Ayrton Senna's Last Race: Did He Know Something?

Ayrton Senna's last race: Imola 1994, the weekend that changed Formula 1 forever. On Friday, Rubens Barrichello's Jordan was launched into a tyre barrier. On Saturday, Roland Ratzenberger was killed in qualifying, the first death at a Grand Prix weekend in twelve years. On Sunday, May 1st, on lap 7, three-time world champion Ayrton Senna's Williams went straight on at Tamburello. This is the full story: the modified steering column, the Austrian flag in his cockpit, a court case that lasted more than a decade, and the safety revolution that followed. Chapters: 0:00 Imola, 1994 0:16 Who was Ayrton Senna? 1:06 Williams and the troubled FW16 1:53 Friday: Barrichello's crash 2:37 Saturday: Roland Ratzenberger 3:56 Sunday, May 1st 4:26 Lap 7: Tamburello 4:59 Why did the car go straight? 5:50 The courtroom 6:27 What changed after Imola 7:04 Three days that changed F1 Subscribe for more of Formula 1's hidden stories. SportForYou is an independent fan channel, not affiliated with Formula 1, the FIA or any team. Some illustrations are AI-generated. #AyrtonSenna #F1 #Formula1 Image credits (Wikimedia Commons, edited and animated; CC BY-SA adaptations shared under the same licence): GSI Japan, Attribution: Aida (TI Circuit, now Okayama), aerial https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=12528... Ben Sutherland, CC BY 2.0: Prof. Sid Watkins, F1's medical chief https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=15507... Brian Snelson, CC BY 2.0: Williams-Renault FW16B, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=7305226 David Merrett, CC BY 2.0: Adrian Newey https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=18013... Instituto Ayrton Senna, CC BY 2.0: Senna in the McLaren pit box https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=21379... Ayrton Senna https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=28825... Ayrton Senna (thumbnail) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=21379524 Jen Ross, CC BY 2.0: The halo, modern F1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=10856... The halo, modern F1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=10856... madagascarica, CC BY 2.0: Senna on the podium, Belgian GP, 1989 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61778115 pher38, CC BY 2.0: Monaco Grand Prix, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=23359481 Carlomarzetti, CC BY 4.0: Michele Alboreto, Imola 1989 (thumbnail) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=18669... Carlomarzetti (crop: Danyele), CC BY 4.0: Michael Schumacher, Benetton launch, January 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=18757... ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY 4.0: Senna's grave, Morumbi Cemetery, São Paulo https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=18726... Martin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0: Ayrton Senna, British GP paddock, 1993 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61205... Senna, McLaren MP4/8, 1993 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61205... The Jordan team, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61204... Rubens Barrichello, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61211... Hill and Alesi, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61204... Senna, 1993 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=47889... Williams FW16, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61211... Williams FW16, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61204... Williams FW16, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61211... Benetton B194, 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=75961503 Rowan Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0: Tributes at Tamburello https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=66268096 Sgozzi, CC BY-SA 3.0: Roland Ratzenberger, Imola, 30 April 1994 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=5373051 Audi do Brasil, CC BY-SA 4.0: Interlagos, São Paulo https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=15287... DanteF56, CC BY-SA 4.0: Senna memorial, Imola https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=20055... Marcin Pultyn, CC BY-SA 4.0: Imola circuit today https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=20195... Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0: Senna's helmet, museum display https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=15100... Monia Mascagni, CC BY-SA 4.0: Tamburello today, Imola https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=82660... Imola, 25th anniversary, 2019 https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=82660404 Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0: Williams FW16 (reproduction) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61029... Williams FW16 (reproduction) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61029... Williams FW16 (reproduction) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=61029122 Rundvald, CC BY-SA 4.0: Roland Ratzenberger's helmet design https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=12984... Public domain / CC0: Imola circuit https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=12012... Senna mural, Pilar, Brazil https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=19322... Senna monument, Imola https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=17526... Other visuals: AI-generated illustrations and original SportForYou graphics.