15 Years Ago Today...
Discussion
Arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time (certainly one of), stepped into his car for the last time.
I still remember where i was when i heard the news of the crash and then the worst news possible.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula...
RIP
Roland Ratzenberger also died that weekend, but is often forgotten. A torrid weekend for F1.
I still remember where i was when i heard the news of the crash and then the worst news possible.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula...
RIP
Roland Ratzenberger also died that weekend, but is often forgotten. A torrid weekend for F1.
Ponk said:
I was reading up on that weekend the other day. Did you know he had an Austrailian flag in car to unfurl as a tribute to Ratzenberger when he won? What a gent.
Or even an Austrian one...
Indee ablack weekend for Motorsport
Its never been the same since, for me at least
Edited by freedman on Friday 1st May 09:52
He was and always will be my hero.
R.I.P.
Did you know that he secretly set up a childrens charity and have a lot of his own personal wealth to it? Not sponsorship, his own money.
I'm rereading his biography that got for christmas and it's a great read.
Let's spare a thought, of course for Roland, whos death should have halted the weekends race, the Jordan crash should have had an immediate response but that's in the past now.
(Edited for the correct Crash team - the Jordan crashed, Roland was driving the Simtek)
R.I.P.
Did you know that he secretly set up a childrens charity and have a lot of his own personal wealth to it? Not sponsorship, his own money.
I'm rereading his biography that got for christmas and it's a great read.
Let's spare a thought, of course for Roland, whos death should have halted the weekends race, the Jordan crash should have had an immediate response but that's in the past now.
(Edited for the correct Crash team - the Jordan crashed, Roland was driving the Simtek)
Edited by james_tigerwoods on Friday 1st May 10:40
freedman said:
Indee ablack weekend for Motorsport
Its never been the same since, for me at least
I have to admit that though I herald that AFIK no F1 drivers have been killed since that terrible weekend, F1 still misses something since then.Its never been the same since, for me at least
I'm sure drivers today are fitter F1 'machines' but Senna epitomised the single-minded sheer determinisation of an F1 driver.
Another sad loss.It was a traumatic week-end for F1 - mainly because deaths had become so rare even then (the last fatality at an F1 race had been in 1982 and the last fatality in an F1 car had been in 1986).
However, I have always had reservations about Senna's overall atitude to the "sport". To my mind, his death, whilst tragic, did nothing to eliminate what to me were serious character flaws in his personality.
However, it did seem that on that particular week-end he was undergoing some sort of resolution in his mind regarding his atitude. Who knows what might have transpired had he lived. Sadly, we'll never know.
However, I have always had reservations about Senna's overall atitude to the "sport". To my mind, his death, whilst tragic, did nothing to eliminate what to me were serious character flaws in his personality.
However, it did seem that on that particular week-end he was undergoing some sort of resolution in his mind regarding his atitude. Who knows what might have transpired had he lived. Sadly, we'll never know.
Eric Mc said:
It was a traumatic week-end for F1 - mainly because deaths had become so rare even then (the last fatality at an F1 race had been in 1982 and the last fatality in an F1 car had been in 1986).
However, I have always had reservations about Senna's overall atitude to the "sport". To my mind, his death, whilst tragic, did nothing to eliminate what to me were serious character flaws in his personality.
However, it did seem that on that particular week-end he was undergoing some sort of resolution in his mind regarding his atitude. Who knows what might have transpired had he lived. Sadly, we'll never know.
He was indeed a man with flaws, but such a man, while clearly a genius in one field, is always going to be flawed in another. His ruthless determination to be the best was always going to have a knock on effect somewhere.However, I have always had reservations about Senna's overall atitude to the "sport". To my mind, his death, whilst tragic, did nothing to eliminate what to me were serious character flaws in his personality.
However, it did seem that on that particular week-end he was undergoing some sort of resolution in his mind regarding his atitude. Who knows what might have transpired had he lived. Sadly, we'll never know.
His state of mind that weekend is something that is well documented - it could be argued that this inner turmoil was a contributory factor - As you said, sadly, we'll never know.
find me a top level F1 racing driver from the last thirty years without "serious character flaws" and i will be amazed...
you simply do not get to be F1 world champion without such character flaws and those without, like berger who to the best of my knowledge was a top bloke throughout, wil lalwys be nearly-men....
you simply do not get to be F1 world champion without such character flaws and those without, like berger who to the best of my knowledge was a top bloke throughout, wil lalwys be nearly-men....
I can't really add anything which hasn't been said already but I always take a moment on 1st May to think about what happened that terrible weekend. So many if's and but's, although perhaps the theory is true, that to become a true legend you must die before your time... still a tragic loss though.
Senna is a sporting hero of mine, and whilst we have seen others be more successful, IMHO we will never see a driver like him again.
RIP
Senna is a sporting hero of mine, and whilst we have seen others be more successful, IMHO we will never see a driver like him again.
RIP
Eric Mc said:
However, I have always had reservations about Senna's overall atitude to the "sport". To my mind, his death, whilst tragic, did nothing to eliminate what to me were serious character flaws in his personality.
I agree. To my mind, I was never a fan. I never understood the Demi-God like status in which he was regarded in life that was only magnified 10-fold in death.
However, one can't argue with the fact that he could do seriously impressive things with a racing car and that his death was a loss to the sport, if only for a rivalry with Schumacher that never came about.
Slightly off topic, but related to the safety in F1 (much of which came about after Senna's death).
I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
Miss Pitstop said:
Slightly off topic, but related to the safety in F1 (much of which came about after Senna's death).
I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
Sounds interesting. I may have to give it a read since I've been one to think F1 has become too sanitised over the past couple of decades and maybe will give me a balancer.I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
Miss Pitstop said:
Slightly off topic, but related to the safety in F1 (much of which came about after Senna's death).
I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
I fullly agree with this. I read it a good many years ago and it's a great book and really shows the changes in F1. Very poignant in places too.I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
Miss Pitstop said:
Slightly off topic, but related to the safety in F1 (much of which came about after Senna's death).
I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
I have a copy - free to good home - *** now gone ***I would recommend Professor Sid Watkins book "Life at the Limit" as an excellent read. It gives a great insight into the development of safety in the sport, without being dry at all, in fact it is very funny in places. It even shows a young Mr Ecclestone in a good light...
Nick
Edited by Nicholas Blair on Friday 1st May 12:57
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