Riccardo Patrese, former Formula 1 driver, recalled the tragic accident of Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994, sharing how he experienced that terrible moment.
Riccardo Patrese’s comments
This is the Italian’s recollection on the Red Bull podcast: “I offered myself as a test driver for Williams to help them develop the car with passive suspensions. The goal was to stay fit and maybe, if I was as fast as I thought I could be, I could reclaim my seat in 1995. I arrived in Imola with this proposal during the tragic weekend of May 1. After discussing it with Patrick Head and Frank Williams [the two co-founders of the team], we agreed on a test, especially given Ayrton’s [Senna’s] difficulties.” – he pointed out.
“He [Senna] immediately showed a lot of enthusiasm; after all, we were good friends and often spent time together on vacation. Exiting the Williams motorhome, Ayrton took me to the pits to see the car and talk to me about his difficulties in the cockpit. The next day, I watched the Grand Prix on television, and we all know what happened: unfortunately, Ayrton left us, and I automatically understood that I could replace him.” – he added.
“We didn’t hear from Williams for a while, until Monaco. Then Frank offered me a race seat instead of a test role, and at that moment, I said yes. However, for 15 days, I couldn’t sleep because of the loss of my friend. I knew something technical had happened, and I was worried it could happen to me too. All these thoughts were swirling in my head until I realized that with these doubts, I couldn’t return with the goal I had: to win. So in the end, a few days later, La Gazzetta dello Sport called me asking for confirmation that I would become Ayrton’s replacement.” – the former Formula 1 driver explained.
“At that point, I responded that I decided to officially retire from Formula 1, and I immediately communicated this to Frank Williams. And that was officially the end of my F1 career,” concluded Riccardo Patrese.
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