Funny: I didn't know when his birthday was, but just yesterday I was thinking of him and how much time has already passed. I tried to put it in perspective because I'm always stunned when some folks today don't give a damn about this icon of the sport and think the current drivers are the hottest thing in racing. So I thought about myself back in 1979 and imagined how I felt about somebody who died in the early sixties and had to admit that back in 79 I didn't even know their names. I heard of Fangio, Ascari and Clark, but couldn't tell you really how great they were or how many championships they won. And I guess to some degree it must be the same to a new fan of F1 today. I was never a Senna fan (huge Prost fan here), but he was one of the greatest of all times and his death was one of the saddest moments in my life. I was at work when I learned the news (remember this was before the Internet and Speed TV) and just cried in my office.
+1 on that! Maybe we'll end up in a home together some day. With a large TV, natch. Tony--Thank you for the reminder--unfortunately it's more common (and easier) to remember the date of passing since it creates an indelible moment on our brains. But I agree it's always better to celebrate the birth of greatness.
You just described my retirement plans. I got the Lazyboy chair and the tapes. The rest will come over time.
But it was on Speed, or maybe ESPN live. I watched it. The corner workers walked to the car and just turned away. I knew he was gone. 2 of my buddies called within moments. It was a sad, sad day.
I watched it live too on ESPN, but they cut to a commercial right the moment he was carried away, so I never saw the blood puddle, which was an indication to European viewers how bad it really was. All I knew was, that he was airlifted to the hospital. At that point I still believed that meant something good and didn't realize it was just window dressing so the show could go on. While a hard crash, it didn't look like it wasn't survivable and it would have been if it hadn't been for the freak accident of the suspension rod going into his helmet. But then again there was Earnhardt's crash, which didn't look much more than a fender bender and he was killed (still can't figure that one out).
Back then I used to watch the races live on C-band satilite. When they went to commercial I was still watching it from the helecopter cam. They zoomed in and you could see that something had pierced his helmet. The reactions or lack of by the workers was a big indictation that it was over for him. But life in F1 goes on and there will undoubtedly be more deaths on the track or in testing. Its the nature of the beast. At least he died doing what he loved the most. If only we could all go like that. One thing is for sure...the cars are much safer today than back then. In todays cars he would most likely have survived.
I went back and refreshed my memory. Leading from pole on lap 7 with MS in 2nd. Flat out into Tamborello. Did the car bottom out, or did the recently modified steering column fail. Was he dead on impact of a detached brain like Earnhart, or did the suspension arm that pierced his visor kill him. These were the issues at the Williams team members trial as the Italian government tried to place blame. Tamborello was altered by the next GP. They found a blood soaked Austrian flag in his car. His tribute to Ratzenberger who was killed during Friday practice of the same weekend. Senna's my favorite driver of all time and would be my avatar, but there's just too many Senna's here. I'll keep Kimi until Brazil of 2008 when he winds up his 2nd WDC.
Car did bottom out, but not enough to loose control like that: The column broke. Suspension arm through the visor into the brain killed him, not the impact. It was the fault of the Williams team, but that doesn't give the Italian authorities the right to prosecute them. Senna accepted the car as is the moment he sat in it.
I read that he would have been dead with just one of the three head injuries he sustained that day. Base of the skull fractures from the tire hitting his head and forcing it back into the headrest, suspension through the visor, and another piece from the upright that stuck the helmet itself. The preist that gave him last rites later said that his head was dark and turning purple under the eyes and was the size of a basketball. A gruesome injury and a sad day for all who enjoy our sport.
One of the greatest and most naturally gifted driver's in F1 history, I aswell as alot of other's watched his F1 career from the start, but I dont consider him to be the greatest F1 driver of all time but he is among 3-4 that I hold in equal respect as the great's of modern day F1. I cried when he died because watching the race live I knew he has passed as soon as the car came to a rest and no other F1 driver has had such an emotional impact over me since him.
I was taping the race, and they showed the crash from the camera mounted on his car once, but never ever showed a replay. Damn JVC VCR at that tape, maybe it was a good thing.
Actual birth date is March 21st 1960. I point this out as I have always know him to have been born exactly 10 years to the day before me. Watching that final approach to Tamburello still gives me chills. GodSpeed the King.
The official FIA 1994 season review has the onboard camera footage, but it stops right at the moment he enters Tamburello. The coverage of the accident is pretty lame. Not to be too gory etc, but not showing anything isn't really dealing with reality and history either. Oh well. For once I kept all the newspaper clippings from the following Monday figuring that the "historians" would eventually white wash the whole accident.
Old thread revival, I am sure many of you have seen this, but just in case you haven’t..... here is the bbc Top Gear documentary from a few years ago. I love Hamilton’s reaction after driving Senna’s F1 car. Enjoy
Geezus, imagine how humiliated Prost felt after being out-qualified by 1.5 seconds with the same car!
Senna had other worldly control at times, you almost believe he really was connected to god some times watching him. Other times, he was devilish of course!, but great achievers are almost always subject to almost a split personality of great and crazy - much like my pool idol, earl Strickland. I love the guy and have trained with him, but he’s also one crazy ass mother****er!!! Forza Ferrari..... the only racing team and car marque that matters. Italia forever It’s easier to apologise than it is to ask permission
I was fortunate to live in Brazil during the Senna and Piquet era. Although Gilles was my favourite, Senna was a better driver. Gilles was the fastest man in a machine.... give him something with a working motor and he would be immediately fast on it.... race car, snowmobile, riding lawnmower...etc. I give him the fastest driver award. However, Senna was very good at setting up a vehicle and also incredibly fast. Senna was the best driver ever.
