When Roland Ratzenberger crashed brutally during qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Formula One was forced to face mortality for the first time in eight years, but the death the following day of Ayrton Senna cast a shadow over Ratzenberger’s tragedy. Twenty years on, Ratzenberger’s memory breathes, as does his legacy. Leigh O’Gorman spoke to the drivers who raced against and knew him, as they remember Roland Ratzenberger – Formula One’s forgotten man.
Tag: ratzenberger
“The Forgotten Man: Roland Ratzenberger”
When Roland Ratzenberger hit the wall at Villeneuve corner at Imola on April 30th 1994, Formula 1 was left to face with its first competitive fatality since Ricardo Paletti at Montreal twelve years earlier.
Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger: 15 Years On
Today Ayrton Senna would have been 50 years old. This is a piece that I wrote for his 15th anniversary - I felt it was apt then and still feel that it is apt now. ------ It feels so long ago, yet it still haunts. Today is the fifteenth anniversary of Ayrton Senna's Death - … Continue reading Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger: 15 Years On
Formula 1 Testing (Jerez, February 10th-13th)
The second test got under way on Wednesday and saw the first runs for the Force India and Virgin F1 teams, the latter of which should raise an eyebrow for a few reasons. Firstly, the new Virgin machine is the first F1 car to run that was developed by Nick Wirth using just Computational Fluid … Continue reading Formula 1 Testing (Jerez, February 10th-13th)
Greg Moore: 10 Years On
One of the drawbacks of motor-racing is its dangers. Even at the very pinnacle, accidents can happen - whether they be through driver error or mechanical fault; however, every so often, there is an accident that is so devastatingly huge that leaves chills down your spine.