The events of 1994 changed Formula 1 forever as Roland Ratzenberger an🎶d Ayrton Senna tragically lost their lives at Imola.

On May 1, 2025, it was the 31-year anniversary of Senna's death꧃.

Benetton’s early edge

Benetton’s Michael Schumacher arrived i💮n San Marino with a maximum 20 points to his name following back-to-back victories. Conversely, Senna failed to finish or ඣscore points in the opening two rounds as life at Williams started poorly following his switch from McLaren.

The controversy was alr🥀eady building with S𓃲enna adamant Benetton was using an illegal traction control system, with electronic driver aids banned for 1994.

With a chip on his 🐻shoulder and a 20-point deficit to make up on Schumacheꩵr at Imola, Senna had to fight back…

Barrichello sets the tone for F1’s darkest weekend

A yo🏅ung Rubens Barrichello headed to Imola following a remarkable star﷽t to the 1994 season.

Fourth on home soil in Brazil was followed up with a maiden podium in Japa𒆙n - confidence was high for Barrichello as he sat second in the champion😼ship.

In the first of two qualifying sessions, Barrichello hit the kerb at the Variante Bassa corner on his second lap at 225 km/h, launching ꦚhim into the air.

Barrichello smashed into the top of the tyre barrᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚier and was knocked unconscious by an impact measured at 95G. 

Professor ꦑSid Watkins and his medical team quickly made 💎their way to Barichello’s stricken Jordan - a cut to his face and a broken nose the state of his injuries.

When qualifying resumed, Oli🌊vier Beretta spun backwards into the wall at the same corner where Barrichello crashed, climbing out of his Larrousse unhurt.

F1 miraculously escaped its first💛 tragic a🧸ccident since 1982, but it had only escaped it for a day more.

Tragedy strikes on qualifying day 

After failing to secure a drive with Jordan in 1991, Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger made his F1 debut three years later�꧑� for the Simtek outfit. 

The Austrian finished fifth in the 1993 Le Mans 24 Hours before making𒅌 the move to F1 alongside David Brabham - the son of three-time Formula One world champion Jack.

As the second qualifying session of the weekend atඣ Imola began, Ratzenberger took to the track as he looked to make the grid for Sunday’s race.

Approxi🐷mately 20 minutes into the session, he went off the track at the Acqua Minerale chicane, damaging his front wing inཧ the process.

Ratzenberger didn’t return to the pits as he𝔉 looked to secure a grid s𓆏pot for Sunday’s grand prix. 

On the approach to the Villeneuve Corner, his front wing appeared to give way. He failed to turn into the corner and crashed into the outside concrete wall at 314 k🎃m/h.

The stꦯrength of the crash forced the front wheel to penetrate h💧is Simtek cockpit, leaving him with severe head injuries.

The seriousness 𓆏of the impact was apparent as Ratzenberger was quickly surrounded by Watkins and his me🔯dical staff.

Several minutes after arri💝val at the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, Ratzenberge𓄧r was pronounced dead - the official cause, a basilar skull fracture.

Roland’s death 🐈marked the first since 1982 when R♈iccardo Paletti was killed at the Canadian Grand Prix.

A timely reminder, 12 years on, 𒊎F1▨ was still dangerous.

The first fatal accident in years had hit the paddock hard, leading to the drivers agreeing to the reformation of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, with Senna, Schumacher and 🐼Gerhard Berger as its first d𒐪irectors.

A devastating d൩ay at Imola, but n💜o one could have predicted what would happen 24 hours later.

"This is the blackest day for Grand Prix racing that I can remember"

"What else do you need to do? You have been world champion three tim꧑es, you are obviou🌱sly the quickest driver. Give it up and let's go fishing," Watkins told Senna after Ratzenberger's accident.

Senna replied: "Sid, theꦫre are certain things over which we have no control. I cannot quit, I have to✃ go on."

♈And Senna would go on as he looked tꩵo convert pole position into his first win for Williams.

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix restar♏ted on Lap 5 after Pedro Lamy ran into the back of the st🦹alled Benetton of JJ Lehto. 

Senna maintained the lead ahead of Schumacher with the pair streaking a🐠head at the front of the field.

On Lap 7, on the appꩵroach to the Tamburello left-hander, Senna couldn’t make the turn in his Willia🍷ms, running off into the wall at a speed of 211 km/h.

Still to this day, there ꦯare varying theories as to what caused Senna’s accident at Tamburello.

Schumacher, who had been running right behind Senna, said:𝐆 “I saw that Senna’s car was touching the track at the back quite a lot 🌠on the lap before. It was very nervous in that corner, and he nearly lost it.

“Then on the next time through he did lꦦose it. The car just touched the track with the rear skids, went a bit sideways, and then he just lost it.”

Senna was lifted from his Williams 15 ✃minutes after his crash as the race was red-fl🤪agged.

The racing world had stopped, waiting for news, and it didn’t c🌺ome.

The race resumed 37 minutes after Senna’s accident as Schuma𝐆cher claimed his third win in a row ahead of Ferrari's Nicola Larini.

Unaware of Senna’s condition, Schumacher added a🦂fter the race: "I can't feel satisfied, 🧜I can't feel happy," given the events of the Imola weekend.

Over two hours af✨ter Schumacher took the chequered flag, d✤octors announced Senna had died. 

"This is the blackest da🔥y for Grand Prix racing that I can remember," legendaﷺry BBC commentator Murray Walker said.

A dark d✤ayꦦ for F1, but one that changed the sport forever. 

Imola 94’s lasting safety legacy

It’s wrong to say the events of Imola 1994 were the soleဣ catalyst for change as safety standards in F1 were improving up until this point.

Senna and Ratzenberger's deaths led to fundamental changes which are still protecting lives in F1 an𒆙d motorsport in 2021.

The introduction of the HANS device has helpeꦬd eradicate the effects of high-energy impac꧅ts which lead to injuries such as a basilar skull fracture.

Ratzenberger’s accident led to the increased advancement of the HANS device – Head and🔯 Neck Support ꦏ- which remains an integral part of driver safety equipment during a grand prix today.

The revival o🌟f the GPDA allowed for further changes, track modifications and car crash structures were the central focus as F1 upped its safety standards.

It wasn’t until 20 years later where a driver died du🎀e to injuries sustained at an F1 weekend as Jules Bianchi’s death in 2015 was a consequence of the injuries he sustained at Suzuka a year earlier.

Again, F1 responded with the Halo cockpit protection device - dubbed as ugly and unpopular among fans initial🍒ly. 

It ultimately serves its purpose of protecting drivers and ensuring modern day fans d🦄on’t have to experience what fans, drivers and everyone connected with motorsport had to go through in 19🐟94.

The events of 1994 will forever live in the memory of many as F1's darkest weekend.🔯