Thirty years ago at Imola, Rubens Barrichello survived a life-threatening crash during Qualifying on Friday, when he lost control of his Jordan at the Marlboro Chicane (Bassa Variant) while traveling at speeds exceeding 200 kph. 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 upcoming weekend.
During Qualifying on Saturday, Roland Ratzenberger tragically lost his life when he crashed his Simtek at high speed while entering Variante Villeneuve. This devastating event cast a dark cloud over the entire event.
Despite the shadow of the Ratzenberger tragedy, the race went on as scheduled on Sunday in Italy. However, before the race even began, Michelle Alboreto experienced an electrical failure in his race Minardi and was forced to start from the pitlane.
For the third consecutive race 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 back of JJ Lehto’s Benetton in a horrifying incident that caused injuries to spectators and a policeman on duty. The car flew a staggering 200 meters before being stopped by the fencing, preventing further devastation.
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 kph. This marked the end of Senna’s life.
The news of Senna’s death reverberated throughout the world, transcending the realm of Formula 1. In the era before the internet, 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 aftermath of that fateful weekend at Imola on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Senna’s passing.
In an interview with British media, the 94-year-old Ecclestone shared his recollections: “Max said to 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 that it wouldn’t lead to the consequences Max had feared. But it was an absolute disaster. It was a terrible weekend, and it feels like much more than 30 years ago. Senna was incredibly unfortunate to lose his life in that accident,” expressed Ecclestone.
The scenes at Imola, witnessed by those present or watching on television, where Senna’s death unfolded before the eyes of the entire audience that day. As his fellow drivers passed by the wrecked Williams and medical personnel working to save the Brazilian, we all witnessed his head move ever so slightly for the final time.
However, despite the unfolding catastrophe on the track, the show went on. It is now 2:17 p.m. At 2:35 p.m., 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 enraged the drivers were as “we raced past a pool of Senna’s blood for 55 laps.”
Ecclestone rationalized: “Should we have halted the race? I don’t believe so. It wouldn’t have benefitted him (Senna) in any way. When these incidents occur, they happen so quickly that there isn’t much time to contemplate.”
Ecclestone went on to say: “Legally, it should have been stopped, since we now know that he died at the circuit. However, ultimately, it 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 bring an end to 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 had previously not been interested in the sport.”
“But I hope we never witness something like that again,” Ecclestone added. “Thankfully, with the improvements in safety measures, the chances of such a tragedy occurring are much slimmer today.”
For the record, Michael Schumacher emerged as the winner of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in his Benetton, with Nicola Larini of Ferrari finishing second and Mika Hakkinen of McLaren coming in third.