Tales From The Vault – Remembering Ayrton and Roland
Originally Published 29 April 2015
Today marks the 21st anniversary of the nightmare of 1994 San Marino Grand Prix where we lost two a great and a future great in two days. Ayrton Senna crashed out after his steering column broke early in the race leaving him clinically dead from a head injury. Austrian Roland Ratzenberger was killed by a basal skull fracture becoming the first death during a race weekend in the sport since 1982 Canadian Grand Prix
That weekend three was three major crashes which began after Rubens Barrichello crash his car into a barrier at 140 MPH. This left the Brazilian unconscious and in hospital.
Saturday qualifying was marked by Ratzenberger was hit by a piece of metal before crashing during the session. This punctured his skull of the young Austrian killing him instantly. Ratzenberger was the first death during a Grand Prix in twelve years.
Senna was deeply upset by the death of Ratzenberger and set about the reformation of the trade union Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. This left Professor Sid Wakins a friend of Senna questioning Senna’s state to race. Saying why don’t we both retire now and go fishing. But the started the race but on lap seven his steering column broke casing Senna to crash.
Senna was elected as the chairperson of the trade union of F1 Drivers just hours before his death.
The news went round the world in Brazil Senna received a state funeral but wasn’t attended by the whole Paddock because FIA president Max Mosley attended Ratzenberger’s funeral because “everyone [else] went to Senna’s. I thought it was important that somebody went to his.”
Senna twenty-one years on remains the last person to be killed during a race weekend. Ratzenberger’s death will always be remembered because if Senna wasn’t killed the following day Ratzenberger would have been forgotten.
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