On April 30th, we released the Final Lap of Roland Ratzenberger’s life, to commemorate thirty years since his passing. Today, May 1st, we present one of the most detailed accounts of that tragic Sunday, available on StatsF1. Written and compiled in French by reporter ‘Tony’, this blow-by-blow narrative of Ayrton Senna’s final Sunday has been translated to English, with minimal modifications, to capture the nuances and intricacies of the exceptional reporting. While it may be lengthy, it is a captivating, enlightening, and emotional read that is a must-read for Ayrton fans.
A poignant moment occurred during the warm-up session. Ayrton Senna was scheduled to provide live commentary on a lap in his Williams-Renault as part of the “Auto-Moto” show, aired on the TF1 channel. Aware that his former rival, Alain Prost, was present, Senna sent him a heartfelt message: “Before we begin, I want to send a special greeting to my… to our dear friend Alain. I miss you, Alain!” Prost, taken aback and moved, would remember these few words for the rest of his life.
There was a palpable tension in the air before the race commenced. While everyone’s thoughts were undoubtedly with Roland Ratzenberger, they were also mindful of the accident involving Rubens Barrichello. It seemed that misfortune clung to the Imola circuit. Senna, seated in his cockpit, remained bareheaded for an unusually long time, contrary to his usual practice of immediately donning his helmet.
Like his 24 fellow drivers (Ratzenberger’s spot remained vacant), Senna tried to focus on the impending challenge, which promised to be grueling. Michael Schumacher had made no secret of his desire to secure a third consecutive victory and further solidify his dominance in the championship. Senna was well aware of this. During the warm-up, he set impressive lap times, aiming to exert pressure on the German.
In the pits, the technicians and engineers from Williams and Benetton were preparing for a highly strategic race, with both their star drivers expected to make at least two pit stops. Schumacher started with less fuel than Senna, ensuring that he would be the first to make a pit stop.
At Simtek, Nick Wirth allowed David Brabham the freedom to decide whether he wanted to participate in the race or not. After much deliberation, the Australian driver ultimately chose to start, so as not to further demoralize his team.
Pre-Race: Alboreto encounters an electrical malfunction with his race car during the formation lap. As a result, he will commence the race using a substitute vehicle from the spectator area.
Race Start: Senna initiates the race in a proper manner, leading ahead of Schumacher, Berger, and Hill. Unfortunately, Lehto experiences a stall from the third row. Frentzen and Katayama, who are positioned alongside the Benetton, swiftly maneuver away to avoid a collision. However, Lamy, hindered by the presence of other cars, collides with the obstacle at a high velocity.
Lamy attempts to steer to the left but ends up hitting Lehto from the rear left. The impact is extremely forceful, resulting in numerous debris fragments being propelled off the track, including two wheels from the Lotus that fly towards the stands. Meanwhile, Lamy executes a terrifying swerve in the wrong direction, covering a distance of nearly two hundred meters from the point of impact. The right side of his Lotus is entirely damaged, but fortunately, he sustains no injuries.
First Lap: The main straight is strewn with carbon debris. Roland Bruynseraede calls for the deployment of the safety car. Although Lehto and Lamy escape unharmed, fragments from their vehicles manage to break through the protective fences. Unfortunately, three spectators and a police officer sustain minor injuries due to a loose wheel originating from the Lotus. Firefighters promptly provide assistance in the stands, although these incidents only become known after the race concludes.
Second Lap: The cars form a line behind the Pace Car. Senna leads the pack, followed by Schumacher, Berger, Hill, Frentzen, Häkkinen, Larini, Wendlinger, Katayama, and Brundle. Comas and Bernard make contact, resulting in Martégal losing a few positions during this mishap.
Third Lap: Track marshals clean the asphalt at the timing line, evacuating the two wrecked vehicles and clearing the oil spill caused by the ruptured Lehto fuel tank. Meanwhile, passionate fans enthusiastically cheer on Berger.
Fifth Lap: The safety car’s lights are turned off, indicating that the race will resume on the next lap. Schumacher positions himself closely behind Senna, ready to surprise him with a sudden acceleration.
Sixth Lap: The Pace Car gradually fades away, and green flags are waved. Senna maintains his lead, with Schumacher closely trailing behind, refusing to be left behind. On the other hand, Berger falls behind, having been affected by an earlier incident involving Bernard. Comas, who experienced vibrations in his Larrousse due to the contact, decides to return to the pit for examination.
Seventh Lap: Pressured by Schumacher, Senna approaches the daunting Tamburello curve at a speed of 300 km/h. Suddenly, as he prepares to exit the corner, the Williams car fails to respond. Senna reacts quickly, applying the brakes. However, the Williams continues straight, soaring over the sand trap and colliding with the concrete wall at a severe angle. It bounces for several meters, creating a shower of debris, before finally coming to a halt in the gravel.
The entire right side of the car is severely damaged, but the survival cell remains intact. All eyes are on Senna, hoping for any sign of movement or gesture. The yellow helmet momentarily moves for a fraction of a second. And then, it’s over. It’s 2:17 p.m.
The Grand Prix is, of course, disrupted by the red flag. The cars line up on the starting grid. It takes a solid minute for the medical team to reach Tamburello. And the horrific dance witnessed on Friday for Barrichello and Saturday for Ratzenberger begins once more. Professor Watkins, leaning over his friend’s lifeless and bloodied face, is horrified by what he sees.
A suspension arm, like a sword, has pierced Senna’s skull. The situation is dire, but the unfortunate man’s heart still beats. He receives medical attention on the ground. The rescue helicopter lands on the runway, between Tamburello and Tosa, ready to take off.
Spectators, viewers, and journalists endure harrowing moments. In the pits, most team managers choose silence and do not inform their drivers of the gravity of the situation.
Approximately fifteen minutes after the impact, while the medical personnel work around Senna, Érik Comas exits his garage, his car having been repaired. He reaches the end of the pit lane where, inexplicably, the signal turns green!
Comas takes to the track, accelerates, passes Tamburello… and comes across the medical helicopter and marshals in front of him, in the middle of the track. He immediately brakes, turns off his engine, and inquires about the situation.
This is when he sees Senna, the man who saved his life two years earlier in Spa, lying in a pool of blood. There is nothing he can do for him. Comas, terrified and the only driver aware of the grim reality, can only observe the scene.
In the wreckage of the Williams FW16, a commissioner discovers a small Austrian flag. The irony of fate: Senna had intended to pay tribute to Ratzenberger during a potential victory lap.
At 2:35 p.m., Senna, completely unconscious and on a stretcher, is airlifted to Maggiore hospital in Bologna. His younger brother, Leonardo, accompanies him on a private jet chartered by Bernie Ecclestone. Meanwhile, the cars return to the starting grid with their drivers.
FIA Race Director Roland Bruynseraede announces that the race will resume from the 7th lap and be shortened by three laps. The classification will be determined by adding the times.
The new starting grid is as follows: Schumacher, Berger, Hill, Frentzen, Häkkinen, Larini, Wendlinger, Katayama, Brundle, Morbidelli, Blundell, Fittipaldi, Herbert, Panis, de Cesaris, Beretta, Brabham, Gachot, Bernard, and Alboreto. Still shaken by what he witnessed a few minutes earlier, Comas decides not to continue.
There is widespread confusion surrounding the current starting grid, with everyone acknowledging the seriousness of the situation but remaining unaware of the exact nature of the injuries sustained by the Brazilian driver. Some team managers attempt to provide vague reassurances to keep their focus on the race. At Williams-Renault, there is a clear sense of dismay.
Frank Williams, Patrick Head, Adrian Newey, Bernard Dudot, Christian Contzen, David Brown, and Ian Harrison, the sports director, convene for a strategic meeting. The cause of Senna’s accident is currently unknown, although it is likely attributed to a mechanical failure. The main concern now is whether it is safe to allow Damon Hill to continue racing. Hill, visibly anxious, finds himself hesitant.
Ann Bradshaw, the team’s press officer, openly acknowledges the seriousness of her teammate’s condition. Hill hesitates further, but Dickie Stanford, the chief engineer, forcefully guides him towards his cockpit, giving him a stern look. At Williams, regardless of the circumstances, the race must go on…
The report then proceeds to cover the race, which concludes on the 58th and final lap. Michael Schumacher emerges victorious in this ominous San Marino GP, with Larini securing second place and achieving his first podium finish of his career. Häkkinen claims third place, providing McLaren-Peugeot with their initial positive result.
Wendlinger finishes in fourth position, ahead of Katayama. Hill manages to secure a single point. Frentzen, Brundle, Blundell, Herbert, Panis, and Bernard also successfully complete the event.
Schumacher, Häkkinen, and particularly Larini happily greet the fans as they make their way around the track to show their appreciation. They are unaware of the tragic events that have unfolded. On the podium, everyone responds with a smile to the cheers of the crowd, delighted with the return to form of the Ferraris.
It was only a few moments later that the first three drivers, along with their fellow racers, were informed of Senna’s critical condition. We also discovered that two mechanics affected by Alboreto’s wheel, Maurizio Barberi (Ferrari) and Neil Baldry (Lotus), suffered injuries including a broken leg and minor head trauma respectively.
Press, radio, and television outlets hurried to Bologna, outside the Maggiore hospital, in search of the latest updates on Senna’s condition, although the press release issued in the afternoon left little doubt about the fatal outcome.
Indeed, the surgeons quickly recognized the dire state of the Brazilian champion. The suspension arm that pierced his helmet caused irreversible brain damage. A skilled neurosurgeon from the Bellaria hospital was summoned by colleagues from Maggiore for a last-ditch operation, which ultimately proved futile.
As time passed, Senna’s pulse weakened. At 6 p.m., Dr. Maria Teresa Flandri, the chief physician, announced that Senna’s encephalogram showed no activity. He was therefore pronounced clinically dead. Father Zuffa administered the last rites to him. The Maggiore hospital, surrounded by journalists, fans, and onlookers, was taken over by the carabinieri to maintain order.
At 6:40 p.m., the devastating news finally arrived: Ayrton Senna had passed away. He was 34 years old, one year older than Ratzenberger.
The investigation into the cause of this fatal accident would give rise to a wealth of literature. It is believed to be a mechanical failure, as indicated by Michael Schumacher’s eyewitness account: “The Williams was experiencing significant rear bottoming-out. On the previous lap, I felt it was very unstable at that spot, where there is a bump on the track.
“Ayrton had almost lost control. The last image I have of him is when he bottomed-out again, a shower of sparks emanating from the floorboards behind him, and then he disappeared from my view,” Schumacher added.
The most plausible hypothesis is the breakage of the steering column, which, as we recall, Senna had altered before the race. A hasty weld may have caused this fatal failure. Other factors that may have contributed include a drop in tire pressure due to a puncture at the start (likely caused by debris from the Lehto-Lamy collision) or the numerous laps spent behind the safety car.
Formula 1 is in a state of utter devastation in its discreet existence as a billionaire sport. This sequence of calamities has left its participants bewildered, disoriented, and shattered. Not since the 1960 Belgian GP, where Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey tragically lost their lives, have we witnessed the loss of two drivers in a single weekend.
The cruel irony of fate has brought together the inexperienced, low-ranking Roland Ratzenberger, and the superstar, the idol, the possibly greatest pilot of all time, “Magic” Senna. This tragic symbol serves as a reminder to all pilots that they are engaged in a perilous sport, where both the greatest and the humblest can fall victim.
It also serves as a wake-up call for the leaders, particularly Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, who were too preoccupied with adjusting regulations to economic demands. Their pursuit of questionable innovations, such as refueling with gasoline, led them to lose sight of the crucial safety requirements.
However, what truly shocked journalists and spectators worldwide was the indecency displayed by the decision-makers and stewards, who, after Senna’s accident, allowed a farcical continuation of the Grand Prix.
On the evening of this tragic May 1, 1994, reactions ranged from despair to anger. Alain Prost, devastated by the loss of his friend, expressed his bitterness on TF1: “We have just witnessed an absolutely unbelievable weekend. Three extremely serious accidents, apparently caused by mechanical failures. We knew that incidents of this nature would occur eventually, it was almost inevitable.
“We can always argue that F1 is a dangerous sport and that there are always risks when traveling at 300 km/h on a circuit like Imola. But there is no inevitability. We have long neglected safety concerns. Business now takes precedence over sport. The once distinct powers of sport and economics have merged…
“As we witnessed today, the only thing that matters is getting the race restarted, continuing it, without stopping even when injured people are lying in the stands… Personally, I find it scandalous. The drivers themselves should have taken a stand after Senna’s accident. We need to prioritize sport over commercial interests,” Prost declared.
Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda also called upon the drivers to unite and exert pressure on the FIA, advocating for a renewed focus on safety.
Pierluigi Martini, on the other hand, highlights the challenging nature of driving the current single-seaters this season: “Today, F1 cars are incredibly rigid in order to maximize ground effect. We are practically glued to the track.
“This means that we feel every bump on the road, which becomes a multitude of dangers. With Senna, we conducted inspections of the most dangerous points at Imola. There was a desire for improvements, but there simply wasn’t enough time…”
Mika Häkkinen stated: “The Tamburello section had more uneven surfaces compared to before, even in the fast chicanes. It is absolutely necessary to decrease the speed!”
“We had conversations about these dangers with Senna,” recollects Michael Schumacher. “We will convene a meeting on Friday in Monaco. It is becoming urgent that we put forth proposals.”
Will the pilots finally comprehend their obligations? How will Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, who is noticeably absent during this Imola weekend, react to their concerns?
However, for the time being, it is a time for mourning. Ayrton Senna, this exceptional champion, with the ability to accomplish the most astounding feats, this intricate individual, driven by hidden motivations, passionate, exacting, yearning for triumph and perfection, inspired by fervent faith, this ordinary human being adored by millions of fans worldwide, idol of the Brazilian people, will forever leave an enduring impact in the annals of this sport.
His departure in full glory, fending off the challenges of the one who coveted his throne, this tragic exit elevates him to mythical status and absolves his mistakes. Senna the Magnificent departed as he lived: leading a Grand Prix, ahead of all the others.