Imola at 20: Simtek's painful story

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 Sometimes in life, we can forget about people so quickly – harshly in most circumstances. That shouldn’t happen to individuals who give their life to a certain dedication. Roland Ratzenberger fits into this category. Although only a newcomer into the sport, the charming Austrian had already become a popular soul in the paddock before he became the first driver to die at the wheel of a racing car in...

Categories: 1994, Austria, BMW, David Brabham, Imola, Max Mosley, Nick Wirth, Roland Ratzenberger, Simtek

Imola at 20: Did the rule changes play a part in F1's horror weekend

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 The fourth instalment of this special week of articles to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Formula One’s darkest weekend involves a look into the rules and regulations that were enforced on the teams at the start of that fateful 1994 season. It is unfair to say what caused the accident that killed Ayrton Senna. However, Senna for one did warn of concern at the changes made by the sport’s governing...

Categories: 1994, Accidents, Active Suspension, Ayrton Senna, Benetton, FIA, Imola, Rules, Traction Control, Weekend

Imola at 20: How lucky was Rubens Barrichello?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 This week marks the 20th anniversary of the nightmare at Imola in 1994 for Formula One. It was a weekend of catastrophic events that changed motorsport irreversibly. On Viewing Perspectives this week, I am looking back at some of the events that made the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix such a hellish weekend for all concerned in the sport. Imola at 20 continues tonight with a look into the accident...

Categories: 1994, Ayrton Senna, Imola, Jordan, Motorsport, Professor Sid Watkins, Rubens Barrichello, Tyres, Variante Bassa

Imola at 20: Why did Erik Comas stop at Tamburello?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 Motorsport is dangerous, it always has been and always will be but no-one could predict the horrific chain reaction of accidents that marred the weekend at the Imola circuit in April/May 1994. By the end of the weekend, mechanics and spectators had been hurt, and two drivers had been killed on consecutive days – one of them perhaps the greatest human being ever to have sat behind a steering wheel –...

Categories: 1994, 20, Ayrton Senna, Erik Comas, Imola, Larrousse, Medical, Motorsport, Spa, Tamburello

Imola at 20: A dreadful weekend relived

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 There are some moments where if you were old enough, you will remember where you were when a historic moment occurred. Events such as the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, 9/11, 7/7 and Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 probably spring to immediate thoughts. Those connected with the world of sport will have the same when relieving the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, England’s 5-1 football win over...

Categories: 1994, Ayrton Senna, Death, Imola, Motorsport, Roland Ratzenberger, Rubens Barrichello, San Marino, Simtek, Williams

Hillsborough - A Candle for the 96

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88 Another football weekend approaches (12-13 April) and it includes crunch matches at both the top and bottom of the Barclays Premier League and the two FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium. However, this is not a normal football weekend. Tuesday, 15 April marks the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. It was a day when 96 Liverpool supporters went to see a football match and never came...

Categories: 1989, FA Cup, Football, Hillsborough, Justice, Liverpool, Merseyside, Poem, Saturday, Truth