Pilot motorist born the 4 from Julio of 1960 in Salzburg and arrived at formula l in 1994, after to have competed in Japan, in the Toyota equipment, where he had by companions to Eddie Irvine and Jeff Krosnoff. Ratzenberger, that when signing a contract by 5 races to pilot the Simtek of formula I overwhelmed its aspirations like runner, killed Saturday 30 of April of 1994 in the training of tragic the Great Prize of San Marino, disputed on the Italian circuit of Imola.
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Roland was able to arrive 11º in its second Great Prize, disputed in the track of YOU Aida, Japan. In Brazil it did not manage to classify itself to take part from the competition (MV*)
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Due to the breakage in the straight line of the front baffle plate of its Simtek S941-Ford Cosworth nº 32, the single-seater was private of support in the previous train and it could not negotiate the fast curve to rights Gilles Villeneuve, that took to 317 Km/h. Although Roland restrained until death with the left foot, could not avoid to crash tangentially still at high speed (about 280 Km/h) against the protection wall, sliding throughout the same by a hundred of meters. The given off left front wheel struck the head of the infortunado Ratzenberger, that was taken care of in the site, practicing him cardiac massage. But their injuries of skull and spine were so important that in the Maggiore hospital of Bologna they were limited to certify his death. The mortal accident was similar to which it caused the death to Mike Spence in 1968.
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Ratzenberger played a good role in edition 1992 of Le Mans. Two years later it reunited the money sufficient to sit down in the flaming Simtek S941 de F1 (MV*)
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According to Max Mosley, ex--pilot and ex--landlord of Simtek, Ratzenberger had undergone a light exit of track in the previous return (in which he used a time 5 seconds worse than his average) and, surely, in that exit his aileron was hairdo. Perhaps Roland had to pause to verify damages before continuing in fast return, but the probable thing is that it decided to follow when not detecting no strange behavior in the Simtek.
Very appreciated by its amiable character, Roland Ratzenberger had been 9º in Le Mans 1992, to 182 Km/h, sharing a Toyota 92C-V with Axis Elgh and Eddie Irvine. Deceased in a Grand Prix would be aircraft commander of formula l from the death of Riccardo Paletti, 12 years before, but the following day, in the Curve Tamburello, immediately previous to the Villeneuve, Ayrton the Seine in an accident of characteristic similars would be killed. The drawn up one of high speed the Villeneuve and Tamburello would be modified in the future
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Roland was a man very appreciated by its colleagues, among them was friend of Jeff Krosnoff, Eddie Irvine, Mika Salo and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (MV*)
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One decade after these tragic facts, Richie Jenkins remembered to Roland with the following phrases: “There am was to lovely guy, full of warmth. (...) Roland Ratzenberger, rest in peace you'll to never sees forgotten by some.” (“It was an adorable, total type of cordiality; it rests peacefully, some never will forget to you. ”)
| (MV*): Foot of photo written up by tamermotorsports.com |
Press: 2 of May of 1994Sport Hebdo car: 7 of May of 1994: pg. 4 and 34 (Josep-Mª Bosch); 1 of May of 1999 (Josep M. Bosch), pg. 90 Sport-Car: June of 1994 (Gérard Crombac): pg. 67Francisco Holy: pg. 200Sport Exclusive Grand Prix: nº 5 (1995), pg. 47It brushes Jones: 66, 68, 98, 135, 179, 200, 240, 245 and 251Sports Car International: December of 1996/Enero of 1997: pg. 6Schlegelmilch & Lehbrink Monaco: pg. 404F1-50: pg.82 (Tony Dodgins)E. and F. VerplankenF1 Racing: May of 1999, pg. 91The Forum Nostalgia: 20 of September of 2000 (Tombe - Rudi Ratzenberger-, Rainern); 15 of Julio of 2002 (Barry Boor)Tremayne & Hughes: pg. 83Richie Jenkins (The Forum Nostalgia: 14 of April of 2004: http://forums.atlasf1.com/showthread.php?s=ae0e030197c4134f3846966af40fa8b6&threadid=68176)
Photos: Forix.com - Roland-Ratzenberger.com
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