imola event,” says Nicolas Costa. “It’s a very important place historically for us, especially with all the events that happened nearly 30 years ago now with Ayrton Senna. He is our biggest idol in Brazil, and nothing is more fitting than to pay tribute to him. You are going to see that on the #59 McLaren and on my racing helmet, a tribute to the legend that he was … the man, the sportsman and everything he represented to us. It’s going to be very special, very emotional. I can’t wait to get on track.”

The honorary design focuses on the colours of the Brazilian flag which are synonymous with Senna’s racing career. On the #59 McLaren, the green, blue and yellow colour scheme appears in various forms across the nose, rear wing and engine cover. A tribute sticker [see below] is also displayed on the side of the #59 McLaren.

“PRIO is a disruptive Oil and Gas brand, which values efficiency and high performance. Nicolas is one of our brand ambassadors and has great synergy with our values ​​and culture such as the great idol Ayrton Senna. It is an honour and a pleasure to be able to honour this great athlete”, says Olivia Richardson, Head of Communication and Marketing at PRIO.

In another heartfelt tribute, Nicolas Costa will wear a special race helmet in the same Senna-inspired design as the #59 car – but perhaps even more poignantly, the helmet has been painted by Alan Mosca, the son of Sid Mosca who painted Ayrton Senna’s helmets, from his karting days right through his F1 domination.