Ayrton Senna, Imola 1994. Steering wheel behavior until collapse

[@pokepat4433]

Right before senna hits the wall you can see the steering wheel went towards him which means that the steering column broke

[@willmac1748]

Really ?

[@zuulthemonster3222]

@@willmac1748 Yes thats true and thats why he had this crash.. it was NOT his fault!!

[@jamesstewart1794]

@@zuulthemonster3222 don't let him troll you. We know the truth.

[@petergreyhound6361]

What rubbish. It has been proved that the steering wheel flexed under loading. Senna made a mistake. He was under pressure from Schumacher to win and was going faster and took a tighter line into Tamburello than the lap before. The car bottomed and lost downforce at a critical moment, he corrected the slide and then the car gripped the road again sending him off the track to the right. Basic aerodynamics. As Damon Hill says, if the steering broke you would have seen his hands cross over. Didn’t happen. Even Senna could make a mistake. The steering broke as a result of the accident not before. All the telemetry showed no steering failure. Adrian Newey said the same. As for the Italians, they had to blame someone other than themselves for Senna’s death. Tamburello was a death trap with its concrete wall. They were hosting a race at an unsafe track and would have been prosecuted for contributing to Senna’s death. So, they deflected responsibility to Williams.

[@caluzzucarrazzi5549]

@@petergreyhound6361 but the car never bottomed out any lap before, and no one else during that race bottomed out there in the way you describe. These cars bottom out plenty, that’s why at some points in the sport there were rules put in place for how much they were allowed to bottom out by checking the amount of material left underneath the cars after races. This is simply a theory you’ve accepted on the matter, don’t try to pass it off as absolute truth, I highly doubt you specifically are in any position regarding these circumstances to be able to say exactly what happened here for sure. I think it’s highly unlikely that “bottoming out” would have caused this accident, and at that, how in the world could Senna be held responsible for something of that nature? If you claim this telemetry presented here is simply the steering wheel flexing from load, then I would like the poster to allow us to view what data it displays while Senna passes through tamburello the time right before this one, and then watch you be proven wrong as the steering wheel simply follows it’s regular trajectory, but then at the time of his incident, takes this abnormal passage to the bottom right as the shaft it’s connected to becomes severed in half. No steering wheel would flex off it’s axis to that degree from the load produced, there simply isn’t that degree of flexibility, something would have to give.

[@muzzmatrix]

Mechanically we all know what really happened. What gets overlooked from that weekend was that after Roland was killed on Saturday, the race should've been cancelled per Italian law. However, the definition of 'death' was always going to be open to interpretation because of the event's potential $6.5-million in financial losses if the race weekend were to be cancelled. Was this true for every event on the 1994 calendar? If Roland 'died' in hospital & not at the track, the show could continue. That 'policy' transferred to Sunday. I believe transporting both Roland & Ayrton to hospital kept the money flowing.

[@yukonstriker1703]

Spot on!

[@SuperDavidGnomo]

As italian, you're absolutely right.

[@thiscocks]

Well that law is bullshit because it should never apply to a motor race in the first place.

[@MrZillaman73]

Well said.

[@oliviero46]

In Italy, only meds can declare "death". As a former italian EMT, we have to CPR the patient 'till we get exhausted or 'till a medic call it off. EMTs managed to get pulse and by our law, we have to transport the victim to the nearest hospital that can deal with the injuries.

[@georgiaguardian4696]

When the cars slide or lose traction in this left turn situation, the drivers always perform a quick right turn for 0.1 sec and then turn it back to regain traction. We didn't see the wheels doing that at all! NONE. The wheels were straight as hell as Senna tried all his force to turn left and his helmet was also leaning left hard in anticipating the inevitable crash.

[@barnalorinc]

As the steering column broke, the g force pushing right emmediately dissapeared and his head went left due to the drivers force pushing his head against the g force. Drivers always turn their heads against the g force. The fact that his head went left shows that the g force emmedeately stopped because the car went suddenly from left steering to forward. Best proof that the column broke

[@infiniteuniverse123]

This absolutely proves the steering shaft broke. It is inevitable.

[@G_PTYNicolasCMP]

Replacing the steering column?

[@sulrac1830]

@@Sebastian-uf3vr if the car was too low at the restart and if because of that he loses the car then he should have crashed on the first lap of the restart because it was even lower than the lap he hits the wall. On the first lap of the restart he did the 3rd best lap of the race so if the car was way too low, he wouldn’t have been able to brake correctly on his normal braking points. and tamburello was an easy flat out corner, even with old tires and full tank so also the theory that he went too fast in the corner is irrelevant as well. And you can see that the steering wheel is moving abnormally, that’s a fact and compare to the car of Hill it is completely different his steering wheel doesn’t move a bit.

[@sulrac1830]

@@Sebastian-uf3vr also what I like is that same time, same car, same camera we can see a lot easier the steering wheel of Hill and some of the dashboard but on senna’s car it’s nearly impossible to see something except the yellow button… strange…

[@nezziaktm9922]

​@@sulrac1830yeah! Exactly same opinion. Also on the footage from sennas qualifying onboard footage we can see everything clear - but this footage on that raceday got blurred!!

[@princessluna2343]

⁠@@Sebastian-uf3vrit did , the steering column was smoothed and for making that the mechanics chopped in two part the steering column and then they welded that . And the welding collapsed during the race .

[@hansmaijchrzak7626]

Maybe im stupid but straight from the beginning you can see the steeringwheel bounces up and down. Obviously Senna must have felt that. Why didnt he adress this to the pitwall. Or was going straight to the pit.

[@amirchavo313]

They murdered Ayrton Senna just like they murdered Edoardo Agnelli. Mark my words

[@SuperDavidGnomo]

Totally.

[@pm_t4738]

Who and why?

[@elnino67100]

Rip senna Brutal stall - - - > straight ahead - - - > senna stack the break = steering wheel no longer respond = broken steering column NO DOUBT!!!

[@michelandrade6185]

Até hoje, não entendi porque a imagem da batida em si foi cortada, por coincidência a câmera parou de funcionar após a quebra da barra de direção?

[@leonardocamara9063]

A willians destruiu as imagens finais do impacto para não produzir provas contra sí mesma. As imagens que você vê , a Willians só entregou meses depois.

[@leonardocamara9063]

@Michaelis Arcanjo Infelizmente ... ficou por isso mesmo.

[@LeFaviere]

Provavelmente foram cortadas pois mostrariam a prova de um problema mecânico e uma sequência muito pesada. Elas ainda existem.

[@jesseemullen]

What did those two yellow buttons on the steering wheel - which sandwiched the data button - do on the FW16?

[@safakirveli5482]

There are two more videos showing Senna focusing specifically on the steering column side, which means he is uncomfortable with the changes on the steering column side. As the Italian prosecutor's office stated in its decision, the worn steering shaft caused his death. In addition, there were no traces of the FW16 braking on the asphalt, because even the brake pedal did not work. The black box in which the vehicle's data was collected had disappeared, and when it was found, it was useless. Against all these incidents, all members of the Williams team, especially Damon Hill, Patrick Head and Adrian Newey, used expressions such as "I don't know, I don't remember, I forgot" at the prosecutor's office. As if Senna had never raced for the Williams team... In the video in the link below, while Senna is talking about the mechanical inconsistencies of the vehicle, the indifferent attitude of the engineers as if they do not know anything explains the issue. As a matter of fact, the Italian prosecutor's office found Patrick Head guilty of first degree; But since the case was time-barred, no penalty was imposed. Here is our loss of Senna and a story of justice... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqi0fH6CrtaNo5o

[@nader91]

just wow at the behaviour of these engineers

[@pperezmartinez151]

TOTAL NEGLIGENCE .

[@0371998]

An act of terrorisme against him. This type of weird failure cannot happen un this type of team.

[@cavalodeferrohd]

Assisti outros vídeos e tive a sensação do volante estar com muita folga. Nesse vídeo então, com essas marcações, deu para ver nitidamente nesse vídeo , que na última curva fechada antes da reta dos boxes, o volante ficou mais soltou ainda, aí juntando alta velocidade e curva onde tem as puxadas de pneu devido a força, realmente quebrou a barra, ele até colocar a cabeça bem mais deitada que o normal.

[@ParkerTheCartoonFan2008]

RIP Ayrton Senna

[@paolociarpaglini1303]

Why Senna don't felt that something wrong on the steering ?, becouse this is simply impossible. So, why don't stop immediately the car ?, becouse he can't allowed another loose race, this is the correct but umblivable answer on his death. The steering was in his hands and he can't not fell the huge unnatural work.

[@AndreLuiz-pp9ze]

SENNA 👑

[@QF_Dan72]

the steering is clearly broken but sadly, he didn't realise it in time to come into the pit stop

[@ricaurtegaez950]

I'm convinced he was killed. The only one who had the balls to talk against the formula 1 system. He marked the era of honest and skills drivers. Now is all politics and business.

[@NA_7000_]

Just imagine how many famous people not only F1 Drivers died in 90s

[@jamesstewart1794]

Who are you saying killed him ? I hope you aren't one of those who believe he was shot.

[@willmac1748]

The car was moving around in the last two seconds like he was over correcting, maybe the joint was disintegrating

[@pawelpawel9272]

Widać jego prawą rękę przed uderzeniem skręcał walczył MORDERCY WILIAMS BERNI NEWY

[@Alex-cb1id]

Can anyone tell me why, just when Senna's car is coming out of the track, the television director cut off the camera on board of Senna's car, and, above all, someone can explain why he did not record the camera images on board? It would take 2 seconds more images from the camera on board and we would have had the certainty of the cause of the Senna accident.

[@masso392]

Alex 967 The last 2 sec of the onboard is highly classified if not even deleted, Williams, FIA and italian authorities saw it in 1994 for the investigation but it hasn’t been reavealed since

[@Alex-cb1id]

Isak thank you for your anwer. I didn't know this story, where did you read it?

[@masso392]

Alex 967 documentaries and such, Also did my own research :)

[@HangoverTelevision]

Williams allegedly "doctored" the tape - the last seconds were said to be "lost" before the investigation even began. Williams had plenty of time to manipulate it.

[@chefdemarco5013]

Cause Sir Frank Williams had it cut out out of respect for the Senna family. It was a bloody scene in that cockpit. Just Look At the blood on the ground, cups and cups of it.

[@pyerreveras4204]

Senna freou desesperadamente como a telemetria e as investigações comprovaram na época... 😔

[@rickplot9358]

Anyone heading for a wall would have the wheels turning hard left, not straight into the wall. He had no steering.

[@madruguinha1903]

Outra coisa que reparei recentemente é que o Senna olha pro volante como se tivesse notado algo errado, reparem aos 0:00, depois aos 0:25 e aos 0:36. Minha teoria é que a coluna quebrou parcialmente na volta anterior até se romper por completo na Tamburello... Another thing I recently noticed is that Senna looks at the steering wheel as if he had noticed something wrong, pay attention at 0:00, then at 0:25 and at 0:36. My theory is that the column partially broke on the previous lap until it completely ruptured at Tamburello...

[@0371998]

This failure...was commun,or not? He was the first pilot with this méchanical problème? The F1 organisation has published statistic about this type of méchanical failure?

[@jamesconnors4297]

video here is playing to fast.....it;s original is 25fps

[@cadambivijay]

Senna is great driver.. before this accident he never had any collision… say this to snakes they might believe

[@ClaudioRodrigues-rt7hv]

O homi era mestre nessa pista ....

[@pinuz010]

I dati provengono dal Cineca?

[@sagitt76]

Tapio No. Ho tracciato io le posizioni del pulsante di scalata programmata. È evidentissimo come al Tamburello ci sia una notevole deviazione dalla traiettoria standard..

[@HangoverTelevision]

just before the "snow" starts at 0:48 you can see the car hitting the first bump and then immediately on the simply "repaired" tarmac you see him hiting a second bump. THe car bottomed out and slid sort of on a "cushion of air" like a hover craft, steer in one direction (in fact Hoovercrafts can only be steered by adjusting the rudders). You end up being a passenger and if you hit the brakes (which Senna did completely) your front tyres won't be able to steer anywhere either.

[@MM-mx8sr]

So you just ignore the behaviour of the wheel?

[@apocalypticweasel9078]

your assumption is in correct if a car skids on its belly then it skids uncontrollably resulting in an uncontrollable spin especially as this was mid corner, you are basically implying that the tyres were not touching the tarmac if this was the case how was it that Senna applied the brakes thus slowing the car to 130mph this would not be possible on a cushion of air as you so put it.

[@chefdemarco5013]

Yup! Correct

[@Andrew-Hawk]

Why he was not turning left in the safety zone then, but went directly into the wall w/o changing trajectory??? There were clear straight hard braking traces in the safety zone.

[@georgiaguardian4696]

Wrong. When the cars slide or lose traction in this left turn situation, the drivers always perform a quick right turn for 0.1 sec and then turn it back to regain traction. We didn't see the wheels doing that at all! NONE. The wheels were straight as hell as Senna tried all his force to turn left and his helmet was also leaning left hard in anticipating the inevitable crash.

[@ricardoneri7321]

😮😢 pos e e vários ângulos da trajetória do carro saindo da reta e começando a curva mostrar claramente que o carro passou indo diretamente ao 🧱 em tão não havia outras imagens que explique só o do carro do Schumacher que vinha atrás dele em seguida somente viu o volante se rompeu na hora e um ano antes os locais da eta estava com barreiras de pneus caixa de brita e quando foi nesse ano não estava mas pertinho dos muros de concreto se estivesse ele estava vivo ou estariam vivos tanto Ratzemberg quanto ele Senna assim como Rubens Barrichello e e o Cristian Fitipaldi no final da corrida 🏎️🏍️😄 e nota 💯👏 parabéns valeu 💯👏

[@Sebastian-uf3vr]

Before the race, Ayrton asked the team to make the steering column smoother when turning, but it didn't break. What actually caused the accident was that the tires collapsed because of how slow the Safety Car was. When the race was restarted, the floor of the car was almost on the ground, and the passage of air was more critical, causing oversteer. When that happened, Ayrton tried to correct the car and so he went straight ahead (and you can see him analyzing the direction of the track).

[@ninec5257]

Everyone had low tyre pressure on lap 6 and sennas car bottomed much worce on that lap than what it did on lap 7 because the pressure was gained then. He made the corner on lap 6 because the track surface is never 100% straight which means there is still going air under the car even when it bottoms, so no loss in downforce. If his tyres had problems he would not be able to reach 306 km/h and he would also not be able to slow the car as much as he did by braking, the data confirms it. If the car would have oversteered the car would have lost control into a spin to the left or to the right side. The "thing" you see as oversteer is a wobble of the car when the steering column brakes. The front tire is also pointing straight when he is still steering to the left. The yellow dot which shows his steering input should only trace the green line and it is all over where it should be.

[@elta6241]

There was no broken steering I'm afraid. This is just pure cope sadly.

[@Mcfam-pi8of]

ステアリングのシャフトが折れたのか

[@WhispersOfWind]

そうそう彼らは言う。

[@Pippo103]

Dai non fermate il video sul più bello !!

[@SuperDavidGnomo]

Il più bello sarebbe vedere la tua testa sotto le ruote di un camion.

[@marbet2395]

Bisogna dirlo a Mosley, Eccleston e Williams

[@chefdemarco5013]

Sorry to say the reason for the crash was caused by the pace car. He was going way too slow on the yellow flag formation laps. You can see the cars bottoming out as tire temps weren’t up to temperature. Which was very common in 90-94. The tires were like ice …. Watch the full race.

[@mikemichaelson120]

you know he started racing on lap 6 right? His tires were a higher temperature on lap 7 during the crash in the same corner, why didnt he crash during lap 6 if the tires were to blame? you can even see a difference in the number of sparks coming off the car at the same camera angles in the same corner between the two laps

[@chefdemarco5013]

@@mikemichaelson120 it takes more than one lap to Get to full temperature, pretty much every race driver that was there that day said the same thing … Damon Hill “ Cold tires / slow slow caution laps / bumpy track …Senna was the greatest most fearless F1 driver ever, however That cost him his life sorry to say There is no way the column broke on that turn the video proves nothing. He hit the wall at 140 mph while braking. , the force of the impact both and his hands on the wheel snapped it and the pushing sway bar broke the column …he should have walked away from that crash , sore but alive. His Luck ran out that day

[@mikemichaelson120]

​@@chefdemarco5013 but you see the second yellow button on his steering spin freely while his wheels dont turn at all. That is a broken steering column regardless of tire temperatures (which btw still does not explain why the air flow stalling wasnt so significant on his first lap with lower tire temps that he didnt see the symptoms anywhere near like he did on lap 7.) The video is quite literally a more substantive piece of evidence than blaming tire temps when the problem didnt show any symptoms during a corner taken at similar speed with lower temperatures. If you see the steering wheel without any movement from the tires that means they arent receiving steering input. Why would they not be receiving steering input despite the steering wheel turning?

[@navneetracing4437]

Man stop this nonsense. He was one of the most if not the best skilled driver to have ever lived. In any race a racer doesn't put out quali laps at the start of the race because they are always aware of their tyre temps and more importantly can feel it. Senna 100% knew how his tyres were and how theyd react and his death wasn't caused by a damn pace car.

[@chefdemarco5013]

@@mikemichaelson120 because you know the oversteer in F1 is really bad at time Hence the yellow button wouldn’t have been normal turning. Just look at sharp lap on turn in Monaco the wheel is almost 360 - 320 degree trim and tires aren’t more than 180 degrees turned.

[@speedmann194]

That's how it was designed

[@housesports000]

So why didn’t we see similar behaviour of the steering wheel from Ayrton or Damon’s cars before the Imola race??? explain?

[@speedmann194]

@@housesports000 different tracks, different bumps. And you do see it move. I've watched the footage many times and when the car over-steers the car is pointing before apex on left hand side. if steering broke it should've went over grass on left hand side. It doesn't the car behaves axactly as it should, lap 6 tamburello 188mph lap 7 193 mph. So tamburello obviously wasn't flat. Because if it was senna would've been 193 plus lap 6. And the fact that the car bottomed out and over-steered is all evidence supporting the cold tyre theory. Hill said he had got into trouble their him self and he wasn't travelling anywhere near the speed Ayrton was. I personally believe cold tyre's along with bad handling car is to blame.

[@housesports000]

@@speedmann194 there was still signs of fatigue on the steering column, in the trial expert Italian metalworkers diagnosed that the column extension was already 60-70% cracked and showed obvious signs of fatigue before the crash, while yes the cold tyres might have definitely played a role considering how Senna kept waving for the safety car to move faster, you could also say that the bumpy surface finally cracked or broke the extension completely either partially or completely inhibiting his ability to steer the car, but the reason there is no plausible theory was indeed of the flaws of the FW16 with it’s unstable rear causing Senna problems at Interlagos and the bad handling as you mention, but I am still going to be on the steering column theory because evidence suggests there should be no way how only the steering wheel moved that much in lap 7 and not on lap 6 or any other laps in Imola

[@speedmann194]

@@housesports000 but why didn't car go over grass on left hand side ?? If you freeze the frame at the point were the car finishes it's oversteer, It's pointing before apex. so if steering broke shouldn't it go there ? I think the reason the car went where it did, suggests steering input. And I knew about the fatigue But from my understanding it never broke at the weld even after the accident. ?

[@andrecardoso635]

Bullshit

[@zuulthemonster3222]

The steering shaft broke,it was impossible to turn and thats why he had this crash and unfortunately died 3 hours later 😭 It was not his fault.. RIP Senna.. and Ratzenberger 😭😭😭

[@Nisie23]

Agree not his fault. The world knows it, but he didn't die later, he died on the racetrack.

[@jamesstewart1794]

@@Nisie23 Sid Watkins said he felt his spirit departed on the side of the track.

[@Nisie23]

@James Stewart Yeah I watched his interview.

[@zuulthemonster3222]

@@Nisie23 In the beginning he was clinically dead and after 3 hours he died completely.