Memories and tributes for Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna they have arrived in large numbers in recent days, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of that tragic weekend in Imola. In particular, Heinz Harald Frentzen he retraced what happened published by telling stories on his Twitter profile, focusing on the feelings and thoughts of those who directly witnessed those disasters, of those who had to show themselves strong and wear a helmet despite everything. Opening his account, the first thing you see are two photos, with Ratzenberger on the left and Senna on the right, and a simple sentence: “On Saturday I lost a friend, on Sunday my motorsport god“.
“While I was driving to Imola I was listening to “Streets of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen, because it was a hit at the time. This song always reminds me of that depressing weekend and the days after. Until after Q1 everything seemed almost normal”, the German wrote again. Replying to a user who posted Katayama’s video, the first to come out after Ratzenberger’s accident, he then said: “Many people improved their times from Friday to Saturday for qualifying. I didn’t succeed. After seeing Roland’s accident on TV I knew he was dead. I felt it, even though no one had told me and everyone pretended that the situation was normal. I was never the same again. I felt bad when I heard the news, because I felt guilty. Before the season started, or it was even in 1993, I got a phone call from a person at Smitek, asking about him. I told him that Roland was the best candidate for a seat in Formula 1 because he had a lot of experience, equal to no other rookie. I waited for him outside while he signed his contractWhen I came out he had a huge smile, and I helped him get ready for the season.”
“After Sunday I considered retiring“, Frentzen then confessed to those who asked him about Ayrton. “After Saturday I didn’t speak to anyone, least of all Ayrton, who however wanted to stop the race. I remember him when he stopped at the Sauber motorhome to ask me how my season was going. I was impressed that he knew who I was. I never told him I was an admirer. I completely forgot the details of the race, my mind wasn’t there. I then went to the mountains for a week to understand what to do. Returning to Munich I convinced myself that this is the price for passion and I was motivated more than ever. The fact is that Formula 1 had become too fast. After 30 years the wounds are closing and there have been many safety improvements. Even my accident in Montreal in 1999 would have had a different ending without these devices.”
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