Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian race car driver who tragically passed away in a car crash on May 1, 1994. Reports suggest that a catastrophe occurred when he was dominating the now-infamous 1994 San Marino Grand Prix which was taking place in Italy.
According to Racing News 365, Ayrton represented the British Formula One team, Williams, in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Before joining them, he was on Team McLaren, with whom he won multiple Drivers’ Championships (1988, 1990 and 1991). Williams’s previous driver was Alain Prost, however, since he decided to hang his boots, it paved the way for Ayrton to join the team, and partner up with the now-retired British race car driver, Damon Hill. On the race day, authorities deployed a safety car, an Opel Vectra, to ensure the competitors’ protection. They did this because several fatal and non-fatal accidents led up to the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
During the race, unexpectedly, Ayrton Senna was in the lead. Nothing looked out of the ordinary during five laps, however, things went wrong when Ayrton signaled safety car driver Max Angelelli to drive faster on the sixth lap. Ayrton was still in the lead, and right behind him was Benetton’s Michael Schumacher. Unfortunately, the Brazilian’s car left the track and collided with a portion of an unprotected concrete barrier. The collision was so gruesome, that the car’s front-right wheel and nose cone came off.
Upon impact, Ayrton’s car’s front wheel entered the cockpit and struck his helmet, which resulted in skull fractures. Furthermore, debris from the crash penetrated his helmet, leading to head trauma. Eventually, Ayrton Senna succumbed to his wounds and died later that day.
The 2010 documentary, Senna, is based on his life, career, and tragic passing.
How old was Ayrton Senna at the time of his death?
At the time of his passing, Ayrton Senna was 34 years old. His biggest achievement was winning the prestigious Formula One World Championships three times.
According to Racing News 365, Ayrton’s car crashed into the concrete barrier at a speed of 211km/h. Just after the crash, he momentarily moved his head, which looked promising to everyone else because they believed, he was safe. However, fire marshals and medical staff soon arrived and began tending to his injuries. Neurosurgeon Sid Watkins performed an emergent tracheotomy and stabilized the 34-year-old’s condition, after which he was rushed to the ICU of Maggiore Hospital.
Ayrton’s heart stopped beating at around 3 pm, but medical professionals successfully managed to revive him. Unfortunately, it again stopped at 6:37 p.m., and this time around, doctors decided not to bring him back. At about 7:00 p.m., head physician Doctor Maria Teresa Fiandri, confirmed that Ayrton Senna was no more.
Ayrton Senna’s death was a national tragedy for Brazil. The Brazilians revered him so much that the government announced three days of mourning. His funeral, which took place on 5 May 1994, had a national broadcast. Additionally, close to 3 million people in Sao Paulo crowded the streets to express their despair.
After Ayrton’s tragic death, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) made several changes to future races, that ensured the safety of race car drives.
