From calling him ‘the great forgotten’ so much, Roland Ratzenberger is already the great remembered. On April 30, 1994, one day before Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident, the Austrian also died from a strong impact in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix .
Imola was hosting the third round of the season, which in turn was Ratzenberger’s third in Formula 1, although he had only qualified for one race out of the two he had attempted.
However, his second round of qualifying at San Marino 1994 would not end. The 34-year-old driver, with the wing of his car damaged and at more than 310 km/h, suffered an accident at the Villeneuve chicane that caused a skull fracture and internal injuries. The impossible was tried, but there was nothing to do: the man from Salzburg died.
It was the first fatal accident in Formula 1 since the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix and, as is well known, it would not be the last, not only in the highest category, but also in that same Grand Prix.
We leave you the images of the 1994 season of a pilot whose tombstone reads a philosophy of life: “He lived for his dream”.
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: LAT Images
Photo by: LAT Images
Photo by: Photo 4
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: LAT Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
Photo by: Photo 4
- At the age of 34, Ratzenberger made his Formula 1 debut.
- The Simtek S941 Ford would be his first -and ultimately only- single-seater in Formula 1.
- Image 3 of the gallery was taken on Friday from the San Marino GP, and it shows Ayrton Senna with the Williams FW16 and behind Roland Ratzenberger, with the Simtek S941. It would be the last weekend for both of them.
- Simtek, his team: the British team was only two seasons in Formula 1, and that of 1994 was the first.
- Ratzenberger’s partner in all three Grands Prix he entered was David Brabham.
- Three drivers from Austria competed in Formula 1 that season: Gerhard Berger, from Ferrari; Roland Ratzenberger of Simtek; and Karl Wendlinger of Sauber.
- His debut in Formula 1 would be at the 1994 Brazilian GP, which opened the season. However, he failed to qualify for the race.
- The second test would be the Pacific Grand Prix, and there he would try to qualify for the race again.
- And yes, he managed to be part of the Pacific Grand Prix, although he was last in classification.
- Despite starting 26th, Ratzenberger took advantage of the numerous retirements and the circumstances of the Pacific GP to be 11th.
- Death: On April 30, 1994, while disputing the classification of the San Marino GP, Roland Ratzenberger lost his life. It was his third Grand Prix in F1.
