Fondness for 1994?

[VladD]

Muzzer79 said:

I don’t remember that year particularly fondly tbh.

Senna and Ratzenberger’s deaths, obviously

But then the knee jerk safety reaction into hastily designed car modifications which were ugly and not particularly efficient

Benetton cheating

And, finally, Schumacher robbing Hill of the title with the first of many dodgy moves.

I'll probably get banned for this, but I've always thought there is an irony that MS crash into Hill in 1994 and came out on top, but then crashed into a hill in 2013 and came out far worse off.

[anonymous-user]

Was there any need for that?

[Teddy Lop]

VladD said:

Muzzer79 said:

I don’t remember that year particularly fondly tbh.

Senna and Ratzenberger’s deaths, obviously

But then the knee jerk safety reaction into hastily designed car modifications which were ugly and not particularly efficient

Benetton cheating

And, finally, Schumacher robbing Hill of the title with the first of many dodgy moves.

I'll probably get banned for this, but I've always thought there is an irony that MS crash into Hill in 1994 and came out on top, but then crashed into a hill in 2013 and came out far worse off.

I remember a time when such black humour was de rigueur on open internet message boards... Everyone had big girl pants then...


As for me I was 16 in 94 and not really emotionally mature enough to be that affected, the only time my interest waned was the occasional missed race in the early 00s when the smugmacher dominated.

[entropy]

KR158 said:

Imola & the immediate repercussions were felt for the best part of a decade afterwards, probably more, certainly in terms of Track & Car design

Edited by KR158 on Sunday 2nd May 23:39

There was an immediate knee-jerk reaction to slowing the cars down with track design.

Tyre chicanes were added in Canada and Barcelona, Eau Rouge was castrated by it into a chicane for a couple of years and left more than a bitter taste in the mouth.

[KR158]

entropy said:

KR158 said:

Imola & the immediate repercussions were felt for the best part of a decade afterwards, probably more, certainly in terms of Track & Car design

Edited by KR158 on Sunday 2nd May 23:39

There was an immediate knee-jerk reaction to slowing the cars down with track design.

Tyre chicanes were added in Canada and Barcelona, Eau Rouge was castrated by it into a chicane for a couple of years and left more than a bitter taste in the mouth.

I remember this well. It looked awful, although I suppose that Alex Zanardi's huge accident 12 months prior was in the forefront of many Minds & triggered this "numbing" of Eau Rouge for '94. I Thought it strange however that Blanchimont was left untouched as was 130R at Suzuka. Brundle had a very nasty, very! near miss too, a Marshall wasn't so lucky sustaining a broken Leg.

[F1GTRUeno]

1994 was my first full season.

I was four years old but I watched every race including getting up early for Australia.

I'll always be enamoured with the cars, sounds, liveries and drivers of that year.

It's a fascinating one regardless but if you consider everything that happened that season you'd struggle to find a more complicated year of F1. The races themselves weren't hugely entertaining but the whole season was full of intrigue.

The FW16 will always be my favourite car because Hill was my first hero but obviously it's tinged by what happened to Senna.

[anonymous-user]

entropy said:

KR158 said:

Imola & the immediate repercussions were felt for the best part of a decade afterwards, probably more, certainly in terms of Track & Car design

Edited by KR158 on Sunday 2nd May 23:39

There was an immediate knee-jerk reaction to slowing the cars down with track design.

Tyre chicanes were added in Canada and Barcelona, Eau Rouge was castrated by it into a chicane for a couple of years and left more than a bitter taste in the mouth.

Imola itself was ruined IMO. It has been helped with the newest changes but it's nothing compared to the old circuit.

[anonymous-user]

This was a test at Imola in March 1994.

It shows the old layout and the screaming V12 Ferrari's.

Villeneuve was a fantastic corner as was Tamburello.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L33OxZSrJ0

This is footage from qualifying showing Ratzenberger making the mistake that damaged his front wing. It will then show his accident so just in case no one wants to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr1A7aaffTQ

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 3rd May 23:12

[FourWheelDrift]

I thought it was always said he damaged his front wing on the very high kerb at the Aqua Minerale chicane, which is why it was removed as part of the circuit modification that also changed Tamburello and Villeneuve.

[anonymous-user]

FourWheelDrift said:

I thought it was always said he damaged his front wing on the very high kerb at the Aqua Minerale chicane, which is why it was removed as part of the circuit modification that also changed Tamburello and Villeneuve.

That's what I read as well so unless he went off again. He clearly spins there and a lap later he has his accident.

[Eric Mc]

I'm not sure of "fondness" for 1994 but it was certainly a year of high drama. Sadly, I think it sent F1 in a wrong direction both commercially and technically which I am not sure it has ever recovered from.

1982 was a very similar year for very similar reasons. Again, I don't remember 1982 with fondness either - but it was dramatic.