Roland Ratzenberger
Discussion
Jim H said:
I had another recollection from that grim weekend today, from an article I read at the time which I think was penned by Adam Cooper in the weeks following Imola.
Essentially IIRC it was an interview with J.J Lehto.
J.J had recently been signed off fit following breaking his neck testing the Benetton at Silverstone. Imola was his first weekend back racing, and he’d travelled down to Italy as a passenger in Roland’s newly acquired Porsche.
J.J reminiscent about how buoyant and fizzing Roland was on that journey, in his new car and having achieved his dream to get into F1.
If you remember J.J stalled on the grid on Race day (perhaps his mind was elsewhere), and was hit at high speed from behind by Pedro Lamy - which brought out the safety car.
Aye, it was a very tragic weekend.
Then in the next race at Monaco Wendlinger had a crash that left him in a coma, although luckily he recovered. As ugly as modern F1 cars are, at least they're a lot safer.Essentially IIRC it was an interview with J.J Lehto.
J.J had recently been signed off fit following breaking his neck testing the Benetton at Silverstone. Imola was his first weekend back racing, and he’d travelled down to Italy as a passenger in Roland’s newly acquired Porsche.
J.J reminiscent about how buoyant and fizzing Roland was on that journey, in his new car and having achieved his dream to get into F1.
If you remember J.J stalled on the grid on Race day (perhaps his mind was elsewhere), and was hit at high speed from behind by Pedro Lamy - which brought out the safety car.
Aye, it was a very tragic weekend.
CT05 Nose Cone said:
Then in the next race at Monaco Wendlinger had a crash that left him in a coma, although luckily he recovered. As ugly as modern F1 cars are, at least they're a lot safer.
Wendlinger was very lucky that day as well, hitting the wall hard and sideways between the track and the escape road at the chicane. Add in Barichello’s accident at Imola, which was also a very lucky escape, and F1 could so easily have had four fatalities in a fortnight. Yes, the cars have got immeasurably safer since 1994, even if the older ones look much prettier.
PRO5T said:
Which podcast?
Also goes forgotten but that Simtek was such a stunning looking car, the '94 cars were to my eyes the last beautiful F1 cars built.
https://theathletic.com/podcast/292-and-colossally...Also goes forgotten but that Simtek was such a stunning looking car, the '94 cars were to my eyes the last beautiful F1 cars built.
Edited by SoulGlo on Thursday 2nd May 08:44
Edited by SoulGlo on Thursday 2nd May 08:45
Sandpit Steve said:
CT05 Nose Cone said:
Then in the next race at Monaco Wendlinger had a crash that left him in a coma, although luckily he recovered. As ugly as modern F1 cars are, at least they're a lot safer.
Wendlinger was very lucky that day as well, hitting the wall hard and sideways between the track and the escape road at the chicane. Add in Barichello’s accident at Imola, which was also a very lucky escape, and F1 could so easily have had four fatalities in a fortnight. Yes, the cars have got immeasurably safer since 1994, even if the older ones look much prettier.
I remember seeing the Wendlinger crash, it was massive, and thinking "oh God, not again". Feels like the lack of big accidents in the proceeding years made the sport a bit, not exactly complacent, but feel like it was less dangerous than it really was.
I'd almost forgotten Comas was still on the track after the red flag, and nearly drove into the medical vehicles
https://twitter.com/Erwin1618/status/1785733304332...
https://twitter.com/Erwin1618/status/1785733304332...
Glad to see some decent media coverage of the Ratzenberger anniversary, and "enjoyed" the Sky TV piece. Also made me dig back through my old race programmes, there were some great events back in the 80s with him in a huge Formula Ford field.
1994 was a terrible year. Easily forgotten that his replacement in the Simtek, Andrea Montermini, did well not to lose his legs at Barcelona just a few weeks later... and that just after what had happened at Monaco.
1994 was a terrible year. Easily forgotten that his replacement in the Simtek, Andrea Montermini, did well not to lose his legs at Barcelona just a few weeks later... and that just after what had happened at Monaco.
Jim H said:
J.J had recently been signed off fit following breaking his neck testing the Benetton at Silverstone. Imola was his first weekend back racing, and he’d travelled down to Italy as a passenger in Roland’s newly acquired Porsche.
Apparently that was a massive shunt into the barriers at Silverstone. A grim foretelling of the disasters to come. The culmination felt like someone from above sending a message.Saying that I do have a soft spot for 1994. I started buying Autosport more regularly; we got Sky shortly after Imola and I'd watch quali 1 on my school lunch breaks, Eurosport did regular repeats. I've always like Simtek, Nick Wirth was a young chap, MTV (when they showed music videos) and Russell Athletic screamed 'so 90s'. Above all Geoff Crammond released Grand Prix 2 based on the 1994 season. I find the 94 liveries iconic and they were - for its time - stunningly recreated even if it was on a 486 PC which I still have!
I also remember that Alesi was out of action at the time, himself with neck injuries following a nasty testing shunt.
Nicola Larini subbed him the first few races.
Whether these cars had become more difficult to control as a result of the removal of driver aids, or that thin veil of luck that had prevailed for so long suddenly got yanked away.
Nicola Larini subbed him the first few races.
Whether these cars had become more difficult to control as a result of the removal of driver aids, or that thin veil of luck that had prevailed for so long suddenly got yanked away.
Jim H said:
I also remember that Alesi was out of action at the time, himself with neck injuries following a nasty testing shunt.
Nicola Larini subbed him the first few races.
Whether these cars had become more difficult to control as a result of the removal of driver aids, or that thin veil of luck that had prevailed for so long suddenly got yanked away.
It all just seemed to snowball into a disastrous few weeks. Lamy put the Lotus into a Silverstone pedestrian tunnel at about the same time, how he got away with that was a minor miracle. Nicola Larini subbed him the first few races.
Whether these cars had become more difficult to control as a result of the removal of driver aids, or that thin veil of luck that had prevailed for so long suddenly got yanked away.
df76 said:
Jim H said:
Whether these cars had become more difficult to control as a result of the removal of driver aids, or that thin veil of luck that had prevailed for so long suddenly got yanked away.
It all just seemed to snowball into a disastrous few weeks. Lamy put the Lotus into a Silverstone pedestrian tunnel at about the same time, how he got away with that was a minor miracle. he was doing well in BTCC in the M3 here's a clip from 88 where he was leading the class in terrible rain before getting into a bump with Mike Smith who then took the lead then crashed leaving Sytner to lead the M3 class.
https://youtu.be/NjXP5LYbdt8?si=nNN2jQKi4t6IS9pm
https://youtu.be/NjXP5LYbdt8?si=nNN2jQKi4t6IS9pm
Unfortunately I remember it well, one of those days you don't forget and the subsequent day also.
I was with 2 friends, we were staying in a hotel at Gatwick, we saw the headline on Ceefax in the hotel room and were shocked by the news. The next morning we flew out to Corsica to watch the World Rally Championship round there.... We weren't aware of the news regarding Senna's crash and passing until the Monday when we stopped for fuel somewhere near Ajaccio when we saw the papers and the headlines.
In the station was one of the Prodrive Subaru pace cars, the guy driving was grabbing some supplies for the team and overhead us talking, being a Brit he came over and started chatting, next thing you know we're following him back to their camp.
We got to pour over Colin's and Carlos's cars and ended up chatting with Colin, I recall we touched upon the weekends events and he was kind of matter of fact about the whole thing, in a kind of you know what you are getting into way. It shocked me at the time, but upon reflection I guess that's how you have to be to do what they did, and certainly around Corsica there was no room for error.
I was with 2 friends, we were staying in a hotel at Gatwick, we saw the headline on Ceefax in the hotel room and were shocked by the news. The next morning we flew out to Corsica to watch the World Rally Championship round there.... We weren't aware of the news regarding Senna's crash and passing until the Monday when we stopped for fuel somewhere near Ajaccio when we saw the papers and the headlines.
In the station was one of the Prodrive Subaru pace cars, the guy driving was grabbing some supplies for the team and overhead us talking, being a Brit he came over and started chatting, next thing you know we're following him back to their camp.
We got to pour over Colin's and Carlos's cars and ended up chatting with Colin, I recall we touched upon the weekends events and he was kind of matter of fact about the whole thing, in a kind of you know what you are getting into way. It shocked me at the time, but upon reflection I guess that's how you have to be to do what they did, and certainly around Corsica there was no room for error.
df76 said:
It all just seemed to snowball into a disastrous few weeks. Lamy put the Lotus into a Silverstone pedestrian tunnel at about the same time, how he got away with that was a minor miracle.
That was the result of kneejerk reaction post-Imola. The diffuser was shortened which meant the rear wings were sat on edge of the diffuser making the wing more vulnerable to collapse.I think to the more senior generation who’ve been contributing on these two Imola threads, it’s amazing how much the world has changed in 30 years.
Ceefax, Newspaper’s, Pay phones at airports?
Jeez, my ‘Lads’ holiday I was on that weekend, you could still smoke cigarettes on airlines - I was. Can you imagine that now?
I’m sure some of the younger generation who may read this thread must be thinking - how do they remember it so well? It was the ‘Kennedy moment’ of the motor racing. Everyone knew where they were, and what they were doing - exactly.
I guess to some of the more senior on here: similar
with Jimmy, Jochen, Piers, Roger etc.
I do remember Gilles, and it’s really strange as I was 9 years old and I’d yet to really discover F1.
Back to the cars of the time: agreed there had been a long period of some extremely close shaves, Zanardi Eau Rouge 93 was an absolute monster accident. I think the risk and effect had been building for a long time. I was a big fan of Berger back then. He had some of the most absolute Mother and Father accidents in 93 in the Ferrari , some attributed to ‘overdriving’, others (himself) ‘active’ gone wrong.
I’m sure the Governing body must have been thinking. If a big team can’t get this right, what chance does a minnow (team) have?
Whether it was correct to ban the technology so quickly without a cooling off period - well that’s hindsight unfortunately.
All the driver aids didn’t appear overnight, they’d slowly crept in, yet speeds had risen massively. Back to 30 years ago, it was all about cutting holes in the air boxes , reducing engine capacity and reducing mechanical grip, the circuits - chicanes.
No real consideration of protection to the drivers head ( Halo and HANS)
All thankfully came out of the learning - Imola 94.
I agree with other posters. The mid nineties cars were stunning to look at.
The current cars are trucks. To me aesthetically, an F1 car should be as low, light, thin and as beautiful as possible. The widest tires.!With a V12. But them days are gone - unfortunately.
I’m sure Roland would still agree with my summary.
Ceefax, Newspaper’s, Pay phones at airports?
Jeez, my ‘Lads’ holiday I was on that weekend, you could still smoke cigarettes on airlines - I was. Can you imagine that now?
I’m sure some of the younger generation who may read this thread must be thinking - how do they remember it so well? It was the ‘Kennedy moment’ of the motor racing. Everyone knew where they were, and what they were doing - exactly.
I guess to some of the more senior on here: similar
with Jimmy, Jochen, Piers, Roger etc.
I do remember Gilles, and it’s really strange as I was 9 years old and I’d yet to really discover F1.
Back to the cars of the time: agreed there had been a long period of some extremely close shaves, Zanardi Eau Rouge 93 was an absolute monster accident. I think the risk and effect had been building for a long time. I was a big fan of Berger back then. He had some of the most absolute Mother and Father accidents in 93 in the Ferrari , some attributed to ‘overdriving’, others (himself) ‘active’ gone wrong.
I’m sure the Governing body must have been thinking. If a big team can’t get this right, what chance does a minnow (team) have?
Whether it was correct to ban the technology so quickly without a cooling off period - well that’s hindsight unfortunately.
All the driver aids didn’t appear overnight, they’d slowly crept in, yet speeds had risen massively. Back to 30 years ago, it was all about cutting holes in the air boxes , reducing engine capacity and reducing mechanical grip, the circuits - chicanes.
No real consideration of protection to the drivers head ( Halo and HANS)
All thankfully came out of the learning - Imola 94.
I agree with other posters. The mid nineties cars were stunning to look at.
The current cars are trucks. To me aesthetically, an F1 car should be as low, light, thin and as beautiful as possible. The widest tires.!With a V12. But them days are gone - unfortunately.
I’m sure Roland would still agree with my summary.
I will confess to being . umm .. 'senior' . I remember the Imola weekend well , not only for the obvious reasons, but also because the reaction to it was both new and unexpected. It was almost a preview of the drama of Diana's death and the near hysteria it triggered .
I grew up in an era where you got used to driver deaths - I'd stress they were still ghastly, but so common were they that unless you were an admirer of a driver, you'd almost forgotten it a few weeks later. It wasn't callousness , although it looks it now , but reflects a very different society to the one we have now.
An example - my late uncle was a big racing fan and loved going to Snetterton and Brands Hatch , his two closest circuits . He'd have been a relatively young middle aged man in 1968 , when Jim Clark , Mike Spence, Ludovico Scarfiotti and Jo Schlesser died in successive months . But it was just one of those things , part and parcel of racing . And bloody safe compared to what he was doing at the same age - a squadron leader whose glider was towed in to D-Day and Arnhem , and who'd been at Dunkirk four years earlier.
Only the other day I was reminded that the Motor Sport report of the 1977 South African GP didn't even mention Tom Pryce's awful death until page 3 ..
As the man said -'The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'.
I grew up in an era where you got used to driver deaths - I'd stress they were still ghastly, but so common were they that unless you were an admirer of a driver, you'd almost forgotten it a few weeks later. It wasn't callousness , although it looks it now , but reflects a very different society to the one we have now.
An example - my late uncle was a big racing fan and loved going to Snetterton and Brands Hatch , his two closest circuits . He'd have been a relatively young middle aged man in 1968 , when Jim Clark , Mike Spence, Ludovico Scarfiotti and Jo Schlesser died in successive months . But it was just one of those things , part and parcel of racing . And bloody safe compared to what he was doing at the same age - a squadron leader whose glider was towed in to D-Day and Arnhem , and who'd been at Dunkirk four years earlier.
Only the other day I was reminded that the Motor Sport report of the 1977 South African GP didn't even mention Tom Pryce's awful death until page 3 ..
As the man said -'The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'.
coppice said:
I will confess to being . umm .. 'senior' . I remember the Imola weekend well , not only for the obvious reasons, but also because the reaction to it was both new and unexpected. It was almost a preview of the drama of Diana's death and the near hysteria it triggered .
I grew up in an era where you got used to driver deaths - I'd stress they were still ghastly, but so common were they that unless you were an admirer of a driver, you'd almost forgotten it a few weeks later. It wasn't callousness , although it looks it now , but reflects a very different society to the one we have now.
An example - my late uncle was a big racing fan and loved going to Snetterton and Brands Hatch , his two closest circuits . He'd have been a relatively young middle aged man in 1968 , when Jim Clark , Mike Spence, Ludovico Scarfiotti and Jo Schlesser died in successive months . But it was just one of those things , part and parcel of racing . And bloody safe compared to what he was doing at the same age - a squadron leader whose glider was towed in to D-Day and Arnhem , and who'd been at Dunkirk four years earlier.
Only the other day I was reminded that the Motor Sport report of the 1977 South African GP didn't even mention Tom Pryce's awful death until page 3 ..
As the man said -'The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'.
I suppose one difference was that both accidents at Imola were witnessed live and in colour in people’s living rooms around the world. The last time somebody had been killed in an F1 race was 1982 and the sport had grown in profile and audience massively in that time. I grew up in an era where you got used to driver deaths - I'd stress they were still ghastly, but so common were they that unless you were an admirer of a driver, you'd almost forgotten it a few weeks later. It wasn't callousness , although it looks it now , but reflects a very different society to the one we have now.
An example - my late uncle was a big racing fan and loved going to Snetterton and Brands Hatch , his two closest circuits . He'd have been a relatively young middle aged man in 1968 , when Jim Clark , Mike Spence, Ludovico Scarfiotti and Jo Schlesser died in successive months . But it was just one of those things , part and parcel of racing . And bloody safe compared to what he was doing at the same age - a squadron leader whose glider was towed in to D-Day and Arnhem , and who'd been at Dunkirk four years earlier.
Only the other day I was reminded that the Motor Sport report of the 1977 South African GP didn't even mention Tom Pryce's awful death until page 3 ..
As the man said -'The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'.
The sense of complacency that surrounded F1 regarding its safety at the time combined with a global live audience who were tuning in for a couple of hours entertainment on a weekend added to the global shock. The fact that Senna, who was a global icon as well further compounded the effects.
I totally agree with you on this Coppice.
I moped around for a few days after Senna died, I held him in very high regard. My father took me aside one day after and gave me one of his: ‘words of wisdom speeches’. He wasn’t a big motor racing fan but he had lived through the sixties and seventies and regaled to me how it was, sadly really common back then for drivers to lose their lives - often. And in that era it was bloody dangerous and essentially just accepted. I think dad said ‘ pick your chin up lad.
I gave up on F1 back in 2008, and I haven’t watched a race in years.
The motorsport that gives me the most enjoyment now, but equally the most pain is motorcycle road racing, particularly the IOM TT.
I first visited the isle in 1993 and I was totally hooked.
I’ve been watching many a YouTube videos of late as the build-up to this years events begins (TT) and NW 200. Loads of interviews with the riders who are just so excited to get going and racing. I find it hard myself to quantify how I can enjoy this sport so much, when it’s associated with such a tragic loss of life.
Three losses recently affected me pretty significantly, Dan Kneen, Malachi Mitchell - Thomas, William Dunlop. It gave me moments where I totally hated the sport. But, you eventually compartmentalise it all - eventually, and understand they were doing what they absolutely loved at the time.
I regard the TT and other bike road racing events as similar to maybe the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia of another generation - and they were banned decades ago.
Any interview with a Bike Road Racer now always invokes a response as to why? And most respond : “ How / why am I still able / allowed to do this?
Accompanied with a massive grin and a wide-eyed stare.
I do echo 24 lemons comments relating to the tv coverage of Imola 94. The TT is massive now with tv cameras and coverage absolutely everywhere…..
I’m sure you know what I mean. It only takes a very big accident to draw more scrutiny on an event that really doesn’t fit into modern life anymore - to some.
I moped around for a few days after Senna died, I held him in very high regard. My father took me aside one day after and gave me one of his: ‘words of wisdom speeches’. He wasn’t a big motor racing fan but he had lived through the sixties and seventies and regaled to me how it was, sadly really common back then for drivers to lose their lives - often. And in that era it was bloody dangerous and essentially just accepted. I think dad said ‘ pick your chin up lad.
I gave up on F1 back in 2008, and I haven’t watched a race in years.
The motorsport that gives me the most enjoyment now, but equally the most pain is motorcycle road racing, particularly the IOM TT.
I first visited the isle in 1993 and I was totally hooked.
I’ve been watching many a YouTube videos of late as the build-up to this years events begins (TT) and NW 200. Loads of interviews with the riders who are just so excited to get going and racing. I find it hard myself to quantify how I can enjoy this sport so much, when it’s associated with such a tragic loss of life.
Three losses recently affected me pretty significantly, Dan Kneen, Malachi Mitchell - Thomas, William Dunlop. It gave me moments where I totally hated the sport. But, you eventually compartmentalise it all - eventually, and understand they were doing what they absolutely loved at the time.
I regard the TT and other bike road racing events as similar to maybe the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia of another generation - and they were banned decades ago.
Any interview with a Bike Road Racer now always invokes a response as to why? And most respond : “ How / why am I still able / allowed to do this?
Accompanied with a massive grin and a wide-eyed stare.
I do echo 24 lemons comments relating to the tv coverage of Imola 94. The TT is massive now with tv cameras and coverage absolutely everywhere…..
I’m sure you know what I mean. It only takes a very big accident to draw more scrutiny on an event that really doesn’t fit into modern life anymore - to some.
I think with hindsight the removal of all driver aids making the cars non-active by regulation may have been a mistake. This led to cars which were edgy initially as F1 got to grips with the new regulations. Without these systems the cars were fast but difficult to control and when they crashed offered little in the way of protection particularly to the driver's head and neck in a side impact as evidenced by the types of injuries many drivers sustained that year.
There were years of warnings which went ignored, look at previous crashes at Tamburello, it was a matter of when not if.
I doubt if active cars being allowed would have saved Roland, Simtek wouldn't have had the budget to take advantage of it although maybe even a basic ABS system would have stopped the off that damaged the wing the lap before his fatal accident. I guess we will never know and it's easy to be wise after the event.
One legacy of that awful weekend and season (in terms of safety) is that it woke F1 up and now if there is a question of safety or speed the regulations favour safety, let the teams worry about finding speed, just look at the lives the Halo has saved, but even long before that, Martin
Brundle's crash in Australia in 1996, I'm not sure that would have been survivable just 2 years before.
It's awful that it took a weekend like Imola 94 to bring about those changes, but F1 is the safest it's ever been and it will no doubt continue to improve, RIP to Roland and Ayrton, the sport failed you back then, it's up to us all (fans, FIA, media) now to ensure that level of complacency is never allowed to creep in again.
There were years of warnings which went ignored, look at previous crashes at Tamburello, it was a matter of when not if.
I doubt if active cars being allowed would have saved Roland, Simtek wouldn't have had the budget to take advantage of it although maybe even a basic ABS system would have stopped the off that damaged the wing the lap before his fatal accident. I guess we will never know and it's easy to be wise after the event.
One legacy of that awful weekend and season (in terms of safety) is that it woke F1 up and now if there is a question of safety or speed the regulations favour safety, let the teams worry about finding speed, just look at the lives the Halo has saved, but even long before that, Martin
Brundle's crash in Australia in 1996, I'm not sure that would have been survivable just 2 years before.
It's awful that it took a weekend like Imola 94 to bring about those changes, but F1 is the safest it's ever been and it will no doubt continue to improve, RIP to Roland and Ayrton, the sport failed you back then, it's up to us all (fans, FIA, media) now to ensure that level of complacency is never allowed to creep in again.
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