The 2024 season of Formula 1 will be commencing soon, with the first race in just under a month. Hence, the calendar will be fully stacked with 24 races throughout the season. However, in the 2023 season, Emilia-Romagna GP was canceled due to the torrential rains throughout the region. Regardless, 2024 marks 30 years to Ayrton Senna‘s tragic death on the circuit.
The 1994 San Marino GP is remembered as one of the most tragic races ever in the history of Formula 1. The race saw the death of two precious drivers in the sport, Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. The two deaths were separated by just one day, and this tragedy caused some major changes to the circuit’s layout.
There are multiple reminders of the tragedy that was struck back in 1994. The Tamburello corner, where Senna crashed will include a statue of Ayrton Senna to honor the three-time world champion’s death in F1. Additionally, a monument to Ratzenberger will be set up at the Tosa Fork to honor the driver’s death.
Hence, as a tribute to the drivers, the Imola GP will include a special tint to honor 30 years of the tragedy that struck the drivers. Stefano Bonaccini, the President of Emilia-Romagna highlighted that the GP was enriched with multiple profound meanings to honor Senna’s death in the sport. Additionally, the tint would also be a signal for restart after the floods in the region in the previous year.
This year, the Grand Prix is enriched with other profound meanings: the memory of a champion as beloved as Ayrton Senna and a strong signal of restart in the Romagna hit by the flood Bonnacini said, as reported by soymotor.com.
The 1994 tragedy forced Formula 1 to bring about multiple changes to the sport
The circuit had seen multiple high-profile crashes at Imola circuit during multiple sessions. However, no major changes were brought to the track before the sport lost two precious lives. Hence the two back-to-back crashes were a turning point for Formula 1 regarding the safety of drivers in the sport. As a result, the 1994 San Marino GP forced the sport to make multiple safety changes.
The sport introduced HANS (Head and Neck Support System) after the Imola accident to provide more support to the drivers in the cockpit and avoid accidents like those of Ratzenberger. The famous ‘plank’ that is seen on the underbody of the cars was introduced following the tragedies of the 1994 season, which further increased the F1 car’s durability.
Hence, the 2024 season would be exciting, especially with the remembrance of the 1994 tragedy. Ayrton Senna was an integral part of the sport and his death shook the entire world. Hence, the changes that F1 continuously brings to the sport are definitely in the best interest of the drivers’ safety while racing in the high-adrenaline sport.
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