As the race unfolded, track officials deployed the safety car to manage the aftermath of Ayrton Senna’s crash. The safety car, an Opel Vectra, was driven by Max Angelelli, a Formula Three driver at the time. Angelelli found himself in an unenviable position, leading the Formula 1 field behind the safety car.
Angelelli’s safety car was underpowered, and its slow pace became a point of contention. The safety car’s leisurely speed led to a drop in tire pressure on the Formula One car following it. Senna, ever the competitor, pulled alongside the Vectra and gestured to Angelelli, urging him to increase his speed. But Angelelli was powerless; he couldn’t do much to alter the situation.
30 years ago, on the fateful day which claimed Ayrton Senna's life, Max Angelelli helplessly watched events unfold, driving an unfit safety car.
"Senna [was] showing me his fist and telling me to go faster" 💬
Read as he recounts the Imola tragedy ⬇️https://t.co/gKofZkez9A
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) May 1, 2024
As per motorsports.com, former F1 race director Charlie Whiting said, “The brakes were hot, you could smell the brakes, and the poor driver was doing his very, very best in this car. We came in at the end of that lap and then a lap later he [Senna] had his accident.”
Ayrton Senna’s Fatal Crash
Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Formula 1 driver, was competing for the Williams-Renault team. He was a three-time world champion and a true icon in the racing world. However, destiny had other plans for him.
During the race, Senna’s car suffered a mechanical failure, causing him to crash into the Tamburello corner at high speed. The impact was devastating, and Senna lost his life instantly. The entire motorsport community mourned the loss of this extraordinary talent.
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