Ayrton Senna - The story after

[Guy Goddard2]

Sorry to drag this old topic up again but after reading Richard Williams book on "The death of Aryton Senna" three points worry me.

1) Damon Hill at the trail (Page 99) was asked if the 93 Williams had power steeering to which he replied "I can't remember".
For someone who had driven the car in 17 Gp's this seems almost a case of Hill hiding something and this is born out by other answers he gives.


2) Secondly the tape on board Sennas car was apparently lost for a while and then turned up with the footage "tampered" with.

3) Although not in this book medical profesionals could not account for Senna's head movement after the crash as seen on TV as it moved not down but lifted up, indicating the brain had not been as severely damaged as later announced.



Any thoughts.



Guy

[NiceGuyEddie]

So the Williams had powersteering then!

[JohnSSC]

I recall seeing a link on the CygnetF1 page to an article that analyzed the accident in great technical detail. I went back recently and could not find it (it is not the trial report itself). I recall it being a link to something that appeared in either a magazine or a documentary of some sort in the last 12 months or so. Sorry to be so hazy, but perhaps someone else recalls the same article.

I thought it was well-researched and well written. It contained deceleration charts and graphs that plotted the movements of the car. It also analyzed the "tape" and found it had not been tampered with nor altered.

The bottom-line was that this was not an accident that bore the hallmarks of any sort of negligence nor (heaven forbid) criminal negligence.

I do not have an axe to grind either way on this issue, but thought it might be a worthwhile read to perhaps dispel some rumors.

[Damon]

It's not as if there is only one tape either. A team would not be able to tamper with footage taken by many TV companies all over the world.

[R]

I remember the head movement (left and right as I recall), and remember thinking at the time: "Thank God, Senna is alright."

Later, these movements have been explained as mere reflexes, I think. Though what that implies medically speaking, I do not know.

[Sato san]

From Hills point of view , it must have been very difficult for him to give evidence at the trial having had the situation drag on for as long as it did . Im sure Damon had alot of faith in the Williams team, and like alot of other people ( my self included) found it to be quite absurd that it carried on in court aslong as it did . Maybe Damon was just being awkward when he said he couldnt remember .

just a thought .

[Liz]

I thought they had concluded it had something to do with a suspension part that broke and went through his head. Considering how many broken suspension parts I have seen in the last 10 years (heck, both Ganassi CART cars broke their suspensions in the same race at Vancouver!) I would say that if this was the cause of the accident, it was nothing but an accident.

Sometimes, whether we like it or not, it is just one of those terrrible things, I guess.

As for Damon saying "I can't remember," well, when we are preparing witnesses to testify we tell them that if there is any doubt in your mind whatsoever, don't hesitate to say you can't remember or you don't know. It's better than trying to make something up and later on getting caught short and made to look like a liar.

[Lee Janotta]

That's been the leading unofficial theory on his fatal injuries for a while, Liz.



Note the small hole highlighted here. Big enough for a suspension pushrod to have gone through?

I've seen helmets put up with too much to believe concussive force was the cause of Senna's death. Yes, his was damaged, but I find this much more believable as a cause of death. But how could the coroner possibly miss evidence of impalement if it was present?

BTW, ignore the larger hole at the top... That was a plug from casting the helmet that popped out at some point.

[J.McClane]

Originally posted by Guy Goddard2
Any thoughts.

Well yes i did have one, but it seems to have been postnaped!

And i thought this was a place to voice your opinions.

[av8rirl]

This topic has been flogged to death (no pun intended). Do we really want to bring back the memories? Please consult the other threads where every theory has been tried and tested.

[J.McClane]

Very true, but not everyone here spends all day on this forum or has time to go through all the topics on here till they find the one they need


No offence.

[Guy Goddard2]

Originally posted by av8rirl
This topic has been flogged to death (no pun intended). Do we really want to bring back the memories? Please consult the other threads where every theory has been tried and tested.

I apologised at the start of my thread as I agree with you that topics that are churned over time and again and as senstive as this do annoy the older members like you and I.
I am interested in the forums views on my questions and hope you will give me the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.


To clarify question 1, the Williams of 93 did have power steering hence the fact he said "I can't remember" astonished the court according to the book.


Regards


Guy

[TimD]

Well, just to throw a scenario into the works here, Guy. Supposing you're Damon Hill, and you're however many years down the line, being called to be a witness about events in 1994. To remind yourself of a painful period of time, you gen up on all the aspects you can recall of the development of that '94 car, and the start of the '94 season leading up to one of the worst weekends of your life.

Don't forget, also, that you are intimately involved in the development of the Williams package. At some stage, you will have been testing power steering, seeing its adoption into a racing package, but this will have been happening during the continuing evolution of the car through 1991, 1992, 1993...

So you're on the stand, mind focused on the FW16 and the events of May 1 1994, and the man asks you a question about something you simply aren't primed for. Now, did we put in the power assistance in October '92? Or was it the day Alain was down in Estoril testing? When was it exactly?

Just a scenario, I'll grant you, but can you see how "can't recall" is a perfectly legitimate response in some situations.

[Mr V]

Have to agree with what you've said Tim, Damon was obviously thinking of the '94 car, and this may have thrown him, Damon being Damon, was proberbly telling the truth by saying that he didn't remember if there was any doubt in his mind.

[KBM]

Has there ever been a theory about driver error?
I have a Motorsport mag issue where Martin Brundle seemed not to completely rule this out.

[Jordi]

Heck, I don't remember what I did two hours ago...

Either Damon couldn't remember it or was just trying to defend Williams. Only who knows is him.

I hate these trials. After the driver is dead in a sport admittedly dangerous, it just gets on and on with the trial. (It lasted till '99, right?)

[The Other Chris]

my dad said he broke his neck in the crash but i believe the theory about the suspension piece going through his skull.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by The Other Chris
my dad said he broke his neck in the crash

Quite possible, but i'd imagine that that would have been a consequence of the suspension parts hitting him.