A bond that time has not damaged. And indeed which the inexorable passing of the years has amplified in the collective memory. In that of the enthusiasts, who last May 1st 20,000 of them arrived at the Tamburello for the official commemoration; and in that of a city that since that cursed 1994 has made Ayrton Senna the best-known adopted son in the world, honoring his memory in the best possible way over these 30 years. To remember it, on Sunday at 1.40pm, the four-time world champion Sebastain Vettel will pilot the MP4/8 with which the Brazilian contested the World Championship in 1993. Gasly will instead remember the Brazilian champion with a special helmet.
The pilot from Sao Paulo is celebrated by an iconic monument in the Acque mineral park, not far from the site of the tragic crash on May 1st six decades ago. It is the work of the Tuscan artist Stefano Pierotti, who returned to Imola in recent weeks to create an ideal connection between that statue and the rest of the city through the installation of a new wall panel on an Acer building in the Marconi district. But since 2019, Ayrton’s eyes framed by his unmistakable helmet are also well represented by the mural designed by the Brazilian artist Kobra on the main facade of the Autodromo museum. And the square at the entrance to the circuit, as well as one of the rooms of the facility, has long been named after the unforgettable driver.
Senna’s story at the San Marino GP is a story that began ten years before its tragic epilogue. May 1984: at the wheel of his Toleman, Senna fails to qualify for a race for the first and only time in his career. In 1985, having moved to Lotus, Ayrton arrived in Imola fresh from his first success in Formula 1. He achieved the best time in qualifying: this would be the first of eight pole positions on the banks of the Santerno. In the race he seems destined for triumph, but an engine failure leaves him without petrol with four laps to go.
Identical script in 1986: pole position and retirement. Twelve months later, third consecutive pole and first podium: a second place behind Nigel Mansel. The turning point in 1988 with the move to McLaren: first victory at the end of a dominated GP. The triumph of the following year marked the beginning of the rivalry with his teammate Alain Prost. After retiring in the 1990 race, another victory twelve months later. It will be the last ring. At 2.17pm on 1 May 1994 the tragic end of a story and the beginning of a legend.
Enrico Agnessi
