The late Ayrton Senna honored on his birthday with Google Doodle

Almost 20 years after his death at Imola that fateful day on May 1, 1994, Ayrton Senna's status as one of the greatest and most influential drivers to have ever raced is being remembered on what would have been his 54th birthday with a nod from Google.

On March 21, the featured Google Doodle when users land on the search engine's main page will display a stylized green and yellow design with the three-time World Champion's profile prominently shown as well as checkered flags and the silhouette of a Formula One car.

Ayrton Senna

Photo by: XPB Images

From the unforgettable battles on and off the track with McLaren teammate Alain Prost, to the "drive of a lifetime" at Donington in 1993 where he made the rest of the field look ridiculous in wet conditions, Senna was a charismatic and passionate figure of the sport.

Senna began to make an impression shortly after his F1 debut in 1984 at the Brazilian GP. But he became an international superstar when he joined McLaren four years later and claimed World Championships in 1988, 1990 and 1991.

Damon Hill, 1996 World Champion and the Brazilian's teammate at Williams when he passed away, recently remembered Senna in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian.

“He really was a mythic figure in his own lifetime. The Japanese and the Brazilians saw him as a god. His passion was undeniable and I sincerely believe he wanted to make the world a better place. Ayrton was heroic in that sense because he felt deeply and compassionately and he was struggling as to how best he could use his position to help people.”

At the time of his death, it's estimated he had given about $400 million to charities for children in need in Brazil. The Instituto Ayrton Senna, founded by his family six months after his death and headed by sister Viviane, continues to help the underprivileged today.