It seems incredible, but 30 years have already passed since that cursed May 1, 1994. Millions of people will celebrate today the day that changed F1 forever. Since that weekend in Imola a lot has been done regarding safety. Unfortunately, however, also to the detriment of historic tracks, completely redesigned or revised in the name of that tragedy. 30 ago Senna died, from that day F1 was never the same again.
A date that will remain indelible in the history of sport. May 1, 1994. The San Marino GP takes place in Imola. The previous day, the Roland Ratzenberger’s death on the track, during the official tests, shocked pilots and professionals. A crash at over 300 km per hour against the wall of the Villeneuve curve. Yet the Circus, as has happened many times in the past, does not stop and starts regularly on Sundays. Thus began a Grand Prix that unfortunately remained in the memory of everyone, enthusiasts and otherwise. 30 years ago Senna died, from that day on F1 was never the same.
Much, much has been written about the death of the Brazilian driver. Today the anniversary is celebrated and, paradoxically, thanks to this tragic event, the world of Formula 1 has radically changed, with substantial changes to some historical routes. Much less challenging, much safer. With 1994, an era of courage, risk and great adrenaline ended. Mythical curves disappeared to make room for sometimes unlikely solutions.
Read also: The Director’s memories: the death of Roland Ratzenberger
There Tamburello curve it wasn’t a challenge for strong hearts like the Eau Rouge in Spa. Everyone went down it with wide open throttle coming from the main straight. A turning point that led straight to Villeneuve, also to be conducted fully, before the braking of the Tosa. The problem, if anything, was the few escape routes. Those that were more fatal to Ratzenberger than to Senna. Well, after 1994, all that remains of these two curves is the memory, swallowed up by one variant built to slow down single-seaters.
Monzathe temple of speed. Big Curveor Biassono, whatever you want to call it, and Lesmo’s double. “That’s where time is made,” said the wise old men, before they were changed. Today they no longer give the same thrill as before. In particular, Lesmo’s second was significantly slowed down, losing its aura of a “hairy curve”.
Silverstone, another of the historic F1 circuits. Here, two other legendary curves paid the price for safety, the Stowe and the Abbey, which has become a chicane. Fortunately, the extraordinary Chapel, Becketts and Maggots sequence did not undergo any changes.
Some tracks did not undergo substantial changes, except in 1994, with some curious and incredible ones “mobile variants”, made up of rows of tiressometimes in a straight line, as happened to Barcelona and Montreal. Spa was also interested, with a variant that “scarred” the legendary Eau Rouge. Luckily, it only lasted one year, thanks to the expansion of the escape route in subsequent editions. TO Hockenheim, instead, they modified the chicanes in the woods. The German runway was then hit by a real havoc in 2002when its long straights were cancelled, not for safety reasons, but for sponsor issues…
Only Suzuka kept its layout unchanged, despite a dangerous 130R, which, however, remained unchanged. One of the corners, still today, that gives drivers the most adrenaline.
With Senna’s death, therefore, a real change began in most of the tracks. For a safer and less exciting Formula 1.
