Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen will be among the guests attending the memorial service for Ayrton Senna at Imola on Thursday.

Many will gather to pay respect to the former Brazilian world champion, 20 years after he passed away as a result of a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix.

"I think Senna set the standard for all drivers and he was definitely the best of his generation," Alonso told the team's official website. "What made him special was his great will to win and the numbers speak for themselves.

"He always fought right to the bitter end and that earned him the respect of all his colleagues and it's what makes him a legend today."

Raikkonen added: "Senna's death was an incredibly sad moment for the world of Formula 1. I was still at school back then and even if I don't remember much about him, because I was too young, that day has stayed fixed in my memory. I think he was a great driver and a benchmark for many who came after him."

Senna was just 34 when he died.