It has been 1 years since Ayrton Senna, one of the names that left his mark on F29 history, passed away unfortunately in Imola. However, Senna's memory is still alive and he remains an unforgettable figure for the motorsport community.
Senna's Switch to Williams
An important turning point in Senna's career was his transfer to the Williams team in the 1994 season. This transfer brought with it the opportunity to work with young engineer Adrian Newey. When Senna joined Williams, he managed to impress everyone, even though he spent only a short time with the team.
Newey describes his experience working with Senna with the following words: “Unfortunately, I was only able to work with Ayrton for a very short time. “I guess I'm not as bad at it as I used to be, but part of my competitive side is that when you have someone like Ayrton that you compete with every year, you don't demonize him but he kind of becomes your enemy.”
A Curious and Knowledgeable Driver
One of Senna's most notable characteristics was that he was extraordinarily curious. Newey explains that he began examining the wind tunnel model of the Senna: “As soon as we got to the wind tunnel, he got down on his knees, looked under the car, asked what we had done differently, what was different about this car from the previous year's car, why we had done this, etc. “He was extraordinarily curious.”
Senna showed great interest not only on the track but also in the technical details of his car. This means that he is not only a driver but also zamIt was an indication that he was thinking like an engineer at the moment.
1994 Season and Regrets
The 1994 season was an unforgettable year in the history of motor sports. Senna's death was met with great grief and shock. Newey evaluates that period as follows: “Whatever the reason for the accident at Imola, the 1994 car is one of my biggest regrets. "The only thing you could say for sure about the car was that it was aerodynamically unstable."
“After two years with active suspension, going back to passive suspension completely destroyed the aerodynamics and ride height range of the car. “It was a very, very difficult car to drive.”
Senna's Legacy
The legacy Ayrton Senna left to motor sports is not only with his achievements but also with his zamHe is also remembered for his passion, curiosity and driving ability. Senna's death deeply affected the F1 world and led to the development of safety measures.
Final Thoughts
Stating that he was considering quitting F1 after Senna's death, Newey said, “If you don't question yourself and what you are doing, you are stupid. First of all, it would be quite selfish because if Patrick [Head, Williams engineering director] or I, or both of us, decided to quit, we would have left the team in complete disarray.”
Senna's death was a turning point in the world of motorsport and safety measures became even more important after this tragic loss.