Netflix’s Senna miniseries has brought the life of the famed Formula 1 driver back into the spotlight. But just as people are now getting acquainted with Senna’s life, there have been a lot of questions about his very famous death—particularly as the series based on his life makes a point to not dwell on it, instead choosing to focus on the legacy Senna left, not just on the sport of racing that he changed for the better, but on his home country, which considered him a hero.
The series stars Brazilian Gabriel Leone as Ayrton Senna, and it is the most expensive Brazilian television series in history. It follows Senna from the beginning of his career to his death and focuses on his relationship with his parents and his high-profile girlfriends, particularly the famous Xuxa Meneghel, as well as his rivalry with Alain Prost and his complex relationship with the media.
Related: Here’s who Senna dated before his death
As Senna celebrates the F1 driver’s life and legacy—including the many safety improvements made in the wake of his tragic accident, there are many questions about his death. But how did Ayrton Senna die? What events led to his accident in what is considered one of the most devastating weekends in the history of the sport? And what changed in the sport after his death?
How did Ayrton Senna die?
Senna was killed during a crash that occurred as he was leading the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola Circuit in Italy. He was removed from the car still alive, but badly injured, and passed away in the hospital a few hours later due to numerous skull fractures.
Years after the accident the Supreme Court of Cassation of Italy ruled that a mechanical failure was the cause of the crash, as analysis done afterward found that the steering column of Senna’s car snapped around the time his car rounded the so-called Tamburello corner, which is where Senna crashed into a concrete wall. No one was arrested at the time because the determination was made way past the statute of limitations for such a case.
There were two other bad accidents the same weekend of Senna’s fatal crash. The day before Senna’s death Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger died after he crashed during qualifying, and on Friday during practice Rubens Barrichello, another Brazilian who would become famous for his time with Ferrari, almost died after a bad crash. Despite that, the race was not suspended and no extra safety precautions were put in place.
As the San Marino Grand Prix got started, there was another incident between two drivers, which left a great amount of debris on the track. It has been speculated that one of Senna’s tires might have come into contact with some of that debris, causing him to crash into the wall.
Senna’s crash and the other two incidents that weekend, however, led the drivers to re-establish the Grand Prix Driver’s Association and push for renewed safety measures in the sport. Senna’s death would mark the last fatality in Formula 1 until Jules Bianchi suffered fatal injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
