The 30th anniversary of the death of Formula One icon Ayrton Senna is being commemorated with a memorial at Imola, while fans have gathered on the track where he crashed in 1994 to pay tribute.
Senna was the sport’s brightest star, a hero to millions, especially in his native Brazil but on lap seven of the ill-fated San Marino Grand Prix – a weekend that had already claimed the life of Austrian Roland Ratzenberger – he ran off the road at 190mph and hit a concrete wall. He died instantly, aged 34.
Wednesday marks three decades since the Senna’s death and the occasion has been observed by fans paying their respects.
In addition, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was joined by politicians from Brazil, Italy and Austria – in remembrance of Ratzenberger, who died during a qualifying session.
Flags, jerseys and posters bearing the Sao Paulo-born driver’s face adorned gates of Imola on Wednesday, while many surrounded the memorial in his honour and laid wreaths, lit candles and took a moment for reflection.
Tributes to Ayrton Senna adorned the gates at the Imola race track on the 30th anniversary of his death
Fans visited the monument dedicated to the driver during an event to commemorate him
A replica of Senna’s iconic helmet was placed on the monument dedicated to him by a fan
Senna won his three World Championships with McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991. In 1994 he joined Williams after the retirement of Alain Prost.
The move had long been desired by Senna but he was unhappy with the way his car performed following a number of rule changes and even predicted that a possibly fatal accident might occur.
On the eve of the 1994 season he said: ‘The cars are very fast and difficult to drive. It’s going to be a season with lots of accidents and I’ll risk saying we’ll be lucky if something really serious doesn’t happen.’
And the fearful prophecy came to be at Imola. While leading the race, Senna lost control of his Williams at the notorious Tamburello corner. The right-front suspension of the triple world champion’s car penetrated his crash helmet.
However, the race restarted less than 40 minutes later with Michael Schumacher winning. Damon Hill, in the other Williams, crossed the line in sixth, two places ahead of Martin Brundle.
During Saturday’s qualifying Ratzenberger was killed when his car ploughed into a concrete wall after the front wing of his Simtek-Ford broke.
Senna adjusts his rear view mirror in the pits before the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix
Fans from around the worth gathered to pay tribute to the late driver, including a group of Ferrari supporters
A number took to the track where Senna lost his life just 24 hours after the death of fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger
Scores of people turned up to commemorate the date at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali (middle) was joined by politicians from Italy, Austria and Brazil
Senna’s death triggered a wave of safety improvements at the Imola track and throughout F1, resulting in shorter straights, additional room around dangerous turns and less powerful engines.
Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone revealed this week that he was told the sport would be cancelled in the wake of the Brazilian driver’s death.
‘It was just a disastrous weekend.’ He told PA. ‘If you think about all the things that happened, with Roland crashing and never getting out of his car, and then Senna, I really don’t think it would be possible for it to happen again.
‘Max (Mosley – FIA president at the time) said to me afterwards that he believed it would be the end of Formula One. I said, “I think you are wrong and we will have to see.”
‘We hoped it wouldn’t cause what Max had suggested might happen, but it was just a disaster. It wasn’t a good weekend, and it seems to me a lot longer than 30 years. He was just so unlucky to die in that accident.’
Foreign ministers of Brazil, Austria and Italy pose alongside Domenicalli in front of a banner with flowers at the exact point of the crash that killed Senna
Tributes were also paid to the Austrian Ratzenberger, who died the day before Senna in 1994
Ratzenberger’s mother, Margit Ratzenberger and father Rudolf Ratzenberger were among the attendees at the ceremony
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani (pictured) spoke during the ceremony on Wednesday
Senna remains the last driver to be killed during an F1 race. Jules Bianchi died nine months after injuries he sustained at the Japanese Grand Prix a decade ago.
‘Formula One became more popular after Senna’s death,’ added Ecclestone. ‘It got so much worldwide publicity that people who had not watched Formula One before started to become interested.
‘But I hope we will never see something like that again, and I think today, with the way everything has improved with safety, thank God, the chances are so much smaller.’
