At the Grand Prix in Imola I have luck 30. April 1994 first the Austrian Roland Ratzenberger and a day later the Brazilian icon Ayrton Senna to accidental death. At the 1st Maythe anniversary of Senna’s death, the commemoration in honor of the two reaches Autodrome Enzo and Dino Ferrari its climax.
In the Tambourine-Kurve There will be a memorial event at 2:17 p.m., the exact time of the accident. “It was as if Jesus had been crucified live,” said the then Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone about the tragedy that has permanently changed motorsport.
Horror crashes at high speeds
Ratzenberger had an accident after one Front wing fracture on his Simtek-Ford at over 300 km/h. Death from skull base fracture when it hit the concrete barrier head-on – the 33-year-old from Salzburg had no chance.
The next day Senna crashed into something like this 220 km/h into a concrete wall. The three-time world champion became with serious head injuries to a hospital Bologna flown where he was confirmed dead. Front suspension debris had pierced his helmet and was also hit by the right front wheel. He was probably dead shortly after the impact.
“Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna didn’t lose their lives in vain, Formula 1 reacted after their deaths and many other things Safety measures undertaken,” emphasized Stefano Domenicalithe current CEO of the premier motorsport class.
More focus on safety measures
In the aftermath of Imola, the… Crash tests tightened and the Race tracks with larger run-off areas Mistake. The concrete walls disappeared. The Cockpits got higher side wallslater improved thanks to the HANS-Systems also the direct one Head and neck protection. It all came too late for Senna and Ratzenberger – but the memory of them has not gone away.
“30 years is a long time. In all these years, countless contacts, letters, emails and honors in Imola have proven to us that Roland has not been forgotten. Our heartfelt thanks to all friends, acquaintances and fans,” said Father Rudolf Ratzenberger at the beginning of Peter Levay’s multi-part YouTube documentary about his son.
Rudolf and also Mother Margaret will be on site at the commemorative events, as will Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP). Ratzenberger did not come from a motorsport family in which everything was subordinated to the child’s advancement.
Memories of Roland Ratzenberger
“We both had no money, but we had the big vision that we wanted to race. Somehow we always managed to do it,” said Franz Tost, long-time Formula 1 team boss and companion of the accident victim. “I always enjoyed working with him. He brought everything with him in terms of technical knowledge.”
Senna, on the other hand, was filming at the time biggest star in Formula 1 his rounds. With the top team at the time Williams he was hoping for his fourth title. The thoroughbred racing driver is still fascinating today São Paulo Millions of people – in and outside of motorsport.
Legendary status of Senna
There is one of our own Merchandising-Liniea Senna-Musicalseveral Film and a Comic book series, which Senna initiated during his lifetime in order to use the income to finance education for street children. “If he hadn’t been killed, he might be President of Brazil today,” said the Williams designer at the time Adrian Newey.
What is less known is that the 34-year-old Senna had one before the race in Imola bad premonition and even considered foregoing a start. He confessed in an article for the German newspaper “Welt am Sonntag”. Problems with the set-up of his Williams in Imola and also admitted that Ratzenberger’s death raised his concerns about the growing risk have strengthened.
He will still give “everything” in the race to stage an exciting fight“Senna finished the column. It was on to read that Sundaythe the day of his death war.