Car Racing's Biggest Tragedies
In Remembrance
Few things are as thrilling as motorsports, where drivers push their vehicles to the limits of speed and power. But with those thrills comes a whole lot of danger.
Here are ten disasters that left their mark on the world of racing.
Ayrton Senna, 1994 San Marino Grand Prix
Many fans of racing considered Ayrton Senna to be one of the world’s best Formula One drivers, which probably made his fatal crash all the more shocking.
It happened during the weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix,which had already proved deadly after Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger crashed into a barrier during qualifying.
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A Rough Start
Senna had an Austrian flag in his car, which he had planned to raise in memory of Ratzenberger as he crossed the finish line. Sadly, he never got the chance.
Senna’s race on the Imola circuit got off to a rough start, with Pedro Lamy and JJ Lehto crashing at the beginning of the competition. But it was the seventh lap that would prove deadly for Senna.
The Accident
As Senna passed the Tamburello corner at 192 mph, his car veered off the track. He managed to slow down to about 131 mph—but still couldn't stop his car from hitting a concrete wall.
The force of the collision tore off the front of Senna's car and sent pieces of the suspension and steering flying into the cockpit, killing the legendary driver.
