30 Years Since That Fateful Day
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is remembered as one of the most tragic race weekends in the history of Formula 1, witnessing the passing of two drivers just one day apart: Roland Ratzenberger, in just his third GP weekend, and Ayrton Senna, three-time world champion and beloved Formula 1 legend.
Roland Ratzenberger
Austrian Roland Ratzenberger, competed in various motorsport categories beginning his racing career in German Formula Ford in 1983, and winning both the Austrian and Central European Formula Ford championships. He then went on to win the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1986 before moving up to British Formula 3. In the 1990s, Ratzenberger raced primarily in Japan and it was there that he returned to Formula 3000 in the Japanese Championship before securing his seat in F1 for the new MTV Simtek Ford in 1994, at the unusually late age of 33 years old.
Ratzenberger lost his life during qualifying at Imola, attempting to qualify for only his second grand prix start. His MTV Simtek Ford lost its front wing, possibly dislodged on the previous lap, and he collided with the barrier at high speed at the notoriously dangerous Villeneuve corner, killing him instantly and stunning the entire paddock. Ayrton Senna was particularly shocked and affected by Ratzenberger's fatal accident.
Ayrton Senna
A Formula 1 legend for whom there remains very little left to write, Ayrton Senna da Silva is always a leading contender in any discussion about the greatest driver of all time. The Brazilian won three Formula 1 World Drivers' Championships in 1988, 1990 and 1991 as a Honda Marlboro McLaren driver, set 65 pole positions and led 2,392 laps on his to way to 41 victories over his ten year career. But statistics alone can not explain the Senna legend: the Monaco pole lap in 1988 on which he admitted he was in another plane of consciousness, the sheer passion of his home victory in Brazil in 1991 in which he was forced to hold his pace in sixth gear, his first pole position and victory in horrific conditions in Portugal in 1985 in which he lapped all other drivers bar second position; saving the life of Érik Comas at the 1992 Belgian GP. To some, the charismatic Brazilian was caring and kind, to more a hero, to others a calculating, ruthless competitor. In reality, he was all of them, the unique blend that was Ayrton Senna.
Infamously Senna had been plagued by doubts after the incident-filled weekend at Imola. Running wide at Tamburello curve whilst leading the race in his Rothmans Williams Renault, he heavily hit the unprotected concrete barrier, sadly succumbing to his injuries he sustained in the crash. Brazil declared three days of national mourning, and the entire world of Formula 1 was changed forever.
Legacy
The Austrian and Brazilian drivers' deaths cast a heavy shadow over the sport, on a weekend that could have been even worse: future Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello also crashed badly at the Variante Bassa corner in Friday qualifying, and only emergency work by FIA doctor Sid Watkins saved his life; Jacques Heuclin was seriously hurt in the Porsche Cup race ahead of the main event; the start of the Sunday race also saw spectators injured after being hit by parts of Pedro Lamy's Lotus after hitting JJ Lehto's stalled Benetton on grid. Ratzenberger and Senna were the first fatalities during a grand prix weekend since 1982, and marked a major turning point for safety in the sport. Radical safety changes were implemented to put the driver’s safety first, including the introduction of the HANS device a few years later, improved car impact testing and a resurrected Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, a legacy of safety improvements that are still prevalent in the sport to this day.
Senna’s legacy lives on in the hearts of racing fans around the world, as well as through the countless charity initiatives he supported during his lifetime, and the Instituto Ayrton Senna set up in his name by his sister Viviane afterwards. His rivalry with Alain Prost, his three World Championships, and his record-breaking pole positions were all testaments to his exceptional talent and determination. Senna was an icon of the sport, a master behind the wheel and will forever be remembered as one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time.
This year’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will be a poignant occasion to honour the memory of both drivers. Exhibitions, sports events, shows and social actions will be taking place until the end of May to mark this significant anniversary.