The Last Drive: The weekend that shook the world

It was meant to be a thrilling start to the European leg of the 1994 Formula 1 season – a chance for the sport’s brightest stars to showcase their talent on one of its most challenging circuits.

Instead, the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola became a dark chapter in motorsport history – a weekend marked by fear, tragedy, and the loss of one of the greatest drivers the world has ever known: Ayrton Senna.

Friday: The First Warning Signs

The weekend began ominously. During Friday’s first qualifying session, Rubens Barrichello, a young Brazilian rising star, lost control of his Jordan-Hart at the Variante Bassa chicane.

The car hit the kerb, launched into the air, and slammed violently into the tire barriers before flipping upside down.

Barrichello was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken nose and arm. The paddock held its breath.

Senna, watching the replays in the Williams garage, was visibly shaken. Later, he went to the hospital to visit his fellow competitor – a rare and touching act of compassion.

Saturday: The Death of Roland Ratzenberger

The following day brought heartbreak. Roland Ratzenberger, the Austrian rookie driving for Simtek, suffered a front wing failure after running over a curb.

At more than 190 mph, his car shot straight into the concrete wall at the Villeneuve corner.

The impact was fatal. Ratzenberger death – the first during a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend in 12 years – sent shockwaves through the entire paddock.

Senna, deeply affected, drove to the crash site in the medical car.

Sunday: The death of a legend

Race day dawned bright and still, but the mood at Imola was heavy.

Before the start, Senna met with fellow drivers, including Micheal Schumacher, to discuss reviving the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) – a group aimed at improving safety.

It would be his final act of leadership.

As the lights went out, chaos struck immediately.

JJ Lehto’s Benetton stalled on the grid, and Pedro Lamy’s Lotus plowed into it, scattering debris and injuring several spectators.

The safety car was deployed for five laps, allowing tire temperatures to drop dangerously.

On lap six, the race restarted. Senna led Schumacher into Tamburello – the high-speed left-hander where his fate awaited.

On lap seven, his Williams FW16 veered suddenly off the racing line.

Travelling at around 135mph, the car slammed into the concrete wall.

A suspension arm penetrated his helmet. Marshals and medics rushed to the scene, but the injuries were too catastrophic.

Despite every effort, Ayrton Senna de Silva was pronounced dead at Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital that afternoon. He was only 34 years old.

Aftermath: The day F1 stopped

Two drivers dead in one weekend. Formula 1, once thought invincible, was humbled.

When news of Senna’s death broke, the motorsport world froze. Brazil entered a period of national mourning.

Three million people lined the streets of São Paulo as his coffin, draped in the green and gold flag, made its final journey.

He was buried as a hero – not just of racing, but for his spirit and courage.

Legacy: Out of the Darkness

From the wreckage of Imola came a revolution. The FIA and F1 teams united to overhaul safety.

Tracks were redesigned with greater run-off areas; car construction was strengthened; medical response became faster and more efficient.

The GDPA, reformed at Senna’s suggestion, became instrumental in driving those reforms.

Today, every barrier, every cockpit protection system – even the Halo device – carries the unseen legacy of Imola 1994.

Formula 1 became safer because of the lives lost that weekend.

Ayrton Senna: The eternal flame

Ayrton Senna remains more than a racing driver. He was a philosopher behind the wheel – a man who sought perfection not just in speed, but in soul.

Imola 1994 will forever be remembered with sorrow, but also as the moment Formula 1 found its conscience.

“Racing is in my blood. It makes me feel alive,” Senna had said.

Those drivers lost during that weekend lived and died doing what they loved most.

And in doing so, changed the sport forever.