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Roland Ratzenberger drives out
the pitlane in his Simtek during a practice session at Aida. The Austrian would
finish the race in 11th - albeit five laps down and last of the classified
runners. (Image source: dailymail.co.uk)
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Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the
lesser known's F1 Pilotes' Death's that tragic weekend at Imola, Italy a
longtime ago.
As the unheralded 33yr old Austrian Roland Ratzenberger
contesting just his third Grands Prix weekend, and attempting to qualify for
his second Grands Prix start was fatally injured when his Simtek S941-Ford
suffered a front wing failure at high
speed before crashing at Villeneuve Corner. .
And say what Y'all want to 'bout "Saint
Ayrton," since Senna could be a Cut Throat Ruthless Bastard! But when I
think of the Austrian's Death that Tragic weekend in Italy, I instantly recall
that Senna had the Austrian Flag inside his cockpit to wave upon his Victory
Cool-down lap in Honour of Ratzenberger...
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Ayrton Senna sitting inside his
Williams FW16 during practice for the 1994 Pacific GP, the second race of the season alongside the
team's engineering director Patrick Head. (Image source: dailymail.co.uk)
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Naturally, Ratzenberger's Death will forever
be Overshadowed in Perpetuity by the late, great Triple World champion Ayrton
Senna's Death a Day later on May 1, 1994.
As what can I really say or type that hasn't
already been written about the Brazilian Flash Senna? Roland "the
Rat" Ratzenberger or the events of that tragic weekend at San Marino, now
a quarter of A Century ago...
Nowadays, if I think about Roland, which is usually
just once a year round his premature Demise, I invariably think of Racer's Marshall
Pruett's wonderful story about another fallen Open Wheel Racing comrade of
Ratzenberger's, named Jeff krosnoff. As the two are inexorably linked from Thar
Japanese Formula 3000 Days. Having scribbled here on No Fenders previously:.
"Thus (Marshall) Pruett expounds partially
upon (Jeff) Krosnoff's sacrifices in far-away Japan along with some very
positive recollections from other cast-away competitors with names like "IRV-THE-SWERVE:
and "Mr. Le Mans," aka Eddie Irvine and Tom Kristensen respectively, not to
mention another driver who’d lose his life racing named "Roland-the-Rat"
Ratzenberger."
As Roland was definitely an accomplished
racer, having won multiple Formula Ford titles, along with winning the
prestigious British Formula Ford Festival, and also finishing third Overall in
British Formula 3000 before turning his Attenzione towards Sports Cars.
Ratzenberger contested le 24 Heurs du Mans
five times between 1989-93, with a best finish of fifth Overall, and first in
the "secondary" C2 Prototypes Class in '93, aboard a SARD Racing
Team's Toyota 93CV.
Whilst ironically, fellow Japanese F3000 competitor
Eddie Irvine finished one place ahead in the "Works" Toyota Team Toms
C1 Toyota TS010 chassis, albeit 11-laps adrift of the winning Works Peugeot,
with the French auto manufacturer sweeping the Podium.
Roland also spent considerable time in the
Land of the Rising Sun racing "Saloons" and Sports Prototypes.
And as mentioned above, Roland also contested
the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship between 1992-93, before ultimately
getting his break in Formula 1, albeit on a five race Dealio' with Nick Wirth's
SimTek Grand Prix outfit, in hopes of making enough of a positive impression to
ultimately continue racing in F1, which sadly didn't occur!
As it would be
nice to hear Ratzenberger speak for more than an Uber Scant 19-seconds...
VIDEO: Roland Ratzenberger - little Interview
And although Sir
maXXam', Thee littlest Curve' never impressed Mwah, and simply came across as a
Shill for Uncle Bernaughty, nevertheless, I comend him for the following.
Max Mosley:
"Roland had been
forgotten, so I went to his funeral because everyone went to Senna's."
Salute Roland!
As you may also enjoy the Daily Mail's Lost Race
Tracks story the pictures were borrowed from. Regarding the lost Pacific Grand
Prix at Aida, Japan, featuring a relatively youthful, wide eyed 'N Bushy-tailed
Michael Schumacher challenging Ayrton Senna for F1 Supremacy in;
