22 years ago today. The sport still feels the loss. RIP Ayrton and Roland.😥😥
RIP to both, it doesn't feel that long. Maybe because Senna is still a mainstream figure. Yesterday saw the new Tag Heuer's #RememberSenna watch promotion
I remember sitting there in total disbelief as it happened, the drama of the weekend and the eerie realisation that sometimes, a feeling of dread should be taken notice of and the race weekend should have been abandoned. One of the most life affecting events I've ever witnessed. It also makes me think of schumi, still fighting.....
Dayum! One of those 'I recall where I was' moments. Losing Roland was sad, but Ayrton!? How could that be? It's Ayrton Senna for gawds sake! RIP to both, Ian
Senna's life would have been saved if Roland had been pronounced dead at the scene. Race would have been cancelled under Italian law. Organizers were never going to let that happen... RIP
That falls firmly into the 'learn something every day' category. Thanks, I'd never heard that before. We may not be the biggest Mad Max fans around here (understandably), but that terrible weekend put the wheels in motion for increased safety, & it was largely driven by him. Kudos. Ian
I remember it like it was yesterday. Biggest loss to the sport of F1 in its history. I shed many tears that day. F1 hasn't been the same for me since.
I think Sid Watkins' book is out of print, but I need to find a copy to see what he says about Roland's crash. I'm sure he was one of the first to arrive at the scene, but you can see from the footage that his body language in the cockpit was not very hopeful.
Indeed. A couple of years (?) back "we" had a copy of his book - Someone sent it to me, & I subsequently passed it along to someone else here - Can't remember who now, but hopefully someone will pop up with it and we can keep passing it around; It really is a fabulous read, shame it's out of print (I think?) Cheers, Ian
That's also why Senna was taken from the track and kept on life support instead of being pronounced dead at the scene, which he was. So the race could go on..
And another "wow, learn something every day" moment. I don't recall Sid mentioning such shenanigans in the book, but I may be mistaken and/or he was being "politically correct" - Something he wasn't terribly well known for though! Another story that I'm certain I've read here was (IIRC) a journo who was there that weekend and was close to Ayrtons family; Goes into great depth about the whole terrible weekend; Maybe half a dozen pages or so - Anyone know anything on that one? I recall it bought tears to my eyes every time. RIP guys, Ian
Sid's book "Life at the Limit" talks about that May 1st weekend in 94, and he states that a doctor was on the scene with Ratzenberger within seconds, a medical car in about 25 seconds, and shortly after Dr. Sid was there in his medial car. They treated Ratzenberger but it was 7 minutes before the ambulance got there. Later in the Imola circuit medical center Watkins states he knew that there was nothing else to be done...and this is where Sid talked with Ayrton, mentioning maybe it was time for the 3 time champion to stop racing and they could just go fishing. He mentioned that Ratzenberger was air lifted to a hospital in Bologna, but doesn't mention when he was declared dead.
Full article here: Ayrton Senna: The inside story of the Formula One legend's death at Imola - Telegraph "Watkins, who in treating Senna appreciated that he would not survive as soon as he studied the wounds beneath his yellow helmet, recalled it thus: “He sighed, then his body relaxed.” Not an avowedly religious man, the neurosurgeon said: “That was the moment I thought his spirit departed.”
I guess as the official F1 doctor Watkins did not have the "authority" to declare anyone dead that weekend. I'm sure he knew the score as well as the constraints he might have been under. Sad but not surprising; you don't want to piss off 100K+ fans and have an even larger tragedy?
I clearly remember that whole weekend, starting with Reuben's consuming a mountain of luck to walk away from a crash that was as scary as it was spectacular. Then Roland... then Ayrton.
The way his book reads, Roland was not dead when he was taken by helicopter to the hospital, so I got the impression Sid didn't go with him after that, so no way it was Sid's call to make.
He had a basilar skull fracture...not certain how he could have survived. "The show" is the big focus for F1/Bernie so I can see "optics" playing a role in event decisions.
Thanks for the clarification. I guess Sid was telling Senna in so many words to quit, even if he couldn't technically pronounce Roland deceased.
I remember seeing the crash on TV in NYC. I couldn't grasp why it had happened. It looked to me like driver suicide at the time. Senna was a difficult, complex, brooding character but those who say he was the best of all time will get no argument from me.
IIRC, in his book Sid noted how upset Ayrton was about Roland's accident. He suggested to him that they both quit & go fishing instead. He almost had a premonition about the following day, and didn't want his buddy to race. I guess the only 'good' thing is they're now enjoying fishing together. RIP guys, Ian
23 years ago today. The sport still feels the loss. RIP Ayrton and Roland.😥😥 I still remember watching the race live and hoping that it was just a big "shunt".