At Imola San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994 it was a dark day for Formula 1. Prior to the race there were many accidents that occured. First it was Barrichello who nearly died in Friday practice session. It was a worst case scenario for the Formula 1 community. Then it got worst, as Roland Ratzenberger crashed heavily in the Villeneuve corner of the track and died.
It was a terrifying scene because the car bounced off the wall, and you can see Roland's head was just hanging off the left side part of the cockpit as the car skidded back on to the track. It was one of the major fatality in F1 in a long time. It schocked the drivers as well as the fans. Senna predicted after the 1993 season that there will be a lot of crashes because the FIA banned all the drivers aid. Drivers aids a like traction control, active suspension, and other equipment that helped improved safety.
As it happened on that faithfull day in San Marino Grand Prix when Senna's FW16 plunged into the Tamburello corner. At first glanced it look like any other accidents in any motor racing. You would have thought that after the crash Senna would just have walked away from the huge crash, but unfortunately it was not to be. A piece of suspension turned into a dangerous shraphnel and it pierced through Ayrton's helmet. It's amazing when you're a racing driver it seems that every race there is a probability that you might die.
Ayrton Senna lived to race and he never back down from it. It was as if it was the only thing that mattered to him, winning and racing. It was an apocalyptic schocked to everyone from the Formula 1 drivers to the media and the fans as well. Ayrton's death brought about the safety level of the F1 car to a higher level. His death also brought about the change in the Tamburello corner. Today its a chicane rather than a fast left hander corner. This incident left many in a somber state and Formula 1 will never be the same again.
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