This is Ayrton Senna's qualifying lap at Monaco in 1988. For anyone unfamiliar with this lap or F1 in general. Nobody, any driver, for any team has come remotely even close to what the great Brazilian did this day. He out qualified his team mate by 1.4 seconds, that might not sound like much, but it's eons in F1 terms, particularly around Monaco. He was not only my sporting hero but my all round hero FULL STOP. What a human being🙌🏻.
Discussion
My neighbour and friend, Stu Prattley was Senna's race mechanic at Williams
Before he sadly lost his life, Mike, on 1st May 1994. I will never ever forget that day. It is crystal clear in my mind. Still, to this day. Professor Syd Watkins was the chief medical officer in F1 one at the time, they were great friends. Prof Watkins, the season before Ayrton he died, Syd said, just give it up. You have nothing more to prove, and he didn't. One of, if not THE FOREMOST Neurological centre's in The World, is based only a few miles from where I live, The Watkins Centre, He was born in the region🙏🏻.
Stu was the last person to shake Ayrton's hand on that fateful lap.
They always said the same thing "See you on the other side"
Adrien Newey in a recent interview said for the first time that he holds himself responsible for the accident, ask him what a mechanic things about this?
I'll try to remember to ask Stu the next time I see him 👍
It's sad. He was actually tried in an Italian court a few years after Ayrton died. He was found not guilty. I've been round a few F1 tracks, Silverstone, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, but never Immola or Brazil. It remains my destiny to visit both Immola where he died and his grave in Brazil to pay homage. I will do both, before I die🙏🏻.
I think both were trying there best to make the car more effective, qnd probably with Senna compliance they went to far, but it's a horrible fatality, ain't guilt but it shown F1 needed to step up and it did on safety
Best note of the day by far!
