( CNN ) -- He was a Formula One driver who transcended his sport and even 20 years after his death , Ayrton Senna commands the adoration of fans across the world . This week marks the anniversary of the crash at the Imola Circuit in Italy which took the life of the Brazilian driver , just 24 hours after Austria 's Roland Ratzenberger had suffered the same fate . Tributes have poured in for both drivers , with a memorial service held at the track which claimed the lives of both men on Thursday . A collection of motorsport legends past and present were in attendance , where a minute 's silence was observed at 14:17 local time -- the exact time of Senna 's accident two decades earlier . Fans paid their own tributes to Senna , with many laying floral tributes at the feet of the bronze statue of the triple world champion which sits near the section of the track where he crashed . Senna 's passing was the last time a driver has died as a result of a crash at a grand prix , in a sport which in its formative decades had become infamous for driver fatalities . `` Senna was very important for Formula One , as a driver and a person and his death led to a rapid acceleration in the process of increasing the level of safety in our sport , '' Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen told the sport 's official website . `` That has avoided other tragedies from occurring . Unfortunately however , one can not change the past , neither for Ayrton nor for Roland Ratzenberger . `` The only thing we can do is remember this champion , whose exploits defined the history of Formula One for a long time . '' The Imola Circuit will be open until Sunday for the public to pay their respects to the drivers . In Brazil , Senna 's grave in the city of Sao Paulo was adorned with wreaths and bright bouquets . He was laid to rest in the Morumbi Cemetery . Senna 's sister Viviane , unveiled an Azul Brazilian airline aircraft with the colors of Senna 's iconic yellow helmet on its nose . Vivianne is the head of the Ayrton Senna Institute , which partners with major corporations to give educational opportunities to millions of children across Brazil . Brazilian football team Corinthians paid tribute to one of the country 's most famous sporting icons by walking out onto the pitch in replicas of Senna 's brightly-colored helmet ahead of Wednesday 's match against National AM .
The 20th anniversary of the death of Senna marked across the world . The triple world champion died following at crash at the Imola Circuit in two decades earlier . Legends of motorsport flocked to the track to pay their respects to the Imola Circuit . Austrian driver Kimi Raikkonen died the before Senna .