Thirty years ago in Imola, Rubens Barrichello survived an accident that threatened his life during Friday’s qualifying session, when he lost control of his Jordan at the Marlboro Chicane (Bassa Variant) while traveling at speeds exceeding 200 km/h. It took 20 minutes to free him from the wreckage and provide medical assistance before he was taken to the hospital. This incident set a somber tone for the approaching weekend.
During Saturday’s qualifying session, Roland Ratzenberger tragically lost his life when his Simtek collided at high speed entering the Variante Villeneuve. This devastating event cast a dark cloud over the entire event.
Despite the shadow of Ratzenberger’s tragedy, the race took place as scheduled on Sunday in Italy. However, even before the race began, Michele Alboreto faced an electrical failure in his Minardi and was forced to start from the pit lane.
For the third consecutive race of that season, Senna’s Williams started from pole position. Unfortunately, the start of the race was short-lived, as Pedro Lamy’s Lotus collided with the rear of JJ Lehto’s Benetton in a horrific incident that caused injuries to spectators and a police officer on duty. The car flew an impressive 200 meters before being stopped by the barrier, avoiding an even greater disaster.
As a result of the incident, the safety car was deployed. Senna maintained his lead until the end of lap 6. When the race resumed, Senna was still in the lead, closely followed by Michael Schumacher in the Benetton. However, tragedy struck on lap 7 as they approached Tamburello at speeds exceeding 300 km/h. This marked the end of Senna’s life.
The news of Senna’s death reverberated around the world, transcending the world of Formula 1. In the pre-internet era, the impact was profound. Bernie Ecclestone, who, along with FIA President Max Mosley, held significant power in the world of Formula 1 at that time, reflected on the consequences of that fateful weekend in Imola on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Senna’s death.
In an interview with the British press, 94-year-old Ecclestone shared his memories: “Max told me afterwards that he believed it would be the end of Formula 1. I disagreed and said we would have to wait and see. We hoped it wouldn’t lead to the consequences Max feared. But it was an absolute disaster. It was a terrible weekend and it seems much more than 30 years ago. Senna was incredibly unlucky to lose his life in that accident,” Ecclestone expressed.
The scenes in Imola, witnessed by those present or watching on television, where Senna’s death unfolded before the eyes of the entire audience that day. While his fellow drivers passed by the shattered Williams and the medical professionals worked to save the Brazilian, we all witnessed his head move slightly for the last time.
However, despite the catastrophe unfolding on the track, the show went on. It is now 2:17 pm. At 2:35 pm, with Senna being airlifted to Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, the Grand Prix resumes.
Martin Brundle, who was driving for McLaren at the time, remembers how angry the drivers were as “we raced past Senna’s blood puddle for 55 laps.”
Ecclestone rationalized: “Should we have stopped the race? I don’t believe so. It wouldn’t have benefited him (Senna) anyway. When these incidents happen, they happen so quickly that there isn’t much time for contemplation.”
Ecclestone continued: “Legally, it should have been stopped, as we now know he died on the track. However, in the end, it all came down to commercial issues, with people demanding refunds and various other considerations that were not taken into account.”
Ironically, Senna’s death did not end Formula 1 as Mosley had predicted on that fateful day. As Ecclestone observed, “Formula 1 actually became more popular after Senna’s death. It received significant global attention, attracting people who were previously not interested in the sport.”
“But I hope we never witness something like that again,” Ecclestone added. “Fortunately, with improvements in safety measures, the chances of a tragedy like that happening are much lower nowadays.”
For the record, Michael Schumacher emerged as the winner of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in his Benetton, with Nicola Larini from Ferrari in second place and Mika Hakkinen from McLaren in third.
© 2024
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