Great podcast. I was 17 years tht 1994. My tv was broken and i couldnt watch the race. I tought Senna is going to win in Imola. Late afternoon on 1 may 1994 i was listening the radio...i wanted to hear that he won the race. And than the shock. I couldnt belive what i am hearing. Ayrton Senna died from injuries sustained from crashing in to the wall. I was crying all night,i couldnt sleep. How tht happend? He was my idol and now he is gone forever. I just couldnt belive that something like tht is possible. It took me a lot of time to recover from that sadness. 24 years latter i feel the same. I get sad everytime i watch anything about Ayrton Senna. He was the greatest of all times. The best driver that F1 ever had. Never forgoten.
I was going to say 'perhaps something with more than 6 cars' but then again, it could be an interesting topic as there was a ton of controvsery around it
I've never seen this live, because i wasn't born back then but: I started watching F1 when i was 8 y/o (2009/2010) and when i was bored i watched old F1 races. I started with 1985 and once i got too 1994 about 1/2 years later i didn't know that all these accident's happened. I had was upset for weeks even tho i watched it about 17/18 years later. This podcast got me right back into that feeling i had a few years ago. It was a great podcast by the way, i really 'enjoyed' it. You'll never be forgotten Ayrton.
Imola 94 was cursed imho. What stood out for me was Ayrton Senna sat in his Williams on the grid- helmet off - with a strange but knowing smirk on his face. His expression - to my interpretation - was that of a condemned man - as if he knew full well that his life was soon to end. Maybe I'm looking into it too much - but to me it was both palpable & obvious that another tragedy was about to befall us all. Btw Roland Ratzenberger will never ever be forgotten. He was a superb race driver and would've achieved success had he survived that horrific accident imo. I was raised very near Silverstone so I was a huge F1 addict from the early 70's - so I had to get used to deaths in motor sport from the age of ten onwards. I was 15 when my ultimate hero Ronnie Peterson was killed at Monza in 78'. I was destroyed - utterly heartbroken - felt like my world had ended (As with John Lennon's death) I had to turn away from F1 till the Prost Senna era began in the 80's. Then Imola happened. Awful wknd.
I don't about anybody else but I think the fact that we're still revisiting this tragic weekend 24 yrs later shows the efforts F1 has taken to mitigate some of the issues, and how rare these events are these days. You only have to listen to any interview with Jackie Stewart to understand what a low base F1 safety started from , in terms of the attitude of those in charge and the facilities available at the time. It was only another 20 or so years previous to that it was commonly expected to lose at least one driver a season. Imola 1994 was a defining moment not unlike the deaths of Jochen Rindt and Jim Clark . Jules Bianchi's passing serves to remind us that the work is never done. I would throw a question out there, that has been asked before. With car and track safety improving do you think that drivers are taking to many liberties with each other. Now that they pretty much know that they can walk away from crashes that would have shortened their careers 30 years ago.
This was bad starting on Friday with Rubens, Roland's crash on Saturday, and then Senna on Sunday. Thank you for remembering the entire weekend and not just Sunday
I was only 2 years old when Senna passed away, but my dad recalls it very well and told me about it. I am from the United States so Formula 1, although still very liked and popular here to a point, it’s nothing on the level of popularity in other countries, but despite that my dad told me every newscast station stopped and showed the Senna crash and brought in constant updates. His death really did shake the world. It’s horribly sad, I’m almost glad I wasn’t old enough to see or understand.
Wasn't around when Senna died but remember tuning in to the BBC's coverage of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix to watch the end and see the result, just as both the safety car and medical car took to the track. When the red flag was waved and images of the aftermath of Bianchi's crash was shown, I knew then that I was witnessing F1's biggest tragedy in a generation and gave me an idea of just what it must have felt like on that fateful day in 1994.
Thank you for remembering Ratzenberger. I think it's odd how people always talk about Sennas death but we have lost so many drivers over the years that we need to remember who lost their lives to this sport.
I only got into F1 a few years ago at age 20, yet Senna fast became one of my sporting heros. I am in awe of his skill and still struck but how much Senna did for F1 and for Brazil. I remember watching the Senna movie and hearing Sid Watkins remark that how, other than Senna’s head wound, there wasn’t a mark on his body; and how if the wheel had just gone six inches higher or lower, he would have lived. I can’t help but wonder, “What if...?” Fate can be remarkably cruel sometimes. I’m very happy to hear you guys devote time to Ratzenberger. While he is not a hero to as many as Senna, his death was no less tragic and unnecessary.
I think Kevin Magnussen should be made to watch this clip. Perhaps he would think again before trying to put Gasly into the wall at 200 mph. The weekend for me was a bit too close. Gasly had two very lucky escapes and will it being so close to the anniversary of Imola there was an uneasy feel about what went on. Thankfully everyone was safe.
I was only a month old when this happened, growing up around the track I heard Senna's name quite a bit, he was almost a deity of race culture but I didn't know the story behind the name. Obviously when I got older I looked him up, read the stories and learned what I could about it, but you don't really get this kind of perspective on the tragedy. You guys approached it with the utmost respect, and did this right. Thanks for the insight.
It was the darkest weekend in F1 history. If the Lehto/Lamy incident or the Alboreto incident had happened at any other race weekend it would have been considered a bad weekend but for 5 terrible incidents to happen at the same race weekend is unheard of.
This is the first F1 Word podcast that I've listened to, and I like the discussion you guys had even if the topic was such a tragic one. If I may make one suggestion for future episodes, though: you guys did a great job covering your reactions and lingering feelings about the main points produced by that weekend, which is obviously the point of the video, but as someone who never saw that race (I wasn't alive back then) and who's only read snippets of wikipedia articles and the like about those events I feel like just a line or two recapping that race weekend's key events early in the discussion would've helped me keep track of what was being discussed a lot better. Listening to it, I felt like I was missing a lot of context because both of you watched the race and have memory to fill in some of that information that I (and possibly quite a few other younger and newer fans) lack. It wouldn't need to be anything like a full race weekend recap, since the personal and wider impact of that weekend is the main point of discussion, but a line or two about what happened could be useful to, for example, transition between discussing one event (like Ratzenberger's crash) and the next (Senna's crash) to help members of the audience less familiar with the topic place the events that left such a mark on the sport. Either way, great discussion and I'm looking forward to the next podcast.
harrison duncan I actually was watching that race and for some reason I didn't watch it till the end and next the day when I read the news after school I was like... WTF??? :O So sad to lose such a humble guy and great talent.
Thank you for talking about Ratzenberger. As well as the entire event. As great as Senna was it's a shame that he was essentially forgotten. Was a top notch podcast. Listened to it while doing a relaxed race at Imola in Project Cars 2 in honor.
It was the day also I associate the word “gravely”. It was used by Moyra Stewart to describe Ayrtons condition on a broadcast. I asked my Mother and Father what that meant and they said “it’s someone who’s about to meet God”.
I frankly hold Ratzenberger in just as much regard as Senna. Both their deaths shaped the sport and the people I deeply cared about even though I was too young to understand it.
Yeah, I agree. And the fact it was two people just makes it even worse. And the flag senna had wrapped up that he was gonna use to glorify Roland just makes everything sadder.
This was really, well I don't want to say enjoyable but it was a tremendous listen. I was born in 97 so I never got to experience it first hand, Bianchi's crash hit me very hard. When they made a press release on that Hungarian GP weekend in 2015 that he had passed I stopped watching F1 until mid 2016. Really good comments about how you can never think F1 is too safe and those words need to be echoed. Thank you for the podcast, I'll see y'all on discord
I did not know about the Austrian flag in the car either. Good to hear new info all these years later. Thanks for the video, well done. I will never forget that day, or the day before. I was actually rooting for the young Schumacher at the time, but the moment Senna hit the wall I felt pretty awful.
The death of the greatest racing driver to ever live, and the death of another great racing driver, along with a massive crash for another. Respect for all drivers ❤️
I was only 4 when both Roland and Senna passed away and did not understand really what was going on but I always remember seeing my mother crying next to me when seeing the news of both Roland's and Senna's death.
On a different note many forget while Senna was being treated at the side of the track Eric Comas "who Senna help save in 1992" came out of the pits during the red flag period and came full throttle around the Tamburello thankfully stopping before the helicopter which had landed to take Senna away. Eurosport commentator John Watson at the time stated " it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen at any time in my life" Eurosport was very graphic. I thought Senna was going to survive as the crash just didn't look that bad. But when they moved Senna and the track had a large red coloured mark I was devastated. Gille Villeneuve was my first hero and I can just about remember seeing the news at night when it was announced he had died. I was too young to totally understand as I thought he would be back. But this hit me even harder. I think when your a teenager you think you are invincible. I thought Senna was invincible. R.I.P Razenberger and Senna.
I remember seeing Senna crash and not being able to quite believe it. For days after I was confused if that really had happened, it was just such a shock.
Absorbing podcast. Here's the 10 biggest things I took from your recollections: 1. Living in Australia, most of the races were on late at night/ early morning (save for the Japanese races and Adelaide). No way would I have been able to stay up and watch Imola because it was a school night (I was in 3rd grade). Instead, I first found out about Senna's death the following afternoon, watching the ABC news update with Richard Northcroft. He started the bulletin with "Ayrton Senna- dead..." and I recall the simultaneous feeling of shock and frustration. I'd just started getting into motor racing and Senna was to me what Michael Jordan was to kids who loved basketball. No sooner was I getting into racing and following him then he had to go and be killed, like WTF? It wasn't a big deal to me later that year when 'The Lion King' came out and kids were getting upset about Mufasa's death, because I'd be thinking "Yeah, but this is just a MOVIE...Senna's meant to be racing and winning right now and beating Schumacher but he's not, because he's DEAD..." 2. Upon first seeing the accident in the news bulletin, I remember being surprised at how 'normal' it was. I'd expected to see a fiery crash like Bergers' in '89 or the car disintegrating like Martin Donnelly's Lotus- because surely a fatal crash would have to be a BIG one like that. Instead, the Williams just leaves the corner, clouts the wall, a wheel flies through the air and the car trails off to a halt. I remember thinking "That's it?" 3. The two most poignant things about the whole weekend for me are: First of all, Senna's reaction when he's in the Williams garage and he sees Ratzenbergers' crash on the TV monitor. I straight away imagined this would be his reaction to his own accident the next day, had it happened to anybody else. Second of all, an interview I saw with Schumacher after he was criticised for celebrating on the slow-down lap and the podium after winning the race. People accused him of being insensitive in light of what had taken place during the race. Schumacher said at that time, all he'd heard was that Senna was in a coma and if it's just a coma then surely it's not that bad? Considering Schumachers' fate, I found this comment sadly ironic. 4. Watkins didn't find Senna crying in his motorhome, it was apparently the drivers' briefing the next day where he suggested they both quit and go fishing. Ayrton was reluctant to race, but felt that he needed to because the pressure was on for him to win or get a good finish after two DNF's and 2 wins to Schumacher to begin the season. Of course hindsight is 20/20, but I think that Ayrton should have taken a leaf out of Prosts' book. Twice (Silverstone '88 and Adelaide '89) Prost withdrew from the race because he thought the conditions were too dangerous. If Ayrton "racing is in my blood" Senna had pulled into the pits after lap 1, climbed out and withdrawn from the race because he'd decided it wasn't safe enough, it would have made a HUGE statement. And he would've lived, the necessary changes would've been made and might very well have gone on to win the title in '94 anyway... 5. I'm not so sure that Senna would've won at Monaco had he been there. He inherited the lead in '93 after Schumacher had a hydraulic problem with the Benetton. The Williams was unstable to drive, and while Hill set it up to finish the race, Ayrton was pushing it to its' very limit. At Monaco, I think he would've pushed hard again and risked crashing out. Furthermore, if Schumacher was using the illegal traction control Senna suspected him of using, Monaco would've suited Schumachers' car perfectly. Had Senna lived, I suspect his first win would've come in Spain (where Hill won) or by Round 7 (France) at the very latest. 6. On the above note, I'm not even certain that Senna would've won the '94 title. Again, he was pushing the Williams to its' very limit before the team rectified the cars' handling problems, and this might have led to too many DNF's for Senna in the first half of the season to catch Schumacher on points. '95 would have been VERY interesting to watch though, especially considering Benetton got the same Renault engine as Williams... 7. They ruined Imola (and other circuits) after '94. The flat-out run through Tamburello and Villeneuve was the best part of the lap and they completely emasculated it with TWO chicanes- the second one being right before the Tosa hairpin! All they needed to do was put a small gravel trap and a tyre wall at the apex of those two bends, and every driver leaves the Autodromo Dino Ferrari on the evening of May 1, 1994 with their life still intact. The circuits needed to be made safer in some regards I agree, but they went WAY overboard in the years following, and neutered the sport. 8. I also find it unfair that more attention isn't given to race officials who lose their lives at Grand Prix events. Between Imola '94 and Suzuka '14, there were two races where I recall a marshal was killed (Italy 2000 and the Australian Grand Prix the following year). I actually believe it was the news of the marshal's death, and not his equalling of Senna's win tally, that caused Schumacher to break down in that press conference after the race. The race officials and team pit crews deserve recognition because without them, there would be no Grand Prix to begin with. 9. I expected a death like Bianchi's to come along. Like the years leading up to '94, people in F1 again made the mistake of thinking "We haven't had a driver die in ___ years, we're finally past those bad old days!" As soon as I found out Bianchi's condition, I had a feeling he wouldn't survive it. 10. Not only is the halo ugly, but in solving problems it creates new ones. If a car flips in a dangerous position, the driver is unable to get free because the halo device traps him. Furthermore, the next logical step is to have the drivers fully enclosed "for safety". F1 should always be an open-wheel category, the appeal of the sport for fans is they can actually see the driver at work as the cars race around. Like some of the sweeping changes to circuit design, the powers-that-be in F1 are looking to improve safety in the right areas but they're taking the completely wrong approach.
San Marino GP 1994... the DEVIL himself was there! 2 drivers killed.. more injured, many people in crowd injured, team mechanics injured... bloody GP! Rest in piece Ayrton. Rest in piece Roland. F1 in 90s was for men! like the GROUP B rally was for men! WRC for boys..group B for men. 90s F1 for men..F1 2018 for boys.
I was 15 years old when it happened and it was cursed. I remember watching Manchester United play at Ipswich, interspersed with the Grand Prix. After Barichello and Ratzenberger’s crashes, and Ratzenberger passing away, I was surprised to see the race go ahead. If he had been declared dead at the track then the race would have been called off apparently, due to Italian law. Apparently Senna wasn't his usual self that weekend, especially after Barichello and Ratzenberger's incidents. It's been said that he had a feeling that something was going to happen to him. RIP to the both of them. Piquet, Berger, Alboreto and Patrese all had bad crashes at Tamburello in the previous few you.
Sad video, but really appreciate it. After watching the movie it’s a bit different to hear perspective coming from not just those involved but fans watching it all unfold
I was 24 back then, and remember that black weekend as if it were yesterday. What gets me most is how compassionate Senna was when Ratzenberger crashed. I remember he even went to the crash site in one of the safety cars. Who could have guessed he himself would be a dead as well a day later :(
I've done a bit of research and found the first five races of 1994 to be one of the sport's most traumatic periods ever. Injuries to spectators, mechanics & drivers; race bans for Schumi, Hakkinen & Irvine; Wendlinger almost dying at Monaco; politics between the teams and the FIA; allegations of cheating against Benetton & that finale at Adelaide. RIP Senna & Ratzenberger. Gone too soon (1960-1994)
The one where I was there was the Daytona 500 - JPM-v-Jet Dryer, he was released from the pits trying to stay on the lead lap, but the panard bar waan't right yet, they were going to catch the pack and come back in to finish repairs. While everyone was OK, his rear end broke and mega flames ensued. You could feel the heat over a quarter mile away in the stands... Just when you have thought of everything, you are only practicing denial, it's like Tetris, you are just postponing the inevitable.
Thanks for covering this guys, educational for new fans like me. Hope nothing like this ever happens again, as much as people love to shit talk drivers online, each guy on the grid really puts it all on the line when they get behind the wheel.
Enjoyed your discussion on that awful wknd at Imola - but I just wanted to point out something you overlooked - Ayrton's reaction to Sid Watkins' suggestion 'retire & we'll go fishing' wasn't just down to him being a racing driver & therefor he wanted to carry on - it isn't that simple. Had he pulled out of the '94 season (being the favourite to win the title) he would've been sued to Kingdom come ! All the sponsors, Williams F1, circuit administrators, you name it - would've sued. Admittedly he had the money to deal with it - but it certainly would've seriously depleted the fortune he'd amassed after ten years risking his life for. That's the over riding reason he reacted to Sid that way. Saying that it was blatantly obvious he did not want to race that fateful day in Imola. Rest In Peace Ayrton
The first huge crash I can remember was Ralf Schumacher at USA 2004 when he broke his back. Can just about remember how the crowd where just practically silent during that safety car period. Makes you wonder if the FIA will ever learn.
Definitely right about people forgetting about people that were killed or injured that weekend and earlier. I wasnt born at the time and so i only heard about it from other people and at first i only heard about Senna's death and while i am a senna fan, it isnt right that only he gets remembered just because he was a 3 time world champion.
I remember watching this race while on holiday when I was 9. Then later on we heard on the news about Senna. My dad, my mum and me just sat there in silent disbelief for a while. I only watched it back then because my dad watched it, but effectively having watched someone die was awful and is probably my first memory of F1.
Really interesting video, i get what you are saying to 100% its by no means at all a fair comparison and please don't judge me too hard, but only seeing the injured mechanic live from Bahrain a couple weeks ago gave me the chills, it was so unreal for some reason, could not believe it. I can't even imagine seeing people die live on camera, its must be awful
If it affects you then it's always a fair comparison. Yes the outcome was vastly different but having compassion for people suffering injury or worse is simply being a decent person, kudos.
May= "You just don't know what Indy means" RIP Casey Jones & Ayrton Sennna May 1, 1900 and 1994 respectfully. Aside the silly (Kentucky Derby) hats, its time to go 230mph! Indycar is testing the windscreen there this week. The helmet companies are getting data on the peculiar behavior of the helmets pushing drivers' heads into the surround. Thank you for your podcasts. That was a cautionary tale for the love of race fans. Its almost just as crazy to embrace the sport, are drivers are crazy for participating
1 year anniversary of this video and the 25 anniversary of this cursed weekend. Thank you guys for this brilliant video. Rest In Peace Roland Ratzenberger Rest In Peace Ayton Senna Da Silva
Do u guys blame Williams for Senna's death or was is it just unfortunate or the FIA because that corner was never changed even after Berger's accident?
Senna wanted the Steering Column extended and closer to him but, was badly welded and broke just before the accident! I too think it broke after the second of the three bumps at Tamburello!
The steering was altered indeed and it did break but for me the lack of a tyre wall before the concrete is the reason he died. I blame the FIA entirely.
It doesnt look at all like he lost control from any of the videos that ive seen, he was going round the corner and then he was going straight for some reason... Seems more like the steering column
Great podcast. I was 17 years tht 1994. My tv was broken and i couldnt watch the race. I tought Senna is going to win in Imola. Late afternoon on 1 may 1994 i was listening the radio...i wanted to hear that he won the race. And than the shock. I couldnt belive what i am hearing. Ayrton Senna died from injuries sustained from crashing in to the wall. I was crying all night,i couldnt sleep. How tht happend? He was my idol and now he is gone forever. I just couldnt belive that something like tht is possible. It took me a lot of time to recover from that sadness. 24 years latter i feel the same. I get sad everytime i watch anything about Ayrton Senna. He was the greatest of all times. The best driver that F1 ever had. Never forgoten.
You two did a wonderful job to capture this important part of F1 history.
Great podcast guys. These podcasts are fantastic and you deserve all of the new viewers you are getting !
AlexZAfRo I can say the same for you.
I second that! We need to do something on F1 history together at some point Alex.
Jonty's Corner USA 2005 😂
I was going to say 'perhaps something with more than 6 cars' but then again, it could be an interesting topic as there was a ton of controvsery around it
ahaha :)
I've never seen this live, because i wasn't born back then but: I started watching F1 when i was 8 y/o (2009/2010) and when i was bored i watched old F1 races. I started with 1985 and once i got too 1994 about 1/2 years later i didn't know that all these accident's happened. I had was upset for weeks even tho i watched it about 17/18 years later. This podcast got me right back into that feeling i had a few years ago. It was a great podcast by the way, i really 'enjoyed' it. You'll never be forgotten Ayrton.
Imola 94 was cursed imho. What stood out for me was Ayrton Senna sat in his Williams on the grid- helmet off - with a strange but knowing smirk on his face. His expression - to my interpretation - was that of a condemned man - as if he knew full well that his life was soon to end. Maybe I'm looking into it too much - but to me it was both palpable & obvious that another tragedy was about to befall us all. Btw Roland Ratzenberger will never ever be forgotten. He was a superb race driver and would've achieved success had he survived that horrific accident imo. I was raised very near Silverstone so I was a huge F1 addict from the early 70's - so I had to get used to deaths in motor sport from the age of ten onwards. I was 15 when my ultimate hero Ronnie Peterson was killed at Monza in 78'. I was destroyed - utterly heartbroken - felt like my world had ended (As with John Lennon's death) I had to turn away from F1 till the Prost Senna era began in the 80's. Then Imola happened. Awful wknd.
I don't about anybody else but I think the fact that we're still revisiting this tragic weekend 24 yrs later shows the efforts F1 has taken to mitigate some of the issues, and how rare these events are these days. You only have to listen to any interview with Jackie Stewart to understand what a low base F1 safety started from , in terms of the attitude of those in charge and the facilities available at the time. It was only another 20 or so years previous to that it was commonly expected to lose at least one driver a season. Imola 1994 was a defining moment not unlike the deaths of Jochen Rindt and Jim Clark . Jules Bianchi's passing serves to remind us that the work is never done. I would throw a question out there, that has been asked before. With car and track safety improving do you think that drivers are taking to many liberties with each other. Now that they pretty much know that they can walk away from crashes that would have shortened their careers 30 years ago.
I was 25 in 1994, and still remember the numb feeling I felt while watching the TV that afternoon.
This was bad starting on Friday with Rubens, Roland's crash on Saturday, and then Senna on Sunday. Thank you for remembering the entire weekend and not just Sunday
I was only 2 years old when Senna passed away, but my dad recalls it very well and told me about it. I am from the United States so Formula 1, although still very liked and popular here to a point, it’s nothing on the level of popularity in other countries, but despite that my dad told me every newscast station stopped and showed the Senna crash and brought in constant updates.
His death really did shake the world. It’s horribly sad, I’m almost glad I wasn’t old enough to see or understand.
Senna. The epitome of racing. The man who personified the sport and everything we love about it.
Wasn't around when Senna died but remember tuning in to the BBC's coverage of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix to watch the end and see the result, just as both the safety car and medical car took to the track. When the red flag was waved and images of the aftermath of Bianchi's crash was shown, I knew then that I was witnessing F1's biggest tragedy in a generation and gave me an idea of just what it must have felt like on that fateful day in 1994.
Thank you for remembering Ratzenberger. I think it's odd how people always talk about Sennas death but we have lost so many drivers over the years that we need to remember who lost their lives to this sport.
I only got into F1 a few years ago at age 20, yet Senna fast became one of my sporting heros. I am in awe of his skill and still struck but how much Senna did for F1 and for Brazil. I remember watching the Senna movie and hearing Sid Watkins remark that how, other than Senna’s head wound, there wasn’t a mark on his body; and how if the wheel had just gone six inches higher or lower, he would have lived. I can’t help but wonder, “What if...?” Fate can be remarkably cruel sometimes.
I’m very happy to hear you guys devote time to Ratzenberger. While he is not a hero to as many as Senna, his death was no less tragic and unnecessary.
I think Kevin Magnussen should be made to watch this clip. Perhaps he would think again before trying to put Gasly into the wall at 200 mph. The weekend for me was a bit too close. Gasly had two very lucky escapes and will it being so close to the anniversary of Imola there was an uneasy feel about what went on. Thankfully everyone was safe.
I was only a month old when this happened, growing up around the track I heard Senna's name quite a bit, he was almost a deity of race culture but I didn't know the story behind the name. Obviously when I got older I looked him up, read the stories and learned what I could about it, but you don't really get this kind of perspective on the tragedy. You guys approached it with the utmost respect, and did this right. Thanks for the insight.
It was the darkest weekend in F1 history. If the Lehto/Lamy incident or the Alboreto incident had happened at any other race weekend it would have been considered a bad weekend but for 5 terrible incidents to happen at the same race weekend is unheard of.
This is the first F1 Word podcast that I've listened to, and I like the discussion you guys had even if the topic was such a tragic one. If I may make one suggestion for future episodes, though: you guys did a great job covering your reactions and lingering feelings about the main points produced by that weekend, which is obviously the point of the video, but as someone who never saw that race (I wasn't alive back then) and who's only read snippets of wikipedia articles and the like about those events I feel like just a line or two recapping that race weekend's key events early in the discussion would've helped me keep track of what was being discussed a lot better. Listening to it, I felt like I was missing a lot of context because both of you watched the race and have memory to fill in some of that information that I (and possibly quite a few other younger and newer fans) lack. It wouldn't need to be anything like a full race weekend recap, since the personal and wider impact of that weekend is the main point of discussion, but a line or two about what happened could be useful to, for example, transition between discussing one event (like Ratzenberger's crash) and the next (Senna's crash) to help members of the audience less familiar with the topic place the events that left such a mark on the sport.
Either way, great discussion and I'm looking forward to the next podcast.
Suzuka 2014 was devastating I can’t even imagine what this weekend was like
harrison duncan I actually was watching that race and for some reason I didn't watch it till the end and next the day when I read the news after school I was like... WTF??? :O So sad to lose such a humble guy and great talent.
Flintey360 yes I’m well aware of that
Thank you for talking about Ratzenberger. As well as the entire event. As great as Senna was it's a shame that he was essentially forgotten.
Was a top notch podcast. Listened to it while doing a relaxed race at Imola in Project Cars 2 in honor.
metalmike04 Maybe it sounds silly, but I can’t deal with that circuit in any of my sims. I just avoid it and can’t stand the place, it seems haunted.
It was the day also I associate the word “gravely”. It was used by Moyra Stewart to describe Ayrtons condition on a broadcast.
I asked my Mother and Father what that meant and they said “it’s someone who’s about to meet God”.
I frankly hold Ratzenberger in just as much regard as Senna. Both their deaths shaped the sport and the people I deeply cared about even though I was too young to understand it.
Yeah, I agree. And the fact it was two people just makes it even worse. And the flag senna had wrapped up that he was gonna use to glorify Roland just makes everything sadder.
This was really, well I don't want to say enjoyable but it was a tremendous listen. I was born in 97 so I never got to experience it first hand, Bianchi's crash hit me very hard. When they made a press release on that Hungarian GP weekend in 2015 that he had passed I stopped watching F1 until mid 2016. Really good comments about how you can never think F1 is too safe and those words need to be echoed. Thank you for the podcast, I'll see y'all on discord
I did not know about the Austrian flag in the car either. Good to hear new info all these years later. Thanks for the video, well done. I will never forget that day, or the day before. I was actually rooting for the young Schumacher at the time, but the moment Senna hit the wall I felt pretty awful.
I'm so thankful that safety has improved because think about it. Alonso's crash in 2016 Australia is one incidents that a driver could've died
Klat Er things are changing very fast like after Billy mongers Crash F1 teams were told by the FIA to look at their jacking points
Or Kubica in Montreal...
One of the ugliest looking crashes ever, and it’s astonishing he made it out of that one.
The death of the greatest racing driver to ever live, and the death of another great racing driver, along with a massive crash for another.
Respect for all drivers ❤️
I always remember that bit too, Jonty. That's my memory of Imola 1994. Never left me.
It's the day F1 died, just like when music died in 1959. Just a shame to such talent to be gone. They will always be in our hearts.
Can you please do some research before randomly commenting? I didn't mean that at all...
@@anthony.esper21 of what? "famous people who died in 1959"? cut to the point
1 I wouldn't say it "died" it was never the same
2 To me music fell off around the time MJ died.
I was only 4 when both Roland and Senna passed away and did not understand really what was going on but I always remember seeing my mother crying next to me when seeing the news of both Roland's and Senna's death.
We also have to remember Henry Surtees in F2 at Brands Hatch. That would've been prevented by the halo.
On a different note many forget while Senna was being treated at the side of the track Eric Comas "who Senna help save in 1992" came out of the pits during the red flag period and came full throttle around the Tamburello thankfully stopping before the helicopter which had landed to take Senna away. Eurosport commentator John Watson at the time stated " it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen at any time in my life" Eurosport was very graphic. I thought Senna was going to survive as the crash just didn't look that bad. But when they moved Senna and the track had a large red coloured mark I was devastated. Gille Villeneuve was my first hero and I can just about remember seeing the news at night when it was announced he had died. I was too young to totally understand as I thought he would be back. But this hit me even harder. I think when your a teenager you think you are invincible. I thought Senna was invincible. R.I.P Razenberger and Senna.
I remember seeing Senna crash and not being able to quite believe it. For days after I was confused if that really had happened, it was just such a shock.
Absorbing podcast. Here's the 10 biggest things I took from your recollections:
1. Living in Australia, most of the races were on late at night/ early morning (save for the Japanese races and Adelaide). No way would I have been able to stay up and watch Imola because it was a school night (I was in 3rd grade). Instead, I first found out about Senna's death the following afternoon, watching the ABC news update with Richard Northcroft. He started the bulletin with "Ayrton Senna- dead..." and I recall the simultaneous feeling of shock and frustration. I'd just started getting into motor racing and Senna was to me what Michael Jordan was to kids who loved basketball. No sooner was I getting into racing and following him then he had to go and be killed, like WTF? It wasn't a big deal to me later that year when 'The Lion King' came out and kids were getting upset about Mufasa's death, because I'd be thinking "Yeah, but this is just a MOVIE...Senna's meant to be racing and winning right now and beating Schumacher but he's not, because he's DEAD..."
2. Upon first seeing the accident in the news bulletin, I remember being surprised at how 'normal' it was. I'd expected to see a fiery crash like Bergers' in '89 or the car disintegrating like Martin Donnelly's Lotus- because surely a fatal crash would have to be a BIG one like that. Instead, the Williams just leaves the corner, clouts the wall, a wheel flies through the air and the car trails off to a halt. I remember thinking "That's it?"
3. The two most poignant things about the whole weekend for me are:
First of all, Senna's reaction when he's in the Williams garage and he sees Ratzenbergers' crash on the TV monitor. I straight away imagined this would be his reaction to his own accident the next day, had it happened to anybody else.
Second of all, an interview I saw with Schumacher after he was criticised for celebrating on the slow-down lap and the podium after winning the race. People accused him of being insensitive in light of what had taken place during the race. Schumacher said at that time, all he'd heard was that Senna was in a coma and if it's just a coma then surely it's not that bad? Considering Schumachers' fate, I found this comment sadly ironic.
4. Watkins didn't find Senna crying in his motorhome, it was apparently the drivers' briefing the next day where he suggested they both quit and go fishing. Ayrton was reluctant to race, but felt that he needed to because the pressure was on for him to win or get a good finish after two DNF's and 2 wins to Schumacher to begin the season. Of course hindsight is 20/20, but I think that Ayrton should have taken a leaf out of Prosts' book. Twice (Silverstone '88 and Adelaide '89) Prost withdrew from the race because he thought the conditions were too dangerous. If Ayrton "racing is in my blood" Senna had pulled into the pits after lap 1, climbed out and withdrawn from the race because he'd decided it wasn't safe enough, it would have made a HUGE statement. And he would've lived, the necessary changes would've been made and might very well have gone on to win the title in '94 anyway...
5. I'm not so sure that Senna would've won at Monaco had he been there. He inherited the lead in '93 after Schumacher had a hydraulic problem with the Benetton. The Williams was unstable to drive, and while Hill set it up to finish the race, Ayrton was pushing it to its' very limit. At Monaco, I think he would've pushed hard again and risked crashing out. Furthermore, if Schumacher was using the illegal traction control Senna suspected him of using, Monaco would've suited Schumachers' car perfectly. Had Senna lived, I suspect his first win would've come in Spain (where Hill won) or by Round 7 (France) at the very latest.
6. On the above note, I'm not even certain that Senna would've won the '94 title. Again, he was pushing the Williams to its' very limit before the team rectified the cars' handling problems, and this might have led to too many DNF's for Senna in the first half of the season to catch Schumacher on points. '95 would have been VERY interesting to watch though, especially considering Benetton got the same Renault engine as Williams...
7. They ruined Imola (and other circuits) after '94. The flat-out run through Tamburello and Villeneuve was the best part of the lap and they completely emasculated it with TWO chicanes- the second one being right before the Tosa hairpin! All they needed to do was put a small gravel trap and a tyre wall at the apex of those two bends, and every driver leaves the Autodromo Dino Ferrari on the evening of May 1, 1994 with their life still intact. The circuits needed to be made safer in some regards I agree, but they went WAY overboard in the years following, and neutered the sport.
8. I also find it unfair that more attention isn't given to race officials who lose their lives at Grand Prix events. Between Imola '94 and Suzuka '14, there were two races where I recall a marshal was killed (Italy 2000 and the Australian Grand Prix the following year). I actually believe it was the news of the marshal's death, and not his equalling of Senna's win tally, that caused Schumacher to break down in that press conference after the race. The race officials and team pit crews deserve recognition because without them, there would be no Grand Prix to begin with.
9. I expected a death like Bianchi's to come along. Like the years leading up to '94, people in F1 again made the mistake of thinking "We haven't had a driver die in ___ years, we're finally past those bad old days!" As soon as I found out Bianchi's condition, I had a feeling he wouldn't survive it.
10. Not only is the halo ugly, but in solving problems it creates new ones. If a car flips in a dangerous position, the driver is unable to get free because the halo device traps him. Furthermore, the next logical step is to have the drivers fully enclosed "for safety". F1 should always be an open-wheel category, the appeal of the sport for fans is they can actually see the driver at work as the cars race around. Like some of the sweeping changes to circuit design, the powers-that-be in F1 are looking to improve safety in the right areas but they're taking the completely wrong approach.
San Marino GP 1994... the DEVIL himself was there!
2 drivers killed.. more injured, many people in crowd injured, team mechanics injured... bloody GP!
Rest in piece Ayrton. Rest in piece Roland.
F1 in 90s was for men! like the GROUP B rally was for men!
WRC for boys..group B for men. 90s F1 for men..F1 2018 for boys.
??? i want whatever this guy is smoking
I was 15 years old when it happened and it was cursed. I remember watching Manchester United play at Ipswich, interspersed with the Grand Prix. After Barichello and Ratzenberger’s crashes, and Ratzenberger passing away, I was surprised to see the race go ahead. If he had been declared dead at the track then the race would have been called off apparently, due to Italian law. Apparently Senna wasn't his usual self that weekend, especially after Barichello and Ratzenberger's incidents. It's been said that he had a feeling that something was going to happen to him. RIP to the both of them. Piquet, Berger, Alboreto and Patrese all had bad crashes at Tamburello in the previous few you.
This has deeply saddened me but ive enjoyed it alot. Thanks guys. Good job
Sad video, but really appreciate it. After watching the movie it’s a bit different to hear perspective coming from not just those involved but fans watching it all unfold
I was only 3. I can't even relate to this day at all. I started watching F1 in 2002 after Hakkinen and Alesi retired.
Just wanted to say one more thing, you guys did this video in a very respectful way. Such a horrible weekend
I was 24 back then, and remember that black weekend as if it were yesterday. What gets me most is how compassionate Senna was when Ratzenberger crashed. I remember he even went to the crash site in one of the safety cars. Who could have guessed he himself would be a dead as well a day later :(
I've done a bit of research and found the first five races of 1994 to be one of the sport's most traumatic periods ever. Injuries to spectators, mechanics & drivers; race bans for Schumi, Hakkinen & Irvine; Wendlinger almost dying at Monaco; politics between the teams and the FIA; allegations of cheating against Benetton & that finale at Adelaide.
RIP Senna & Ratzenberger. Gone too soon (1960-1994)
24 years today. rip, guys.
The one where I was there was the Daytona 500 - JPM-v-Jet Dryer, he was released from the pits trying to stay on the lead lap, but the panard bar waan't right yet, they were going to catch the pack and come back in to finish repairs. While everyone was OK, his rear end broke and mega flames ensued. You could feel the heat over a quarter mile away in the stands... Just when you have thought of everything, you are only practicing denial, it's like Tetris, you are just postponing the inevitable.
Fantastic podcast!
Thanks for covering this guys, educational for new fans like me. Hope nothing like this ever happens again, as much as people love to shit talk drivers online, each guy on the grid really puts it all on the line when they get behind the wheel.
Great podcast guys, keep up the awesome work 👍🏁
I felt Roland's accident was more dramatic and when you saw him through the side of the car
Enjoyed your discussion on that awful wknd at Imola - but I just wanted to point out something you overlooked - Ayrton's reaction to Sid Watkins' suggestion 'retire & we'll go fishing' wasn't just down to him being a racing driver & therefor he wanted to carry on - it isn't that simple. Had he pulled out of the '94 season (being the favourite to win the title) he would've been sued to Kingdom come ! All the sponsors, Williams F1, circuit administrators, you name it - would've sued. Admittedly he had the money to deal with it - but it certainly would've seriously depleted the fortune he'd amassed after ten years risking his life for. That's the over riding reason he reacted to Sid that way. Saying that it was blatantly obvious he did not want to race that fateful day in Imola. Rest In Peace Ayrton
The first huge crash I can remember was Ralf Schumacher at USA 2004 when he broke his back. Can just about remember how the crowd where just practically silent during that safety car period.
Makes you wonder if the FIA will ever learn.
I just watched the Barrichello crash after you mentioned it, I just let out a audible "WHAT THE FUCK"
Yeah, it's frightening. You see open wheel cars take off and roll and stuff quite often but the way that just took off perfectly flat was insane.
Definitely right about people forgetting about people that were killed or injured that weekend and earlier. I wasnt born at the time and so i only heard about it from other people and at first i only heard about Senna's death and while i am a senna fan, it isnt right that only he gets remembered just because he was a 3 time world champion.
Senna... Forever Remembered As A Legend. In My Opinion The 2nd Greatest F1 Driver Of All Time
I remember watching this race while on holiday when I was 9. Then later on we heard on the news about Senna. My dad, my mum and me just sat there in silent disbelief for a while. I only watched it back then because my dad watched it, but effectively having watched someone die was awful and is probably my first memory of F1.
Great work guys
Back here as imola this week
Very good tribute guys. RIP
It's weird you know, being of generation for with Senna was always dead
Really interesting video, i get what you are saying to 100% its by no means at all a fair comparison and please don't judge me too hard, but only seeing the injured mechanic live from Bahrain a couple weeks ago gave me the chills, it was so unreal for some reason, could not believe it. I can't even imagine seeing people die live on camera, its must be awful
If it affects you then it's always a fair comparison. Yes the outcome was vastly different but having compassion for people suffering injury or worse is simply being a decent person, kudos.
Thanks for the podcast.
"Nobody deserves to die doing what they love." You heard it here first folks.
Derrick Gough yes
I can understand them getting back in the cars afterwards. Although I cant see that happening in any other sport
What was So Sad was... this was my favorite F-1 track.
The bianchi crash was just a freak accident, i doubt anybody would survive that?
SENNA FOREVER
In the podcast , Rubens says he cant remember how he crash since he passed out
May= "You just don't know what Indy means"
RIP Casey Jones & Ayrton Sennna May 1, 1900 and 1994 respectfully. Aside the silly (Kentucky Derby) hats, its time to go 230mph! Indycar is testing the windscreen there this week. The helmet companies are getting data on the peculiar behavior of the helmets pushing drivers' heads into the surround.
Thank you for your podcasts. That was a cautionary tale for the love of race fans. Its almost just as crazy to embrace the sport, are drivers are crazy for participating
Check out F1 in the '60's & '70's. It was F1's darkest weekend almost every weekend.
But the more the one that tops 1994 imola is the 1973 zandvoort gp
1 year anniversary of this video and the 25 anniversary of this cursed weekend. Thank you guys for this brilliant video.
Rest In Peace Roland Ratzenberger
Rest In Peace Ayton Senna Da Silva
It was such a sad weekend
Well done guys. Great video. After thinking about what happened that weekend, does the Halo seem like that bad an idea?
Rip Senna great vid btw
Senna foi mais um grande exemplo da força que o brasileiro tem de cativar mundo #sennasempre
I was 15 when this horrible weekend occurred. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a feeling of like, what's next??
I'm sure Ratzenberger would have wanted Senna to race on. The same as Senna would have wanted Hill to race on.
Great podcast. Senna ♥️
This is really personal
RIP Roland Ratzenberger RIP Ayrton Senna
I’m not feeling well, to this day.
You should post these on different podcast platforms
For me the worst is Monza 1978.
Anyone notice Ratzenberger's car livery looks extremely similar to the Williams current 2022 livery
Do u guys blame Williams for Senna's death or was is it just unfortunate or the FIA because that corner was never changed even after Berger's accident?
Senna wanted the Steering Column extended and closer to him but, was badly welded and broke just before the accident! I too think it broke after the second of the three bumps at Tamburello!
The steering was altered indeed and it did break but for me the lack of a tyre wall before the concrete is the reason he died. I blame the FIA entirely.
Jeevan Mahesh ... I was pissed they never put a tire wall their.
If Senna didn't crash then it could have just been someone else, FIA's fault for not enough safety at the circuit.
It doesnt look at all like he lost control from any of the videos that ive seen, he was going round the corner and then he was going straight for some reason... Seems more like the steering column
Rest in Peace the goats
Senna died for our sins.
do japan 2014 video
I think mental health is the problem.