30 years since the historic F1 race
Ferrari’s racing event, “Finale Mondiali,” was held at the Imola Circuit, where hypercars from F1 and WEC also made demo runs.
The San Marino Grand Prix, held at the Imola Circuit near Bologna, Italy in May 1994, was one of the most tragic races in F1 history. Jordan’s Rubens Barrichello was injured in a crash during Friday’s qualifying, followed by Simtek’s Roland Ratzenberger’s fatal crash during Saturday’s qualifying. Then, in Sunday’s final, Ayrton Senna, the biggest hero in F1 at the time, lost his life in an accident.
This race has been covered by many media outside of motorsports and is still talked about today. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this historic race, and I had the opportunity to visit the Imola Circuit.
The purpose of my visit was to cover the Ferrari racing event “Finali Mondiali,” held at the Imola Circuit. This event is the final round of the Ferrari Challenge European Series and North American Series, and has been held alternately in recent years at Imola and the Mugello Circuit near Florence. Italians love Ferrari, and despite the unfortunate rain, more than 30,000 spectators gathered, creating a huge excitement for the event.
All the car-loving teenagers of that time were crazy about F1.
There is a sign on the circuit that guides you to the Senna monument. The surrounding area is a park, and there is exercise equipment just behind the monument.
In fact, ever since I decided to go to Imola, I had heard from an acquaintance that there was a monument on the circuit commemorating Ratzenberger and Senna, who died in the 1994 race, and I had been eager to visit. At the time of the accident, I wasn’t an avid F1 fan, but I remember that all young people who loved cars at the time were crazy about F1. Senna, in particular, was driving for Williams at the time of the accident, but his period driving for a Honda-engine McLaren overlapped with the unprecedented F1 boom, so he was a beloved figure among many fans.
On Sunday evening, the final day of the Finali Mondiali, I decided to visit the Senna monument before returning to the hotel after finishing my interview. After the event, the spectators began to leave the grandstands, and the circuit became quiet. I walked along the path along the course from the second floor of the pit where the press room was located. The monument is located inside the Tamburello corner where Senna died.
Messages from fans were displayed everywhere
The fence that separates the course from the monument was decorated with the flag of Senna’s native Brazil, flowers, and messages paying tribute to his achievements at the time.
We arrived at Tamburello Corner in about 10 minutes, and there it was, with a more tranquil presence than I’d imagined. A few meters ahead, beyond the fence, lay the racing course, with several Ferrari road cars racing along, perhaps as the final entertainment of the day. Listening to the roar of the exhaust fading away, I gazed upon the nearly life-size bronze statue of Senna, his head bowed, its sad expression striking. However, the base was crammed with flags and flowers bearing messages from fans, giving the impression that Senna’s popularity is still alive and well around the world.
The area around the monument has been developed as a park, and when I visited, I could see families strolling around with strollers. The statue looks lonely at first glance, but the carvings on the base of the statue of Senna in his heyday – struggling in the cockpit of his car, and fighting with champagne on the podium – vividly evoked the brilliance of his racing days. I’m glad I came. I was reminded that motorsports are dangerous, but they also have the power to leave such an impression on so many people’s hearts. If you visit Imola, I highly recommend stopping by; this is the holy land of F1, which I discovered 30 years after the accident.
