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Roland Ratzenberger: Biography and Career

Who is Roland Ratzenberger? This is an outstanding personality in the history of "Formula 1". Born July 4, 1960 in the city of Salzburg, which is located in western Austria. An interesting fact is that in most of his interviews the athlete named the year of 1962 the year of his birth. Thus Roland Ratzenberger - racing driver - wanted to extend his racing career.

Career racing driver

Driving a racing car is the brightest part of Roland Ratzenberger's biography, whose photo is presented in this article. For the first time, his star began to shine in 1985, when he took part in the Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in England and took second place. The following season, he returned and won long before the end of the British "Formula 3".

In the UK Roland Ratzenberger enjoyed great popularity, in part because of the similarity in the name with the popular at that time doll. It is worth noting that the driver skillfully took advantage of this situation. He appeared in the TV programs, in the future the puppet image was present for a short time on his machine.

In the following years, a triumphal move began on the pedestals of Formula 3 on the European continent. He finished second in the 1987 World Auto Racing Championship, at the head of the Schnitzer BMW M3 team. The following year, he participated in the last few rounds of the British Touring Car Championship in class B BMW M3, as part of the Demon Tweeks team.

In the 1990's Roland Ratzenberger began to compete in Japanese races. He won the competition in 1990 and 1991 at the Japanese championship in sports prototypes. Actively proved himself in racing cars in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. There he took seventh place in the BMW M3 class. This gave him a chance to return to the "Formula-3000" in the championship of Japan, where Roland performed in the 1992 season.

This season started badly, but when the team updated its two-year-old car to a newer model, Roland Ratzenberger took the first place once, and in the final standings was the seventh. In the 1993 season, he took 11th place.

Racing "Formula 1"

In 1994, Nick Wirth invited the rider to compete in Formula One for the new Simtek team. But, unfortunately, Roland failed to qualify in the first race of the new season. Therefore, the first real race in the "Formula-1" should be called Grand Prix in the Pacific Ocean on the highway "Aida", which is in Japan. Here he finished in 11th place.

Tragedy on the track "Imola" in San Marino

During the qualification at the Grand Prix in San Marino a monstrous accident occurred, Roland Ratzenberger died. On April 30, 1994, on Saturday, during the race, he damaged the front wing on the car, but instead of making a stop and asking for help from specialists from his team, he continued on the faulty car. This decision was dictated by the need to win the competition for the last place in the final. At high speed at the end of a long straight the damaged wing came off and fell under the car. Car Roland Ratzenberger at a speed of more than 300 km / hour flew into the concrete wall. After the accident, he was taken to the hospital in Bologna by air, but the rider could no longer be saved. The cause of death was a fracture of the skull base of Roland Ratzenberger. The accident was a turning point in the history of motorsport.

His father, Rudolph, watched his son's speech on TV. Mother, Margit, could not do this, she always worried about her son. Returning home after a long flight from Mexico, my father decided to look at the qualification in the bedroom of the family house. Before leaving, I heard a Eurosport commentator who uttered his son's name. Startled, he began to watch the report with special attention. They showed Roland's broken car. Rudolph immediately realized that his son was dead.

The reaction of the world sports community

The death of Roland Ratzenberger was a shock to the whole sports world. He became the first racing driver who lost his life at the Grand Prix in 1982, when Riccardo Paletti died while racing in Canada. In addition, Roland Ratzenberger was the first driver who died in a Formula 1 car, after Elio de Angelis, who died while testing the car in 1986.

Bernie Ecclestone convinced the Simtec team to participate in the race the next day to overcome the shock and honor the memory of Roland Ratzenberger. Out of respect, his place in the grid was empty.

Double tragedy at the Grand Prix of "Formula 1"

But this is not the only death that occurred at the "Formula-1" in San Marino. During the auto race during the passing of the 7th round, three-time world champion Ayrton Senna was killed. These two tragedies led to the fact that this sport was under the strong control of the international community.

Before the start of the next race, the first row of the grid was empty, and the two slots were painted in the colors of the Brazilian and Austrian flag.

When the official representatives of the racing track examined the wreckage of the car Ayrton Senna, they found a neatly folded Austrian flag. He planned to pick it up after the race in honor of Roland Ratzenberger.

After the death of his son Rudolph and Margit Ratzenberger went to the morgue in Bologna. They had to identify the body. When they entered the morgue, they saw Roland. But next to him was Ayrton Senna. Rudolph asked if it was just a stupid dream. His son's idol now lies dead next to him. Crying, he leaned over and kissed his son on the forehead.

As a result of the death of two athletes on May 1, 1994, a briefing was given to Formula One racing drivers. They decided to reform the Association of Drivers. His first "directors" were Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher. In the future, the Association insisted on enhancing the safety of cars: this was facilitated by other serious accidents that occurred during 1994. In 2003, it was decided to use HANS devices. It was intended to prevent injury, which was the cause of the death of Roland Ratzenberger.

Funeral procession at the funeral

The president of "Formula 2" Max Mosley attended the funeral of Roland Ratzenberger, despite the greater attention to the funeral of Ayrton Senna, not only among motor sport fans, but all over the world. At a press conference, Max Mosley said: "Roland was forgotten, so I went to his funeral, because all went to Ayrton, and I thought it was important that someone went to him." Other members of the "Formula 1" community who attended the funeral of the Austrian racing driver were:

  • Johnny Herbert;
  • Heinz-Harald Frentzen;
  • Carl Wendlinger;
  • Gerhard Berger.

They were the only four drivers of the "Formula-1", who attended the funeral procession.

Roland was buried in his hometown of Salzburg.

Memory of the Austrian racing driver

Now, twenty years after the weekend in Imola, you need to make sure that they remember both drivers who died there. Roland and Ayrton were born with a difference of several months and followed two completely different career paths. Their life ended only a few hours after each other on the same track, "Formula 1". The world remembers them both.

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