Today marks the 21st anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit.

The Brazilian, who encapsulated not just his home nation but an entire world of motor racing enthusiasts, won three Formula One Drivers’ Championships in 1988, 1990 and 1991, and his career-long battle with Alain Prost has gone down as one of the greatest battles on the track ever seen.

Senna made his debut in the sport with the Toleman team in 1984, and it would not be long until he announced his arrival on the biggest stage of them all. His drive in the wet at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix has gone down as the stuff of legend, with the race red flagged just as Senna passed Prost on the finishing line.

The 10 best F1 drivers Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 best F1 drivers The 10 best F1 drivers AYRTON SENNA The tragic death of Ayrton Senna promoted the Brazilian's status in Formula One to almost mythical status. Yet even if he hadn't died in front of a world wide audience doing what he loved, his achievements in his all too short career would still have had him jostling for the title of the greatest F1 driver of all time. Senna is now considered something of a forerunner to the modern driver, who prided himself on his fitness and understanding of the modern Grand Prix cars. When he joined forces with Alain Prost at McLaren, the young driver showed no sign of being overawed by the established champion, and in the end forced Prost to move on. On the track words such as brave, fast and daring were used to describe him - and are the attributes that took him to three world titles. When he died in May 1994 in an accident at the San Marino Grand Prix, he was trying to fend off the challenge of a young Michael Schumacher. F1 fans never got a chance to see the two duel for supremacy over an extended period - but could they have done - it would have been one of the most fascinating battles in F1 history. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers JIM CLARK When Jim Clark joined Lotus it was a match made in heaven. Like some of the others on this list, Clark was completely dominant during his time in Formula One in the mid-60s. He was recognised for his natural ability behind the wheel. As well as winning two F1 championships he also excelled in saloon and rally races. The race for which he is often remembered is the 1963 Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix in Belgium. In dreadful conditions, Clark lapped the entire field, effectively putting him eight miles ahead of his nearest rival in a display of supreme wet weather driving. The quiet Scotsman may well have gone on to record more Grand Prix victories and titles had he not lost his life in the pouring rain at a Formula Two race at Hockenheim in April 1968. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers MICHAEL SCHUMACHER The seven-time World Champion was utterly dominant during his time in the sport, particularly his spell with Ferrari with whom he picked up five titles. There is no doubt surrounding his ability behind the wheel, but question marks have always been raised regarding his sportsmanship. His first title came in 1994 amid dubious circumstances in which he crashed into title rival Damon Hill, preventing the Brit winning the championship. He tried a similar tactic against Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, but on that occasion the authorities came down hard and expunged him from the records. But whatever people think of Schumacher, there is no doubting the mark he's left on Formula One. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers JACKIE STEWART Jackie Stewart was something of a pioneer when it came to the playboy lifestyle often associated with the drivers of today. He became the sports first millionaire, dined out with royalty and spent much of his time in Monaco. But all of this wouldn't have been possible had the Scot not have been so formidable behind the wheel. Stewart was blindingly fast and drove himself to three championships. He could have gone on to record many more achievements but after the death of team-mate and close friend Francois Cevert, Stewart walked away from the sport in a stand against slack safety-standards. Many of the safety provisions in place today are thanks to his campaigning. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers FERNANDO ALONSO There are numerous young drivers on the current grid that could stake a claim to be in the mix for the greatest driver. Lewis Hamilton has been nothing short of breathtaking since he emerged on the scene while Jenson Button showed incredible patience before guiding his Brawn to the title. Yet it is the Spaniard Fernando Alonso who makes the cut. He lifted the world title twice during his first stint at Renault, and was the driver who ended Michael Schumacher's run of five straight titles. He's now often remembered for his part in the bitter power struggle with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, but with his return to a competitive car with Ferrari, don't bet against this undoubtedly gifted driver winning more titles. He has as much of a claim to become one of the greats as Lewis Hamilton. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers JUAN MANUEL FANGIO If Ayrton Senna was the Pele of motorsport, Juan Manuel Fangio was certainly the Diego Maradona. The Argentine's incredible record seemed to defy logic. A rotund figure with powerful forearms, Fangio was also 47 when he won his last Grand Prix. He drove in only 51 Grand Prix yet started 48 of them from the front row and won almost half of them. The Argentine won five titles with four different teams in a career noted for his sporting behaviour and awesome driving ability. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers SEBASTIAN VETTEL He's been labelled the Schumacher of his day for two reasons. One, he's German. The other, he's dominated the sport in recent years, winning the last four Drivers' Championships. Some have put his success down to the Red Bull car under him, but the fact he put his former team-mate Mark Webber in the shadows before the Australian retired, prove just what a good driver he is. Getty Images The 10 best F1 drivers ALBERTO ASCARI The very name of Alberto Ascari conjures romantic images of Italian motorsport. Already a notable driver, Ascari teamed up with Enzo Ferrari in the 1950s and together they would win two Formula One titles. He was noted for his steely concentration and at times the wild, jerky corner taking that he would employ to drag the best out of the car beneath him. His career came to an abrupt end when at the 1955 Moncaco Grand Prix he careered into the harbour. Then a few days later he died at Monza during testing for Ferrari. Ascari was revered in his home country, and as the only Italian to win a title at the wheel of a Ferrari, he remains so. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers ALAIN PROST Alain Prost's style of driving failed to win over the purists. He drove every race in exactly the same way: he didn't take risks, refused to enter any hi-jinks with other drivers and drove a considered, intelligent race. He was the antithesis of his great rival Ayrton Senna. Yet 'The Professor's' four world championships are testament to the fact that while the Frenchman may have not won many friends, he did win a lot of races. GETTY IMAGES The 10 best F1 drivers NELSON PIQUET Another Brazilian driver to make the cut in out ten best list. Piquet took three titles during his Formula One career, all the more remarkable considering the likes of Alain Prost, Niki Lauda and Ayrton Senna were all competing against him at the time. Piquet was regarded as something of a serious professional with undeniable intelligence. His technical know-how helped him reach the peaks of the sport and his rivalry with Nigel Mansell when the two were team-mates at Williams is one of the most fondly cherished in the history of Formula One. The legend that Nelson Piquet Jnr had to live up to can not be underestimated. GETTY IMAGES

He would move to Lotus at the end of the year where he would claim the first of his six race victories between 1985 and the end of 1987, and a third-place finish in the championship put him firmly on the radar of McLaren.

Senna celebrates his first ever victory in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix (YouTube/@Formula1)

His debut season would bring a debut Drivers’ championship, but it would be the following year that would produce one of the most memorable finishes to a championship battle.

With Prost leading Senna at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Senna dived up the inside of his French teammate at the final chicane. The two collided, with Prost immediately retiring. Senna, with a little help from the marshals, was able to restart his McLaren and return to the track via the escape road. The FIA would later decide to disqualify Senna for not driving backwards and rejoining the circuit where he left the track, and Prost was crowned world champion.

Senna alongside Prost after winning the 1990 US Grand Prix (Getty Images)

The following year, the same situation emerged at the same grand prix, only this time if the pair didn’t finish it would be Senna celebrating the championship. Having won pole position, Senna was infuriated when it was moved to the dirty side of the track, and after Prost got the better start, Senna kept his foot to the floor and took both of them into the tyre barrier, ending the championship and claiming his second title.

If that crown was tarnished, his third was unquestionable, as he claimed seven victories on his way to a career-high haul of 96 points.

Ayrton Senna lifts the Brazilian flag after winning the 1991 Brazil Grand Prix (Getty Images)

McLaren were unable to continue their dominance though and the return to form of Williams saw Senna struggle at the front. In 1994, Senna had already had two retirements in the first two races when the San Marino Grand Prix arrived. A nasty crash for Rubens Barichello during practice saw Senna’s compatriot lucky to escape with his life, but tragically Austrian driver Roland Ratzenburger was killed during qualifying.

The accident, which occurred on 30 April 1994, caused Senna to immediately break down in tears and openly question his future in the sport with his close friend and the late F1 medical delegate Professor Sid Watkins.

Senna chose to race on Sunday, and a good start – albeit one blighted by a nasty accident for JJ Lehto and Pedro Lamy – saw him lead from the front. On the seventh lap, his car inexplicably left the track at the Tamburello at roughly 191mph, hitting the concrete barrier at 145mph and bringing out the red flag. Despite Watkins’ and the medical teams’ best attempts, Senna later died in hospital in what turned out to be the darkest weekend F1 has ever seen, though his legacy lives on today.

The Instituto Ayrton Senna, ran by his sister Viviane, continues to provide education and a future for millions of children in Brazil, while Senna himself remains an icon in the nation’s sporting history – perhaps matched only by Pele. It’s said that the one positive to come out of Senna’s tragic death is that the safety improvements since 1994 have been revolutionary.

Viviane Senna sister of Senna, and president of the Ayrton Senna Foundation (Getty Images)