1994 San Marino Grand Prix

A Race Weekend of Tragedy

A Chronicle of the Five Serious Crashes that Marred the Event

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, officially known as the 14º Gran Premio di San Marino, was a Formula One motor race held on May 1, 1994, at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. The race weekend was marred by five serious crashes, including two that resulted in fatalities.

The first major crash occurred during Friday qualifying, when Rubens Barrichello lost control of his Jordan 194 and crashed into the Armco barrier at the Variante Bassa. Barrichello was taken to the hospital with a broken nose and concussion. Later that day, Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger crashed heavily at the Villeneuve corner during qualifying. Ratzenberger's car hit the concrete wall at high speed, and he was killed instantly.

On Sunday, during the race itself, three more serious crashes occurred. On lap one, Pedro Lamy lost control of his Lotus 109 and crashed into the barriers at the Tosa corner. Lamy was taken to the hospital with a broken ankle. On lap five, Michele Alboreto crashed his Minardi M193 at the Variante Bassa. Alboreto was uninjured, but his car was destroyed.

The most serious crash of the weekend occurred on lap seven, when Ayrton Senna lost control of his Williams FW16 at the Tamburello corner. Senna's car hit the concrete wall at high speed, and he was killed instantly.

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a tragic weekend in Formula One history. The five serious crashes that occurred during the weekend resulted in the deaths of two drivers and serious injuries to several others. The race weekend led to a number of changes in Formula One safety regulations, including the introduction of the HANS device and the requirement for all drivers to wear full-face helmets.

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