Imola: Ayrton Senna and the other shocking accidents that rocked F1

May 1, 1994 is a date that will be forever etched into racing history. This was the day three-time world champion Ayrton Senna died in a fatal accident on a bend in the Tamburello at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Those who watched at the time will still remember the helicopter flight from the notorious route to the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, where nothing more could be done for the famous driver. Ayrton Senna died on the 11th floor of the intensive care unit at 6:37 p.m.

Italian sports news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport interviewed Giovanni Gordini, then head of the 118 emergency helicopter in Bologna, about his experience that day: "I heard the voice of Mauro Sacchetti (then health coordinator of the 118) over the radio with three clear words: Senna, Tamburello Accident".

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Giovanni Gordini said that he immediately flew to the scene of the accident, alarmed by this turn of events and the possible situation. But he immediately realized that "resuscitation measures had already begun, but he gave no signs of life. We all immediately understood the seriousness of the situation".

"From the first images (of the CT scan) we understood how critical the situation was, the confirmation came later with the electroencephalogram: it was flat, and his brain did not respond to electrical stimuli. The bleeding was too large and diffuse [...] Senna's brain shut down and went into what we call electrical silence," Gordini told the Gazzetta.

Senna's accident was not the first – or last – serious and fatal crash on the Italian course.

In fact, the Brazilian champion's accident was not even the only serious accident at the famous Imola circuit that weekend. On the contrary, that tragic Sunday was the cap on a truly shocking weekend in the sport.

The weekend started on a bad note with Rubens Barrichello's serious accident on April 19, 1994, during Friday practice for the San Marino Grand Prix, two days before Senna's death.

At 1:15 p.m, just 15 minutes before the start of qualifying, Barrichello's Jordan flew into the crash barriers at 200 kilometres per hour. "A real bomb," was what the spectators in the stands called it, as reported by Formula Passion.

Barrichello's car completely broke up, while the driver escaped unharmed. Help arrived in time for him too and there was good news in the hospital: "Apart from the shock, the lucky Rubens suffered a broken nose and bruises on a hand and ribs," Formula Passion reported, citing an article in La Stampa from April 30, 1994.

Imola was also the scene of another fatal accident, this time involving Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger, over what is considered by many to be the most tragic weekend in the history of the sport.

It was Saturday, April 30, 1994, during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix. The driver had damaged his car in a spin but, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, decided to do a quick lap.

Ratzenberger's Simtek failed to make the corner and, at 314.9 km/h, crashed into the outside wall of the corner named after Gilles Villeneuve (who also died in a crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian GP). Ratzenberger was taken to the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna, where his death was officially declared.

Although these are undoubtedly the most notorious Imola incidents, there's also a range of lesser-known accidents that have occurred at the iconic Italian circuit.

In 1992, driver Riccardo Patrese was involved in an accident during the third day of practice at the famous circuit. Luckily, it was just a scare for him. Despite the accident, Patrese managed to get out of the single-seater on his own two feet.

"I was afraid for a moment. If I limited the damage, it's thanks to my physique," said the driver in an article in La Repubblica on May 9, 1992.

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During testing before the 1991 San Marino GP, Michele Alboreto crashed his Footwork Porsche.

His car was also destroyed by the heavy impact and caught fire. Fortunately, the driver was able to get himself out of the car and only sustained an injury to his right leg.

A few years earlier, on April 23, 1989, it was Austrian driver Gerhard Berger's turn – luckily this was not a fatal collision.

Gerhard Berger was on his third lap at the wheel of his Ferrari 640 when he crashed at 200 km/h at the Tamburello corner without trying to steer.

The driver suffered only a few scratches and burns, but Ferrari decided to pull Nigel Mansell's other car out of service, as a mechanical problem could have been at the root of the crash.

The 1987 Imola Grand Prix was also marked by an accident during practice. This time it was Nelson Piquet, also a three-time Formula 1 world champion.

During free practice on Friday, Piquet's Williams-Honda stalled after a spin in the Tamburello corner. Luckily, he was unharmed, but couldn't take part in the race. Despite this, Piquet won the world championship that year.

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