Special Senna sculpture to be gifted to Pope Francis

©PaulaSennaLalli

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A special bronze bust of Ayrton Senna sculpted by the F1 legend's niece Paula Senna Lalli will be presented to Pope Francis this Wednesday at the Vatican.

Paula Senna Lalli - the daughter of Viviane Senna and the sister of former Lotus and Williams driver Bruno Senna - initiated her work on the bust in 2016 following a request from her grandmother Neyde Senna, the mother of the three-time world champion.

The original clay sculpture was completed at the end of 2016, and then casted into bronze.

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"I was very proud to be given this mission by my grandmother, who wanted to portray the way he is remembered by the family with lots of warmth," said Paula on her Facebook page.

"I took on the challenge, even though I knew it would be a hard task, since very few masterpieces like this are approved by our family, and even fewer by grandma Dona Neyde."

As a legacy of Ayrton Senna's profound religious faith, the Senna family wished to gift the work to Pope Francis.

Paula Senna Lalli will be unable to attend Wednesday morning's dedicated ceremony at the Vatican, having just given birth in Sao Paulo to her second child.

Bianca Senna Lalli - Paula's sister and a director of the Ayrton Senna Institute - will present Pope Francis with the bronze work of art which will then take its place in the Vatican Museum.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.