- 22 Apr 09, 17:09#111026
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
From F1 Live:
For many race fans the world over, Sunday 1st May 1994 remains a day that will never be forgotten, the day that Ayrton Senna was killed on what was a horrific Grand Prix weekend at Imola, then the home of the San Marino Grand Prix.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN Racing-Live.com former long-standing Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate Professor Sid Watkins looks back on the life of the triple world champion as well as the safety gains made in what was once an incredibly dangerous sport.
“He was one of the best drivers of all time, if not, the best I think,” Watkins said. “He was extremely aggressive; he was able to overtake people without the slightest hesitation. That’s one of his great skills. And he was very, very, fast. So, putting that together he deserved the accolades he’s had as one of the best of all time."
Watkins grew close to Senna over the years after the pair first met when the Brazilian was forced to visit the medical centre after complaining of neck spasms in his early Toleman days. From that point the two became close with Watkins describing their friendship like ‘a family relationship’.
“I was extremely fond of him and we got on really, really well,” he said. “It’s, It’s a peculiar bond, really that I’ve not had with any other driver. And he became a part of the family, really. He got on well with all of our children, he was very kind to them when they were small and they idolised him. And he stayed with us in Scotland and I stayed with him in Brazil. And it was always interesting when I first would first see him at the circuit and the weekend, for example, and he would suddenly realise I was there [and] he was always very pleased to see me."
While Senna and Watkins enjoyed a close relationship, the Brazilian champion also got on well with many of his F1 rivals, if not his long-time McLaren Honda team-mate Alain Prost.
“He and Gerhard Berger were very close friends,” he continued. “I think he got on well with Damon Hill, and he got on well with Nigel Mansell. They all respected him tremendously. And he was very fair and very nice about most of them.”
“He wasn’t too fond of Prost and later on he wasn’t too fond of Michael Schumacher because both of them were extremely competitive with him. They [Senna and Prost] were really at each other’s throat to win. And of course, they were so highly competitive it was very exciting to watch them on the circuit because they were both so good."
The rivalry within the McLaren team was very much in evidence at Suzuka in 1989. Senna and Prost battled for the lead before the latter closed the door on the Brazilian on the approach to the chicane and the pair collided. Prost was out of the car in seconds while Senna navigated his way down the escape road to rejoin and subsequently win the race.
When Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini took the top step of the podium, it was immediately clear that Senna had been disqualified for effectively taking a short cut through the chicane.
“Senna was very indignant about that and his language was rather bad immediately after the race when he realised that he was being disqualified, because he thought he had won,” Watkins said. “And he did on the ground. But there was a problem with the fact that he didn’t win by following the circuit. He went through a, cut through the corner after the collision with Prost.
But I think they were equally responsible for driving into each other. I don’t think it was one person’s fault. It’s just part of the competition again.
“He was just very indignant that the FIA took away his win and he ultimately had to apologise to the President of the FIA [Jean Marie Balestre] because of the things he said about him. He was pretty angry about it all. You can’t blame him, really..."
The incident was a precursor to more drama at the Japanese Grand Prix the following year. Senna claimed the pole position from Prost, who by then had left McLaren to join Ferrari. Senna was incensed when he was told his starting slot was on the right-hand side of the grid and not the left as he would have preferred.
Prost made a better start, as Senna had feared, and heading towards the first turn the Ferrari edged ahead of the McLaren. Senna didn’t lift at all and took out his rival to claim the championship.
“Well, there again, I think, it was … they wouldn’t give way to each other,” Watkins said. “And Senna managed to get his wheel in between Prost’s wheel and flicked Prost off the track and went off the track himself, but he was out of his car very quickly. As [my medical] car arrived, we saw a huge cloud of dust and when we arrived, Prost was still sitting in his car looking pretty unhappy. Senna was out of the car with his helmet off and had run across the circuit and was running back to the pits in case there was going to be a restart."
As talented as Senna undoubtedly was, this was not one of his finest moments, his rivalry with Prost combined with his ongoing battles with Balestre pushing him past the tipping point. Watkins however does not mention this, but instead opts to focus on his sublime driving skills, amongst the best in the world.
“He was enormously precise in his driving the way that Jimmy Clark was,” he said. “And of course he was tremendously fast. I remember in Japan once [1988] his engine stalled at the start, I think he was in pole or certainly on the front of the grid. My car started behind the last row. And we’re alongside him, he’d let his car roll down the hill and managed to kick start the engine. And so we were alongside each other. In other words, he was No. 29, I guess. You could count us as No. 30. But he went off like a shot and gradually passed everybody and finally, in the rain, passed Prost to win the race."
Tomorrow we have the second part of this article where Professor Watkins looks at the years leading up to Senna’s death, the black day itself and the consequences for the sport.
Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International
For many race fans the world over, Sunday 1st May 1994 remains a day that will never be forgotten, the day that Ayrton Senna was killed on what was a horrific Grand Prix weekend at Imola, then the home of the San Marino Grand Prix.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN Racing-Live.com former long-standing Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate Professor Sid Watkins looks back on the life of the triple world champion as well as the safety gains made in what was once an incredibly dangerous sport.
“He was one of the best drivers of all time, if not, the best I think,” Watkins said. “He was extremely aggressive; he was able to overtake people without the slightest hesitation. That’s one of his great skills. And he was very, very, fast. So, putting that together he deserved the accolades he’s had as one of the best of all time."
Watkins grew close to Senna over the years after the pair first met when the Brazilian was forced to visit the medical centre after complaining of neck spasms in his early Toleman days. From that point the two became close with Watkins describing their friendship like ‘a family relationship’.
“I was extremely fond of him and we got on really, really well,” he said. “It’s, It’s a peculiar bond, really that I’ve not had with any other driver. And he became a part of the family, really. He got on well with all of our children, he was very kind to them when they were small and they idolised him. And he stayed with us in Scotland and I stayed with him in Brazil. And it was always interesting when I first would first see him at the circuit and the weekend, for example, and he would suddenly realise I was there [and] he was always very pleased to see me."
While Senna and Watkins enjoyed a close relationship, the Brazilian champion also got on well with many of his F1 rivals, if not his long-time McLaren Honda team-mate Alain Prost.
“He and Gerhard Berger were very close friends,” he continued. “I think he got on well with Damon Hill, and he got on well with Nigel Mansell. They all respected him tremendously. And he was very fair and very nice about most of them.”
“He wasn’t too fond of Prost and later on he wasn’t too fond of Michael Schumacher because both of them were extremely competitive with him. They [Senna and Prost] were really at each other’s throat to win. And of course, they were so highly competitive it was very exciting to watch them on the circuit because they were both so good."
The rivalry within the McLaren team was very much in evidence at Suzuka in 1989. Senna and Prost battled for the lead before the latter closed the door on the Brazilian on the approach to the chicane and the pair collided. Prost was out of the car in seconds while Senna navigated his way down the escape road to rejoin and subsequently win the race.
When Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini took the top step of the podium, it was immediately clear that Senna had been disqualified for effectively taking a short cut through the chicane.
“Senna was very indignant about that and his language was rather bad immediately after the race when he realised that he was being disqualified, because he thought he had won,” Watkins said. “And he did on the ground. But there was a problem with the fact that he didn’t win by following the circuit. He went through a, cut through the corner after the collision with Prost.
But I think they were equally responsible for driving into each other. I don’t think it was one person’s fault. It’s just part of the competition again.
“He was just very indignant that the FIA took away his win and he ultimately had to apologise to the President of the FIA [Jean Marie Balestre] because of the things he said about him. He was pretty angry about it all. You can’t blame him, really..."
The incident was a precursor to more drama at the Japanese Grand Prix the following year. Senna claimed the pole position from Prost, who by then had left McLaren to join Ferrari. Senna was incensed when he was told his starting slot was on the right-hand side of the grid and not the left as he would have preferred.
Prost made a better start, as Senna had feared, and heading towards the first turn the Ferrari edged ahead of the McLaren. Senna didn’t lift at all and took out his rival to claim the championship.
“Well, there again, I think, it was … they wouldn’t give way to each other,” Watkins said. “And Senna managed to get his wheel in between Prost’s wheel and flicked Prost off the track and went off the track himself, but he was out of his car very quickly. As [my medical] car arrived, we saw a huge cloud of dust and when we arrived, Prost was still sitting in his car looking pretty unhappy. Senna was out of the car with his helmet off and had run across the circuit and was running back to the pits in case there was going to be a restart."
As talented as Senna undoubtedly was, this was not one of his finest moments, his rivalry with Prost combined with his ongoing battles with Balestre pushing him past the tipping point. Watkins however does not mention this, but instead opts to focus on his sublime driving skills, amongst the best in the world.
“He was enormously precise in his driving the way that Jimmy Clark was,” he said. “And of course he was tremendously fast. I remember in Japan once [1988] his engine stalled at the start, I think he was in pole or certainly on the front of the grid. My car started behind the last row. And we’re alongside him, he’d let his car roll down the hill and managed to kick start the engine. And so we were alongside each other. In other words, he was No. 29, I guess. You could count us as No. 30. But he went off like a shot and gradually passed everybody and finally, in the rain, passed Prost to win the race."
Tomorrow we have the second part of this article where Professor Watkins looks at the years leading up to Senna’s death, the black day itself and the consequences for the sport.
Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
? Most of you youngsters forget we oldtimers were there witnessing it firsthand, ya maybe just on TV but it was live, so tell us why your opinion is more correct than ours? 
