I had just got out of my car and was setting up my bike at the foot of Mastiles Lane in the North Yorkshire Dales. A radio report said he was injured but it wasn't serious.
By the time I had completed the ride, some 2 or 3 hours later, he was dead.
30 years ago?
You are Michael J Fox and I claim the keys to your DeLorean.
30? I think it was less than that! I was in the phonebox calling mrshora outside my flat after I'd comeback from seeing her. She broke the news to me that he was confirmed dead 🙁
Today was NOT thirty years ago!!
Was it?
Oh and I was watching the race on telly.
1994
15 🙂 I'm sure that's a deliberate slip (unless I'm older than I think I am)
🙄
Oops - 15 years ago - were musing in the office about Buggles 'Radio Star' being 30 years old too and mis-typed!
Yes - 15 years ago.
Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
What are you all talking about? I didn't say it was 30 years ago. Or did I just jump in my DeLorean again and update the post? 😉
watching the telly and wondering who roland ratzenburger was
My Google calendar doesn't go back that far.
Watching the race on telly, whilst stripping the paint off the woodwork after having a couple of lunchtime sherberts. Not a good combination!!
Roland Ratzenburger- That was very sad. Hence the introduction of the higher side pods to protect the head/neck following his death. He broke his neck didnt he? (sideways forces)
watching the race with my cousin. the ironic thing was she walked out saying it was boring and just as she left the room it happened.
I was walking to my friend's house. His name was David Armstrong. I remember him opening the door and saying "Aryton Senna's just been in a massive crash"
I remember we'd been out that day. Me and my Dad sat down to watch the highlights that evening only to see a very sad Murry Walker with the news he'd died.
Gutted about Roland R and wondering what else would happen. Was watching the race and it looked bad for Senna.
My then missus was working for a publishing company out of Malvern, she phoned me up to find out how bad it was, deflected attention from the fact that she was screwing her boss. All in all a crap weekend.
Funny but it seems longer ago than that. Oh and she is no longer my missus.
Watching the race in horror at my parents home while mum cooked roast beef.
Was a very sad weekend for F1 fans 🙁
watching the race with my cousin. the ironic thing was she walked out saying it was boring and just as she left the room it happened.
Who is now your wife and you both live in Todmorden? 8) 😆
Was watching the race and kept expecting to see him at least waving from the stretcher.
And a few years before that I remember walking out from my Saturday job to get picked up by my brother who just said - "Villeneuve's dead".
I think Senna is the last F1 driver to have died in a crash. One record of his that I hope nobody breaks.
watching the race on telly. I remember my dad saying about 5 minutes earlier.
"These new rules will have someone killed, mark my words"
Theres been a few close calls though. Mika in his early F1 career (fractured skull?) and another driver later on in Monza?
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00359.html
I'm amazed that Mika didnt lose his hunger/desire to win beyond this. I remember it being alot worse than the above online that I found.
Who was it at Monza? It was a serious- It wasnt Schu was it?!
Trying to take it all in lying on the floor with the a huge hangover from a very heavy session in the Trent / WHQ in Newcastle.
I was 13 then and watching it on our new (2nd hand) Sony TV, got it set up just in time for the race.
Remember that weekend vividly...the whole race weekend was full of terrible incidents not just the 2 terrible deaths. Barrichello had a high speed impact in practice/quali after launching into the tyre wall (narrowly avoided flying over it altogether), and a wayward tyre was sent flying into the crowd at the race start after someone went into the back of a stalled car on the grid...I think I mechanic got run over and hurt in the pit lane as well during the race. Tragic weekend from the start. 🙁
Roland Ratzenburger- That was very sad. Hence the introduction of the higher side pods to protect the head/neck following his death. He broke his neck didnt he? (sideways forces)
Very sad - the head on impact force detached the spinal cord from the skull (forward movement) hence the into of the HANS device.
Only GP I'd not watched for a long time but after the death of Raztenberger I decided to go out for the GP. Got back to my uni halls and my friends told me Senna had died.
I was watching the race on Eurosport [I think] & it was far too graphic for my stomach so I went & sat in the garden with a drink, saddened at what was obviously going to be a fatal crash
i was playing cricket for Kirkham and Wesham (home game) one of the guys mentioned Senna had died and no-one believed him. Sunny afternoon as I recall
Barrichello had a high speed impact
and only survived by the quick intervention by the medical teams - having been knocked unconcious in the impact, and swallowed his tounge.
I was watching the race. I remember thinking that he wasn't going to be ok after the impact. We were having a barbeque in the garden and I remember going in to check on teletext/news to see his condition. Can't believe its 15 years ago.
I can still remember the shock of seeing the news, similar to when I heard of the death of Elio de Angelis when testing his Brabham BT55 and the deaths Henry Toivonen/Sergio Cresto and David Metcalfe in other accidents.
The most shocking one that I can remember was the death of Ricardo Paletti in 1981? when his car caught fire.
Motorsport is very dangerous, which is obviously part of the appeal.
I was watching some racing driver crash flatout into a barrier and clearly die instantly or was that someone else?
i was in sunny bosnia iirc dont time fly
I have no idea what I was doing, tbh. Not a particularly memorable news story as far as I'm concerned.
Had just got back from a ride in Epping Forest and unloading the bikes at my mate's flat in Camden when someone told us Senna had died.
I was rebuilding the engine for my willys Jeep.
But wasn't AS accident in the practice/Qualifing and not the race?
I was watching some racing driver crash flatout into a barrier and clearly die instantly or was that someone else?
If that refers to the OP - as I said, I heard a radio report - that report suggested it wasn't serious. They were clearly wrong.
But wasn't AS accident in the practice/Qualifing and not the race?
No, it was in the race, after a re-start from behind the safety car.
the head on impact force detached the spinal cord from the skull (forward movement) hence the intro of the HANS device.
HANS not mandatory until 2003, nearly ten years later.
If that refers to the OP - as I said, I heard a radio report - that report suggested it wasn't serious. They were clearly wrong.
Yeah miles wrong it was evident within seconds but radio doesn't get the impression over the same as live TV.
the head on impact force detached the spinal cord from the skull (forward movement) hence the intro of the HANS device.
And doubt it would stop a suspension strut going through a skull either.
Packing to go on a Duke of Edin exhibition and keeping an eye on the race.
A grim weekend, and I'm not sure I've ever really been so bothered about F1 since then.
i watched the race and shortly after the crash had to leave for a rowing race in London docklands. Got back home afterwards and sadly heard the news i was expecting.
Setting aside the sadness of Senna dying, it also robbed us of what i reckon would have been two or three years of amazing senna and schumacher battles.
Visiting family in Llandudno at the time, didn't see race but was told when we got back to the folks house. The next time we visited one of the space shuttles exploded, and then driving up there couple of years ago came on the radio that Colin McRae had been killed. Spooky.
Was watching the race and trying to convince myself I had seen him move his head shortly after coming to rest. Didn't one of the drivers drive round the track after a few minutes, to see what was happening or something?
I was only 10, but was obsessed with F1. Remember driving (edit: being driven!) back from visiting some friends of my parents listening to it on the radio, it was a lovely sunny day if memory serves.
I remember calling my dad in when the crash had just happened by shouting "Senna has just died". The way his head flopped about. Awful.
I was sat there watching it (15 at the time) and hoping he'd move.
Was a very very un-nerving sight seeing that car take off from the kerb and 'float' over the sand trap.
Still sends a cold shiver down my back.
I was at Stonleigh at the Kit Car show when the news went through the main hall like wild fire.
Driving over Whinlatter Pass after doing a walk near Loweswater listening to Ipswich Town vs Man Utd on 5 live. They interrupted the match to break the news. Inconsiderate b'stards could've waited till half time.
We won BTW 2-1
Not a big F1 fan.(motoGP)
We were camped at Buttermere, been doing a bit of backpacking, always took a radio, heard it on Radio 4. Then remember walking down to the lake side the following morning and Buttermere was absolutely flat calm, beautiful.
I was watching it. Wheeeeeeee smack.
C'est la vie.
Pickers stay away from Llandudno. 😀
Surfing @ Hells Mouth N.Wales. Very sad, terible weekend.
i was watching the race in helsinki, just started a 6 month university placement / work experience. F1 is massive in Finland and i just remember the girl i was seeing at the time (hot finnish chick) crying all day that sunday.. I still cant believe that we were robbed of a true, true legend instead of the germanic robot we had to endure for 10 years or so.
At home, lovely warm sunny day, turned to a chilled heartless day..Sorry but I liked Senna a lot..Terrible way to die..
I watched it all live on tv when I should have been doing my GCSE homework.
I was stunned by the Saturday death (Ford Simtek MTV/Roland) and nobody gave a toss until Sunday when Senna died at the same place.
I remember the ariel helicopter view on tv with Senna out of the car and the emergency crew over him. Not a great sight for anyone in that position.
I feel sorry for anyones death but to me Senna was a great driver but no equally special than a fat rider on this forum I would treat equally as him.
Sennas death was a 'Kennedy moment' then? No disrespect to the guy and I know he was a great talent but it really had that effect on you?
I guess he was a hero to some Heather like Princess Di was to alot but not me.
I don't worship heroes but after reading the forum for years I'm not going to take the pi%% as I usually do.
Let them rejoice in their hero(s) if it makes them happy and keeps them off drugs etc.
Came back from a race at Eston Hills to find out Senna had died.
Lost interest in F1 afterwards and imho, it has never been the same since...
Zaskar what are you saying? Keep them off the drugs? WTF is that supposed to mean?
I was riding at a NEMA mtb race in teeside (eston hills??). They announced the crash over the tannoy....
camping near Up Hatherly nr Cheltenham in an ex BT LDV boxvan
I was surfing, way down in the far west of Cornwall. It was a great weekend with good surf and nice weather. Not really a fan of F1 but it seemed like it was a big deal to a lot of people.
I was out on a long road ride. I'd had no intention of going riding that day as I'm a massive F1 fan and never missed a race, but my mate talked me into riding because it was such a nice day! I taped the race though and still have recordings of both the qualifying and race.
Sat watching the race and thinking "Oh Shit!"
I was watching the qualifying when RR had his fatal accident on the Saturday and watching the race on the Sunday when Senna had his fatal accident.
The Imola circuit was redesigned for the following season and more or less sanitied the epic races we used to watch.
(Hans devices were taken from American Indie car racing and made compulsory in F1)
RepacK - Member
Zaskar what are you saying? Keep them off the drugs? WTF is that supposed to mean?
Keep the weirdos who can't think for themselves and to keep them off the streets etc. Just kidding.
"Whatever makes the people happy!" is the best way to put it. Senna made folks on here "Happy".
Some folks are happy and don't need a hero. Then there is the media circus ploughed into peoples brains but lets not go there... 😈
i was on the west coast of Scotland visiting ayr's toon center
No need for cheap shots Zaskar - Senna was a hero for a lot of people world wide, whats up dont you have any heroes??
I destinctly remember that afternoon.. I'd just returned from a MTB club ride at Motosport in Cranleigh, Surrey.
..Settled down to watch the F1 as usual, and then everything just became a bit surreal.. Sad day.