Senna’s fatal crash explained and how F1 changed ahead of new Netflix series

The new six-part Netflix series covers his life from his early karting days, his great successes in F1 and the background to his fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on May 1, 1994.

The Netflix drama Senna chronicles the life of the iconic Brazilian racing driver, from his rise to three F1 world championships to his tragic death in 1994.

Ayrton Senna is revered as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, thanks to his fierce and aggressive driving style that earned him F1 world championships, 41 wins, 65 pole positions, 19 fastest laps and 80 podium finishes.

The new six-part series on Netflix delves into his life, starting with his early karting days, his monumental successes in F1 and the circumstances leading up to his fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on May 1, 1994.

While driving for Williams, Senna crashed on the seventh lap at the high-speed left-hander Tamburello corner. The accident resulted in him receiving extensive medical attention and he was airlifted to hospital, but he later succumbed to his serious injuries.

That same weekend there were two other serious incidents that overshadowed the race weekend and spurred significant safety improvements in F1. The first was a serious crash involving Jordan driver Rubens Barrichello, who was knocked unconscious when his car rolled after a high-speed collision during Friday’s practice, reports the mirror.

The other incident saw Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger killed in a crash during qualifying, making it seem more unbelievable that the race weekend went ahead.

The Netflix drama only depicts what happened in the crash and the immediate aftermath, but what happened after his crash and what changes were introduced to Formula 1?

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What happened after the crash?

Senna was leading the San Marino GP ahead of Benetton’s Michael Schumacher when the safety car retired to the pit lane.

When the race resumed, the Brazilian driver crashed on lap seven at the Tamburello corner, hitting the barrier at 131 km/h after coming off the track at 192 km/h. The high-speed collision ripped the front right wheel and nose cone off his Williams FW16, forcing Senna’s head back into the headrest and fracturing his skull.

The front right wheel hit Senna’s helmet, and parts of the suspension and upright unit pierced it as well. Senna suffered three serious injuries, each of which could have been fatal.

Although Senna’s head moved slightly afterwards, it was clear that he had sustained serious injuries. Medical personnel rushed to the scene to provide immediate medical attention.

Reverend physician and neurosurgeon Sid Watkins performed an emergency tracheotomy to secure an airway, clear the airway, stop blood flow, replace lost blood, and immobilize the cervical region.

Senna was taken to Maggiore Hospital, where doctors rushed him into intensive care. Meanwhile, the race restarted 37 minutes after his devastating crash.

Senna’s heart stopped beating just after 3pm local time. Doctors managed to restart it but decided not to attempt resuscitation after another stoppage at 6.37pm.

Around 7pm the world was informed that Ayrton Senna had passed away.

Senna’s state funeral in Brazil

The Brazilian government announced three days of mourning in honor of the driver’s passing. On May 5, his funeral drew an estimated three million people who lined the streets of Sao Paulo to pay their respects to Senna and mourn the loss of a national icon.

The funeral, attended by several notable figures from the world of motorsport, was broadcast live on Brazilian television.

At the subsequent Monaco race, the FIA ​​chose to leave the first two grid positions vacant and painted them with the colors of the Brazilian and Austrian flags, as a tribute to Senna and Ratzenberger. A moment of silence was also observed by the drivers.

How F1 became safer after fatal accidents at Imola

Retired F1 World Champion Niki Lauda announced the reformation of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) at the following Monaco race. He, along with other drivers, would advocate for improved safety measures in the sport and become an important voice for the FIA.

Immediate changes were implemented for the Spanish GP and the Canadian GP, ​​with further changes including improved guardrails, redesigned tracks and tire barriers.

The cars were also improved – higher thresholds were installed on the driver’s cabin and a limit was imposed on 3-liter engines.

Over the years, several safety improvements were introduced to minimize the number of serious accidents in F1. Since Senna’s on-track fatal accident, there has only been one more fatal accident in F1 – Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

Formula 1 is continuously improving safety measures for both its drivers and spectators with the introduction of Halo in the cockpit and the implementation of the virtual safety car.