Oxygen Thief
Ex Member
Hard to believe it has been twenty years since that black weekend that took the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. Today it seems a lot of fans know very little about that weekend apart from the fact that Ayrton died at Tamburello. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was in the RAF and worked half days. Eurosport used to show all the sessions live and I watched Roland crash on the Friday as well as Rubens Barrichello fly into the fencing with almost no injuries. There was also the incident at the start when Pedro Lamy rear ended JJ Lehto's Benetton at the start sending debris and a wheel into the crowd. Today a lot of fans think ten years ago is ancient history, it seems that a lot of Senna's legacy (and some could argue with conviction that he brought into the sport the ruthless tactics also carried out by Schumacher) has been lost. He truly was a charasmatic and talented guy who in many ways was a walking contradiction. He ran Prost off the track in 1990 at Suzuka yet stopped and arguably saved Erik Comas's life at Spa after he shunted. He gave away millions and helped the people of Brazil yet was capable of being utterly ruthless such as when he vetoed Derek Warwick joining Lotus becuase he saw him as a threat. Derek Warwicks career never recovered from that. But today his charitable foundation has helped educate 12 million people.
I actually met Ayrton Senna at Donington in 1993, but I was not remotely interested in Formula 1 before that race. A friend was a big fan and he was put on guard duty so he gave me his ticket. This was the race where he went from 5th to 1st on the first lap in an inferior McLaren and ran away from Prost and Hill in the vastly superior Williams. Arguably the greatest lap ever driven. I was hooked after that. An old RAF colleague was working for Lotus at the time and got me into the paddock and garage to see the cars. Senna walked past the garage and he told me "There's an autograph you want to get", when I caught up he had a crowd of people around him but he patiently signed for everyone. He was a very soft spoken guy, slight and he almost seemed embarrassed at all the attention. I got my programme signed. I later give it to my friend who had given me the ticket, something I still regret to this day !!, I was a Senna fan from that day to this, and I still support McLaren.
I can remember the day he died clearly. I can remember watching the race and when he hit the wall I just sat waiting for him to move. He didn't. When it was announced he had died I went out into the back garden and just stood. I am not an emotional person by nature but it must have been dusty or something that night because I had something in my eye. Both eyes in fact. It still strikes me as strange that someone I never knew can have that effect on me. And here we are twenty years on. Modern F1 really doesnt cut it for me that much. I love the racing but the drivers seem programmed, robotic even when you see them on TV. You would be hard pressed to find anyone as eloquent and emotional as Senna when he spoke these days. I have two favourite drivers, Senna and James Hunt. Both were characters in their own way. Both were both brilliant and flawed. Both were undeniably charasmatic.
So on May 1st I will be heading to Imola to remember a legend .. Ayrton Senna tribute video - GPUpdate.net
I actually met Ayrton Senna at Donington in 1993, but I was not remotely interested in Formula 1 before that race. A friend was a big fan and he was put on guard duty so he gave me his ticket. This was the race where he went from 5th to 1st on the first lap in an inferior McLaren and ran away from Prost and Hill in the vastly superior Williams. Arguably the greatest lap ever driven. I was hooked after that. An old RAF colleague was working for Lotus at the time and got me into the paddock and garage to see the cars. Senna walked past the garage and he told me "There's an autograph you want to get", when I caught up he had a crowd of people around him but he patiently signed for everyone. He was a very soft spoken guy, slight and he almost seemed embarrassed at all the attention. I got my programme signed. I later give it to my friend who had given me the ticket, something I still regret to this day !!, I was a Senna fan from that day to this, and I still support McLaren.
I can remember the day he died clearly. I can remember watching the race and when he hit the wall I just sat waiting for him to move. He didn't. When it was announced he had died I went out into the back garden and just stood. I am not an emotional person by nature but it must have been dusty or something that night because I had something in my eye. Both eyes in fact. It still strikes me as strange that someone I never knew can have that effect on me. And here we are twenty years on. Modern F1 really doesnt cut it for me that much. I love the racing but the drivers seem programmed, robotic even when you see them on TV. You would be hard pressed to find anyone as eloquent and emotional as Senna when he spoke these days. I have two favourite drivers, Senna and James Hunt. Both were characters in their own way. Both were both brilliant and flawed. Both were undeniably charasmatic.
So on May 1st I will be heading to Imola to remember a legend .. Ayrton Senna tribute video - GPUpdate.net
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