A Senna moment
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As we approach the 10th anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna, I thought I would share a moment that still causes me to shake my head to this day.
In 1990 I was in Montreal for the GP, working with a team in one of the supporting events. Our race was scheduled for Saturday afternoon immediately after F1 Qualifying. I rode a 4-wheeler on the access road that runs along the Olympic Rowing Basin beside the track on the way to pit lane, and decided to stop at the final chicane and take in the final minutes of F1 Qualifying.
In those days the final chicane was much more open than today and was extremely fast. I stood up on the handlebars of the four wheeler so I could just barely peek over the top of the catch fencing right at the turn-in point for the chicane. There aren't many places in the F1 world where you can get that close to cars running at top speed.
It's the final few minutes of qualifying, and here come the greatest drivers in the world - Prost, Mansell, Piquet, Senna - and everyone is braking and changing down one gear from top gear right under my nose.
In the final minute, Senna approaches the corner and I hear a slight lift, maybe a bit of left foot braking, but no downchange. He smokes through the chicane and I hear the announcer say he's taken pole by a half second over Prost. After he passes, the checkered flag comes out and he's the last car on the track. Here he comes again, but this time there's no change in engine note at all as he absolutely flies through the chicane completely flat out, taking pole by over a second.
Here are the greatest drivers in the world, and all but one are changing down a gear for the corner. And that one driver manages to streak through that chicane not only without a downshift, but with his amazing foot flat to the floor at something close to 200mph.
Needless to say I was stunned, but totally unprepared for what was to come next. A few minutes later I was walking on the sidewalk behind the F1 pits on the way to the support race grid, and out of the Goodyear tent pops Senna, headed straight for me on the narrow sidewalk.
As we passed, I managed to stammer out a "great lap" comment. Senna stopped, grunted "thanks", then looked at me for a moment as if trying to remember me. A wry smile came over his face and he said the words I will never forget -
"You're the guy looking over the fence."
He grinned, knowing he had just blown my mind, turned and walked off.
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oorspronkelijk ingestuurd door :
Lando Magee
Member Motorsports.com forum
April 2004