28 year anniversary since Ayrton Senna was killed....

[slo town]

....and IMO one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.

Check out this lap at the 1990 Monaco Grand Prix. Absolute and total violence (he doesn't crash, it's just insane).

Notice too, no paddle shifters, almost no front suspension travel, and the magnificent sound of F1 before the hybrid era.

Scott

 

[slo town]

Blocked the link. Stupid.

Try this instead.

Scott

youtube.com/watch?v=auXfAHHNSFo

 

[Gimpy1]

Nothing beats the scream of a V12 or V10 at 20 K rpm. The very first time F1 returned to Indy I went to see the race, I was floored at the speed, sound, and smells....and the grid girls

 

[CharBaby]

I flew in from vacation in FL that evening when I heard it on the 11:00 pm news. I couldn’t believe it.

 

[slo town]

I flew in from vacation in FL that evening when I heard it on the 11:00 pm news. I couldn’t believe it.

I was watching it live on television. It didn't look that bad until I saw his body seizing in the cockpit. The overhead camera quickly pulled away at the sight. The right side front suspension link pierced his helmet and penetrated his skull.

I still have a VHS tape of the entire race. And don't forget, Roland Ratzenberger was killed the day before.

Scott

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Senna warned about that dangerous corner in the driver's meeting the day before; tragic weekend for all involved (including RR).

 

[bbhero]

I still wonder though if something didn't fail in his car.... Just the way the car went it almost seemed like something was not right and the car just went off to the right...

I agree... Senna was one of the best of all time.

Even Dale Earnhardt Sr mentioned him after he won at Talladega. . The great drivers recognize greatness when they see it in other drivers.

 

[Dave P.]

I still wonder though if something didn't fail in his car.... Just the way the car went it almost seemed like something was not right and the car just went off to the right...

I agree... Senna was one of the best of all time.

Even Dale Earnhardt Sr mentioned him after he won at Talladega. . The great drivers recognize greatness when they see it in other drivers.

As I recall, the team had lengthened the steering column by spicing in a piece and the thought has been that the welded joint failed. Once that happened, total loss of steering. Many interesting videos can be found on YouTube.

 

[CharBaby]

Senna was instrumental in the 1st generation of the Acura NSX

 

[slo town]

I still wonder though if something didn't fail in his car.... Just the way the car went it almost seemed like something was not right and the car just went off to the right...

I agree... Senna was one of the best of all time.

Even Dale Earnhardt Sr mentioned him after he won at Talladega. . The great drivers recognize greatness when they see it in other drivers.

As I recall, the team had lengthened the steering column by spicing in a piece and the thought has been that the welded joint failed. Once that happened, total loss of steering. Many interesting videos can be found on YouTube.

Clearly you two are knowledgeable race fans. Both your comments were very much a part of the post crash investigation.

And I too remember seeing Dale Sr. recognize Senna's death at Talladega. I don't think they ever met in person, and although very different from each other, I think Dale Sr. and Senna would have liked each other. If you "believe", perhaps they're sitting around with each other and smiling at my "friends comment".

Scott

 

[slo town]

Senna was instrumental in the 1st generation of the Acura NSX

Check out the heel toeing in his loafers!

youtube.com/watch?v=JUVkVB3SUf4

Scott

 

[slo town]

RIP Ayrton and Roland.

Scott

 

[wings&wheels]

Check out the heel toeing in his loafers!

youtube.com/watch?v=JUVkVB3SUf4

Scott

..and the pulsing of the throttle at the limit... That has always been a favorite video. Those were the golden days of F1 for me, it just isn't the same anymore.

 

[slo town]

..and the pulsing of the throttle at the limit... That has always been a favorite video. Those were the golden days of F1 for me, it just isn't the same anymore.

You call it "pulsing", I call it "feathering" - but all the same. It's fantastic. And in brown leather loafers with white socks. Senna looks cool, everyone else would look ridiculous.

Scott

 

[IndyIan]

You call it "pulsing", I call it "feathering" - but all the same. It's fantastic. And in brown leather loafers with white socks. Senna looks cool, everyone else would look ridiculous.

Scott

Street car, street shoes?
I only started watching F1 sporadically for a couple years before his death and didn't see that race, but I remember being sad for the tragedy, and then disappointed not to see Senna and Schumacher race against each other in the future...

 

[slo town]

Street car, street shoes?
I only started watching F1 sporadically for a couple years before his death and didn't see that race, but I remember being sad for the tragedy, and then disappointed not to see Senna and Schumacher race against each other in the future...

Yeah, a couple of seasons worth of Senna and Schumacher would have been great. But the Senna / Prost battles were EPIC! IMO, Prost was one of the most underrated F1 drivers of all time, even with him being a four time World Champion. Although perhaps "boring", Prost (The Professor) only drove just fast enough to win.

Scott

 

[wings&wheels]

Lauda, Mansell, Prost, Senna, Rosberg, Lotus in its black and gold JPS livery....good days.

 

[slo town]

Lauda, Mansell, Prost, Senna, Rosberg, Lotus in its black and gold JPS livery....good days.

Lauda was another "professor", like Prost was. They only drove fast enough to win.

And you're right about the John Player Special Lotus era. The Lotus 79 that Mario drove was the prettiest Grand Prix car of all time. Mario won the World Championship in a JPS Lotus 78.

Just look at that JPS Lotus 79!

Scott

Edit: I read in one of my old F1 history books that it wasn't so much Mansell had talent, per se, he was equipped with tennis ball sized "appendages". Supposedly he was fearless.

 

[wings&wheels]

...and he has heart, spirit, pluck, whatever. I remember watching the Dallas GP live in 1984, during the fuel economy runs era, IIRC ambient was something near 104f, track temp was??? This is inspirational.

 

[slo town]

...and he has heart, spirit, pluck, whatever. I remember watching the Dallas GP live in 1984, during the fuel economy runs era, IIRC ambient was something near 104f, track temp was??? This is inspirational.

I remember seeing that live on television as well. IIRC he was DQ'd for that.

Scott