Brazil has produced three world champions and one of the sport's defining icons. Emerson Fittipaldi opened the account in 1972 and 1974, Nelson Piquet won three titles in the 1980s, and Ayrton Senna's three championships between 1988 and 1991 made him a folk hero who transcended the sport — his 1994 death at Imola is still the moment most fans cite as the day everything changed.
Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna kept the colours in F1 through the 2000s and 2010s. Massa came within a corner of the 2008 title at his home race. The current grid has Gabriel Bortoleto carrying the green and yellow at Sauber/Audi — the first Brazilian on the grid in years and a Formula 2 champion before he turned 20.
