Ayrton Senna’s death will always be remembered as the greatest tragedy ever in F1

Ayrton Senna will always be remembered as the driver that took risks to break speed barriers.

Ayrton Senna

Formula 1 is often known as the pinnacle of motorsport due to its high focus on technology and extreme safety measures. Ayrton Senna was one of the key figures who’s actions have led to the sport becoming what it is today. The Brazilian driver was loved dearly by his fans and was known for the impact that he had on people. He was an inspiration to many.

Ayrton Senna since his debut at the 1984 Brazilian grand prix have raced with Toleman, Lotus, McLaren and Williams. In that period, he went on to amass 3 F1 world championships, 41 career victories, 80 podiums and 65 pole positions in the pinnacle of motorsport before his demise. Senna was destined for much more, but fate took a painful turn.

The one thing that distinguished Ayrton Senna from other was his sheer qualifying pace over one lap. The Brazilian also held the record for most pole positions until 2006. The current record is held by none other than Lewis Hamilton who also considered Senna to be his idol.

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Senna’s most dominant performance used to be in Monaco where it all depended on the driver. He has a stupendous track record of winning the Monaco Grand Prix six times. The fans didn’t get to enjoy his prowess more as tragedy struck in 1994.

The tragedy in 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

Ayrton Senna had faced a bit of bad luck at the start of the 1994 F1 season. After not being able to finish the first two races, the Brazilian hadn’t lost any motivation and was ready to give it his all for the San Marino Grand Prix taking place from 30th April to 1st May. He was aiming to make a comeback in form and keep it going for the rest of the races that season. Compared to modern Formula 1, the number of races taking place during Senna’s time were very less.

Whilst Ayrton didn’t sustain any injuries before sunday, his fellow competitors did. While one was minor, the other one was extremely critical. Reubens Barrichello was involved in a horrific accident where his car hit the tyre wall and fence after becoming airborne at the Variante Bassa chicane. Reubens had to withdraw from the race following a broken nose and arm. Ayrton Senna was the first person he saw as he regained consciousness.

Sadly, the weekend only got worse from this point. During the Qualifying round of the San Marino Grand Prix, Roland Ratzenberger was unfortunately killed after the front wing of his car broke at 310 kmph (190 mph). This sent his car into a concrete wall leading to his demise. It was a heartbreaking incident but the show still went on. Driver safety measures weren’t up to the mark in Formula 1 during that era.

How did Ayrton Senna crash his F1 car during the race?

After what was a Saturday filled with immense grief, Sunday’s race was given the green light anyways. After a small accident during the start, the race resumed on lap 6. With Schumacher following Senna’s footsteps, he was proving to be a fierce competitor to the Brazilian throughout the race so far. However, it all went downhill on Lap 7 at the Tamburello corner.

Ayrton Senna's Williams — Ayrton Senna’s Williams

As Ayrton was passing through the high speed corner, a problem occurred leading to the Brazilian exiting the racing line at 307 kmph (191 mph). This incident further led to the driver hitting a concrete wall at the speed of 233 kmph (145 mph). The telemetry was showing that the brakes were applied for 2 seconds. However, this horrific accident shocked everyone in the paddock and the grandstands.

This incident brought out a red flag as marshals raced towards Senna’s car to rescue him. Two minutes following Ayrton Senna’s crash, he was extracted from the car by FIA Medical chief officer Sid Watkins and his team of medical workers. Intensive care anaesthetist Giovanni Gordini was also present at the scene. It was an incredibly tense situation as it was clear that it was a very fatal crash.

What was done to save the life of Ayrton Senna?

Having extracted him from the car, the Medical personnel present on the scene decided to treat him by the side of his car which seemed the best option at the time. During that time, Ayrton Senna had a very weak heartbeat which gave some bit of hope as he wasn’t dead on scene. The reviving efforts still kept going. The Brazilian had significant blood loss as his temporal artery had been ruptured.

Ayrton Senna being treated by the medical officers

During this point of the situation, it was understood that Senna had already lost 4.5 litres of blood in the process. This amount actually constituted to 90% of his blood volume. This was mostly due to Ayrton Senna’s neurological condition. Sid Watkins further analysed the situation at hand and went forward with performing an on-site tracheotomy in an attempt to save his life.

Watkins further went on to call for immediate air support in order to airlift the fallen world champion to Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital under the supervision of Gordini. At 18:40 (16:40 GMT), the head of the hospital’s emergency department, Maria Teresa Fiandri made the unfortunate announcement that Ayrton Senna was no more.

What happened after Ayrton Senna’s death?

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was thus remembered as one of the most heartbreaking race weekends that the sport has seen. While Senna’s death was not revealed to the public or the paddock, they all decided to continue with the race as the debris was cleared and the red flag was lifted. Michael Schumacher went on to win that race after leading from lap 19 to lap 58.

This race completely changed the structure of Formula 1 and its approach to driver safety along with the reforming of the Grand Prix Driver’s Association. This came after a 12 year hiatus and was something that Senna himself was willing to bring into motion just a day before his death. To this date, Ayrton Senna is regarded as one of the most talented and if not, the best driver in the pinnacle of motorsport. His death was a huge loss to the sport and has created a lasting impact on everyone.