Senna's death and the other Imola accidents that changed F1 forever

Over the years, the Imola circuit has seen tragedies that have forever changed Formula 1 and the world of sport in general.

How could we forget that fateful day – May 1, 1994 – when three-time world champion Ayrton Senna died in a fatal accident on a bend in the Tamburello at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Many still remember the helicopter flight from that cursed 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.

The Gazzetta reported on the reminiscence of Giovanni Gordini, then head of the 118 in Bologna and now director of the resuscitation and emergency room: "I heard the voice of Mauro Sacchetti (then health coordinator of the 118) over the radio with three clear words: Senna, Tamburello Accident".

Giovanni Gordini recalls that he immediately drove 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".

Unfortunately, the helicopter flight could not save Senna's life: "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, 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".

Unfortunately, the Brazilian champion's accident was not the only serious accident at the famous Imola circuit. On the contrary, that tragic Sunday was the culmination of a truly painful weekend for the sporting world.

The tragic weekend had already begun 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 kilometers 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," said Formula Passion, which published an article in La Stampa on April 30 cited in 1994.

The Imola circuit was 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.

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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