How Did Ayrton Senna Die?
Ayrton Senna of Brazil and driver of the #1 Honda Marlboro McLaren McLaren MP4/6B Honda V12 poses for a portrait during practice for the Yellow Pages South African Grand Prix on 28th February 1992 at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Kyalami, South Africa.(Photo by Pascal Rondeau/Getty Images)
It’s been 30 years since Formula 1’s most high-profile death, that of Brazilian Ayrton Senna. With Netflix’s new mini-series Senna examining the Brazilian Formula 1 driver’s life, there have been a lot of questions about his death, which the series glosses over in an attempt to celebrate his legacy and not how his life ended. But how exactly did Senna die and what did Formula 1 learn from the Senna crash?
Ayrton Senna crashed in 1994 while he was leading the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola Circuit in Italy. Years later, the Supreme Court of Cassation of Italy ruled that his death was caused by a mechanical failure on the steering column of Senna’s car that occurred just as the driver was about to round the infamous Taumburello corner. No one was arrested because the statute of limitations had run out.
However, to this day, even though there is clear evidence of a mechanical failure, it is unknown if just that caused the crash, or if Senna’s car had a flat tire from debris in the track. What is known is that Senna’s car crashed into the wall, striking a concrete barrier. He was pulled from the car within minutes and airlifted to the hospital, but his head injuries were severe and he was declared dead in the hospital not long after.
As seen in the Senna mini-series, the reaction to Senna’s death was immense sorrow and an outpouring of grief not just from F1 fans, but from the entire country of Brazil, who saw in Senna as a hero. The San Marino Grand Prix was stopped after Senna’s death and the driver was given a State funeral in Brazil. The FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) left the first two grid positions–or the first two spots–empty in the next Formula 1 race, to honor Senna and Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger, who died during qualifying the day before Senna’s death.
Senna is now available on Netflix.