Ayrton Senna's 10 best races – in pictures

1) Portuguese Grand Prix, 1985 Senna followed up his first pole position with his first Formula One victory in what was only his second race for Lotus at a very wet Estoril. He lapped everyone except second-placed Michele Alboreto, who was more than a minute behind Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

2) European Grand Prix, Donington, 1993 Many people’s favourite Senna race but the man himself placed it behind Estoril. Donington was very wet but Senna showed his complete mastery of the conditions with one of his most emphatic drives, winning by more than a minute Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

3) Brazilian Grand Prix, 1991 Another wet win to delight the home crowd. Senna saw off challenges from a charging Nigel Mansell and a dogged Riccardo Patrese. Astonishingly, he had lost his fourth, then third and fifth gears, before getting stuck in sixth. He was exhausted by the end of the race and had to be lifted out of the car Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

4) Japanese Grand Prix, 1988 He started from pole but slipped to 14th after stalling on the grid, however he battled through the field to secure the victory that landed him his first world championship in the penultimate race of the season Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

5) Monaco Grand Prix, 1984 This was only Senna’s sixth F1 race, after winning the British F3 championship the previous year. But he pulled his very average Toleman from 13th to second and was gaining on leader Alain Prost when the race was red-flagged Photograph: Martti Kainulainen/AFP/Getty Images

6) Japanese Grand Prix, 1989 The win that never was. Senna made a move on his great rival Alain Prost only for the Frenchman to block him. The cars collided and came to a standstill. Senna, however, returned to the track and worked his way through the field to take the checkered flag only to be disqualified for missing the chicane in his clash with Prost Photograph: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images

7) British Grand Prix, 1988 Conditions were so bad at Silverstone that Prost gave up on the 24th lap. But Senna, once again thriving on a treacherous track, won by half a minute, the first of four straight victories Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

8) Spanish Grand Prix, 1986 Senna started the season in fine form in his Lotus and this was a notable victory. He wasn’t as fast as Nigel Mansell’s Williams but he showed he could defend as well as attack, and held on to win by a tenth of a second Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis

9) Monaco Grand Prix, 1988 (qualifying) Senna took pole from Prost by an astonishing 1.427 seconds. He spun out while 50 seconds ahead in the race race but later spoke of his pace during qualifying as an out-of-body experience and said there were metaphysical elements to his driving that day Photograph: Getty Images

10) Pacific Grand Prix 1994, Aida, Japan Senna worked wonders to place his Williams on pole in front of the faster Benetton of Michael Schumacher, though in the race he spun out as he tried in vain to catch the German. It was the second race of the season and he was to tragically die in the third at Imola Photograph: Pascal Rondeau/Getty Images