Senna 20 years on
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/27204026

One of the best F1 drivers out there, a legend who will never be forgotten.

http://marciokenobi.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/361.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUNTtvMOtQ

Spent many a Sunday at home and whilst living in Holland admiring his prowess behind the wheel :sunny:

Don't forget Roland Ratzenberger, he died the day before!

That was indeed a tragic week end for F1

Magic

It was a terrible weekend indeed, you had Barrichello on Friday flying into the wall of tires, Ratzenberger's fatal accident on Saturday's Qualification and Senna's fatal accident on Sunday. :nope:

Formula 1 owes these two a lot for the security measures taken to increase the survivability of the drivers in a terrible accident and for the last 20 years it paid off and hope it remains that way for years to come.

Yikes, 20 years already. Cripes. :nope:

Senna's and Ratzenberger's accidents and later Schumacher's lobbying and pressing are the reasons why Formula 1 today is one of the safest racing series out there. Seen that way, that black weekend at Imola was not in vein, and has probably saved the lives of many others.Two lives traded for the lives of many more others - fair deal. Saying so with good respect for the men.

"Fair deal"?

I take your point but I wonder if the two that are dead would agree :hmmm:

Sounds grim, I know. But is true. Two lives for that of many more instead. Formula 1 before had seen many and quite horrific accidents - frequently. From the 50s and 60s there is video footage that looks like war movies.

Yes but both men were so young and doubtless many other deceased were.

It's just a pity the safety improvements came about as a result of two recent (at the time) deaths.

Isn't this the way so many things in the world move on - improvements done and reconsidering things not before fate has struck really badly?

All I wanted to say in principle is that their deaths had not been in vein, and that Schumacher also has his big merits in improving safety. They say no other driver lobbied that determined for better safety in F1 (because Senna was his idol), he also managed to unite drivers on that task, beyond the existing team rivalry. Not all team managements welcomed his initiatives.

Cough... Jackie Stewart...

Stewart is personally responsible for the driver campaign to improve circuits and equipment safety through the 60's and 70's and is still active in making improvements across motor sport.

I'm not diminishing Schumachers work but Stewart has certainly done more for drivers safety over a much longer period.

I'll just leave Prof. Sid Watkins name here. :03:

Oh yes but we're talking drivers not neurosurgeons.