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DEATH OF SENNA IN SAN MARINO 1994
Analyzing Williams' defense thesis on Senna's accident in 1994, we can find serious errors from the point of view of SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY and PHYSICS. Everything indicates that Williams wanted to create a climate of doubt and uncertainty with the aim of hiding something very important and exempting itself from blame for the accident.
1)INCONSISTENCIES IN THE THESES ON THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT:
We will analyze below the main causes raised for the accident and verify whether they are valid or not.
1.1) TEMPERATURE LOSS OF TIRES:
This theory states that the entry of the Safety Car onto the track and the low speed of the cars contributed to the cooling of the tires, which caused the car to lose height in relation to the ground and its floor to hit the asphalt, causing the car to lose control.
The big problem with this theory is that the race restarted on lap 6, Senna passed Tamburello with cold tires, accelerating as much as he could to get away from Schumacher's Benetton and nothing unusual happened to the Williams. The accident happened on the following lap (lap 7), when the tires were already at a temperature close to ideal.
According to experts at the time, F1 tires took only 2 km to reach ideal temperature and the track temperature was high that day (Source: F1 Yearbook 1994 pg 75). There is no plausible explanation for the tires being colder on lap 7 than on lap 6, which was the lap of the race restart. they said they had problems.
This thesis does not hold water.
1.2) LOW CAR HEIGHT FROM THE GROUND:
This is a variant of the cold tire thesis mentioned above, only this time it puts the blame on the car's height in relation to the ground, which caused the bottom of the car to hit the track and the loss of aerodynamic lift. Let's assume that this thesis is true, to verify its veracity.
At the exact moment the car loses lift, it had 3.62 G-forces (remembering that G-forces are proportional to mass, the square of the speed in the curve and inversely proportional to the radius of the curve), when Senna notices the problem in the car. , take your foot off the accelerator, brake and reduce two gears and the car's speed drops from 310 km/h to 216 km/h in approximately 1.5 seconds, moving approximately 100 meters to the wall.
This deceleration would generate the transfer of weight to the front of the car, which would be enough to return grip to the tires and control of the car back into Senna's hands, who in turn would have time to avoid the Tamburello Wall. This maneuver would cause the car to spin around its axis (violent rear end), which definitely did not happen in the accident.
Furthermore, Professor Alberto Bucchi, head of the Institute of Road Infrastructure at the University of Bologna, was responsible for analyzing the asphalt of the Tamburello Curve, he verified that there were brake marks on the Tamburello asphalt, which is incompatible with the thesis "loss of aerodynamic lift". (Source: Veja Magazine 05/03/1995 pg 92)
The Tamburello Curve was an easy curve for F1 drivers, it never required the car's limits, it was done with "foot under" without any degree of difficulty. Experts say that only a breakdown could make the car lose control and all the drivers who crashed into it (Piquet in 87, Berger in 89, Alboreto in 91 and Patrese in 92) they said they had problems.
Williams' thesis claims that "the car lost aerodynamic lift because it was low", but even if the car lost aerodynamic lift for a period of time, in the next moment the tires would come back into contact with the ground due to the downward force generated by the airfoils and control would return to the driver's hands.
This thesis is possible, but it is extremely unlikely.
1.3) TIRE FLAT OR SUSPENSION OR AIRFOIL BREAKAGE OR SHOT BY A SNIPER:
A broken suspension or a puncture in the left rear tire or a broken front spoiler could have caused the right front tire (the corner support tire) to come off the ground and cause the car to go straight on Tamburello. Through videos and photos, no evidence of a broken suspension or puncture in the tire or a broken front spoiler was found.
The hypothesis that Senna was shot in the head also does not match the facts observed in the dynamics of the accident, as when he lost control of the car, telemetry showed that Senna downshifted two gears and braked, proving that he was alive moments before hitting the car.
These theories make no sense whatsoever.
2) WILLIAMS OMITTED STEERING COLUMN FATIGUE:
The report presented by the National Geographic Channel in the late 90s is the same one presented by Williams' defense in court. Williams' defense omitted the most important technical evidence: the scientific analysis of the Electron Microscope of the ruptured section of the Steering Column.
The principles of Strength of Materials are accepted worldwide to resolve doubts about the rupture of parts and structures, and should be a key piece in this case, but it was strategically omitted...
It is very important to explain what happens to a car in a curve: INERTIA tries to direct the car to move in a straight line and the driver's hands hold the steering wheel to make it remain on the curvilinear trajectory.
2.1) TELEMETRIA DASTEERING COLUMN:
Doing a chronological analysis of data from the Williams Steering System with the car's behavior, we see that the telemetry corroborates 100% with the fact that the Steering Column had broken BEFORE the accident:
Moment 1) Before loss of controlof the car, telemetry recorded an abnormal peak in efforts in the steering system, indicating some anomaly in this device (see below the telemetry from Auto & Sport magazine reproduced in Jornal O Globo on 08/15/1994).
Moment 2) In the next moment, the car stopped following a curvilinear trajectory and began following a straight trajectory, due to the car's inertia. This sudden change to a straight trajectory caused the Steering Column to undergo a rapid rotation (twist) clockwise (for the reference seated in the car), even though the steering wheel no longer responded to the driver's command.
Moment 3) Soon after, the Steering Column began to be controlled by the movement of the tires over the imperfections in the asphalt, generating vibration, flexion and rotation in the column. These efforts were recorded in the car's Steering System Telemetry, which is normal. Strategically, Williams' Defense used the records in the steering system to argue that the spine was intact, which is definitely not true.
Moment 4) After the car hit the wall and stopped, the Steering System strangely began to register effort in the steering column, when in fact it was 100% broken.
Reproduced from the newspaper O Globo on 08/15/1994
2.2) SERIOUS ERROR IN THE WILLIAMS DEFENSE THESIS:
The argument presented in the National Geographic video reports that "It would be impossible for the spine to be broken before the accident, as telemetry recorded efforts until the wall was hit". This is a very mistaken interpretation and an affront to NEWTON'S LAWS.
As the steering column breaks, the lower part of the steering system continues to receive the stresses from the tires in contact with imperfections in the asphalt. In addition, the car went from a curved trajectory to a straight one, causing the column to rotate clockwise. For this reason, stresses were recorded in the car's steering system, even with the column broken and, by the way, this is normal.
The Williams Defense thesis would be true if the car was at rest on trestles, which was not the case, as the car was in curvilinear movement at speed under inertial effects, hence the MISCONCEPTION of this premise.
2.3) WILLIAMS TESTS MATERIALS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE USED IN SENNA'S CAR:
Williams' Defense presented simulations in the Courts under severe conditions proving that the Column would withstand the stresses, but strategically these tests were carried out with materials with original specifications, which was not the case with the Steering Column welded with a sleeve with a diameter smaller than the column. (Source: Veja Magazine 05/03/1995 pg 95).
2.4) ELECTRONIC MICROSCOPE ANALYSIS OF THE METALLURGY CENTER OF THE FACULTY OF BOLOGNA:
The analysis with the Electron Microscope is indisputable from a scientific point of view. FATIGUE rupture and BRITTLE rupture (rapid or catastrophic) present patterns that are easily differentiated in the electron microscope.
The Electron Microscope Analysis at the Faculty of Bologna showed that the steering column was 60% ruptured DUE TO FATIGUE (slow rupture or ductile fracture) due to the torsional (rotation) and flexion (track vibration) efforts made by the column.
With this level of FATIGUE on lap 7 it is absolutely clear that the Steering Column would not last 58 laps of the race, the Italian Expert who analyzed the Steering Column concluded that its resistance was significantly compromised due to the welding procedure carried out by the Williams team over the weekend.
If the steering column was 100% ruptured due to brittle rupture (rapid or catastrophic), Williams' Defense argument would be valid, which was definitely not the case.
3)AS A COLUMN DANDSTEERING IS BROKEN:
Here is the transcription of Veja magazine of 05/03/1995 page 93 on the subject:
“The experts then returned to the steering column. Williams lawyers heard at the inquiry admitted that it had broken, but maintained that the spine broke when the car collided with the wall - it was a result of the accident, not its cause. At that time, the testimony of experts was decisive. They explained that, when a metal breaks suddenly, as in the case of a violent impact against the wall, it presents deformations in characteristic angles and shapes, easily verifiable through electron microscopes.
But the rupture of the stem could have been caused by the process of"material fatigue", an expression used when a metal breaks due to repeated stress or stress. If the tear is caused by fatigue, there is another type of characteristic sign, stretch marks. These marks appear at each request cycle, that is, each time the metal is subjected to a type of effort, such as torsion or bending. In the case of the steering column of Senna's car, these two efforts occurred. The twist occurred when he turned the steering wheel to maneuver the car. And the bending was produced by the Williams' shudder and vibration. Placed under the electron microscope at the Institute of Metallurgy of the Faculty of Engineering in Bologna, the fractured part of the steering column of Senna's car showed an area with 60% fatigue streaks. "This method is used in any part of the world; from a scientific point of view, there is no way to dispute the results", says a technician who participated in the laboratory examination.
On June 28, other experts, including an engineer from Williams, were called to the Institute of Metallurgy. On the microscope screen, comparable to that of a small television, streaks appeared."
"The Williams engineer immediately shut up, anyone remembers the elementary lessons from college", says the Italian technician. "I myself was very surprised by what I found, when I heard about Formula 1 I thought of sophisticated technology, and what I saw had none of that."
Source:http://veja.abril.com.br/idade/exclusivo/050203/senna.html of 05/03/1995 (Unfortunately VEJA Magazine removed this article from the internet) or Veja Magazine 05/03/1995 pg 90 to 95.
Other than that, the experts who analyzed the broken column and concluded that Williams, when welding the steering column, reduced its thickness. (Source: AutoSprint and Jornal O Globo of 01/05/1995 page 9)
Professor Lorenzini from the Faculty of Bologna in Italy, responsible for analyzing the Steering Column of Senna's car said:
"It was poorly welded about 1/3 of the way down and couldn't handle the strain of the race. We found scratches in the crack in the Steering Bar. It looked like the work had been done in a hurry, but I can't say how long before the race. Someone tried to smooth the joint after welding. I've never seen anything like it. I believe the rod was defective and probably cracked even after heating. Moments before the accident, only a small piece remained connected, and therefore the car did not respond in the curve."
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGTu6EuEzuA (FORMULA BRUMNH CHANNEL Video about Adrian Newey and Williams 1994)
There is a video on YouTube reconstructing step by step how the steering column broke, it's worth watching to understand what happened. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viraD1_gsAs
Simulation of steering column rupture and real photo of Senna's Williams Steering Column ruptured.
4) METAL WELDING PROCEDURE:
There is a whole procedure for storing the electrodes and carrying out the welding, to guarantee their quality and resistance. This procedure requires training and not just any mechanic is qualified to carry out welding.
There is material on Wikipedia, quite informative, talking about the concept of ductile fracture (slow fracture or plastic collapse) and brittle fracture (rapid fracture or catastrophic rupture). And there is a video on the “Energia Mecânica” channel that is very enlightening about the problems in metal welding. See both below:
Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fratura_dos_materiais
Video: Understand why a poorly done weld was most likely the cause of the accident that killed Ayrton Senna (Weld Cracks). Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmean-1DOJY&t=395s
Veja Magazine 03/05/1995
5) TIRES DIRECTED OUTSIDE THE CURVE:
This is not a conclusive argument, as it is difficult to accurately analyze the images from an F1 on-board camera, but from the "frozen" frames above at the entrance and in the middle of the Tamburello Curve, it appears that in the middle of the Tamburello the wheels were pointed straight, when they should be pointed slightly to the left. But I reiterate that this argument is not conclusive and cannot be used as evidence of the cause of the accident.
See below the telemetry reproduced from Auto Sprint Magazine that at 310 km/h an ANOMALY occurs in the car's Steering System, Senna notices the problem and takes his foot off the accelerator. Tenths of a second later, with the car already escaping out of the curve, the telemetry showed a decrease in the hydraulic pressure of the Steering System, followed by two absolutely ABNORMAL hydraulic pressure peaks. Note that all of this happened BEFORE the Tamburello raid.
This is evidence that something very serious happened in the Williams Steering System BEFORE the impact with the wall.
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Frozen images at the beginning and middle of the Tamburello Curve
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AUTOSPRINT Magazine in its 1994 edition presented a graph that was copied from the telemetry of Senna's Williams.
The Italian journalist Alberto Sabbatini from AutoSprint magazine had access to the printed telemetry of Senna's Williams, he transcribed all the data from this telemetry on tracing paper and released this material. In 2024 he gave an interview saying that he has no doubt that the broken steering column was the cause of Senna's accident.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yak2QJzCNI&t=307s (CANAL ENERTO)
6) ANORMAL MOVEMENT OF THE WILLIAMS STEERING WHEEL:
There are two videos on YouTube made by Haris Topal and Luís Goulart, comparing the movement of the yellow button on Senna's Williams steering wheel in Friday's qualifying with the movement of the button on Sunday, on lap 6 of the race. This button on the Williams steering wheel on Sunday showed an abnormal displacement in relation to itself on Friday, probably because the Steering Column was already in the process of rupture due to FATIGUE, as was later proven in the Scientific Analysis of the Electron Microscope at the University of Bologna, which is why the steering wheel gradually moved down until it completely came loose from the Steering Column.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcPgZj5TLU0 (Senna Imola Crash Analysis 2023 - Steering lap 6) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdRKF9M0jvo (Senna Imola Crash Analysis 2022 Steering Column Fail)
Canal Otimiza carried out a frame-by-frame analysis of the video from the on-board camera of Senna's accident, analyzing the yellow button on the steering wheel including the positioning of the Sun at the time of the accident and came to the conclusion that at the moment of loss of control of the car , Senna turned the steering wheel completely to the left, but the wheels did not respond and the car went in a straight line, corroborating the theory of the steering column breaking.
7) CONCLUSION:
Williams' Defense Thesis is a nonsense. It does not align with the principles of PHYSICS, it omits the Scientific Analysis of the Electron Microscope and it is also not consistent with the behavior of the car that was observed during the accident.
First, it was based on a FALSE PREMISE by stating that "if the Steering Column had been broken before the accident, the efforts would not have been recorded by Telemetry". Physics proves that when the steering column of a car in curvilinear movement is broken, the column will undergo a rotational movement resulting from INERTIA.
Second, it omitted the Electron Microscope Analysis which is an indisputable analysis from a scientific point of view based on the RESISTANCE OF MATERIALS. This analysis proved that the spine was 60% ruptured due to fatigue.
Third, it tricked us into thinking that the car lost support and/or that the tires were cold or that the car was too low and this caused it to hit the ground. They just forgot to warn that if this thesis were true, the car would rear end.
Students at the Faculty of Engineering who carried out computer simulations of Senna's accident at the Tamburello curve and corroborate that the loss of lift would generate a rear overrun, NEVER a front overrun.
The F1 engineers are the best engineers in the world, of course they knew there were INCONSISTENCIES in the Williams defense thesis. Following this point of view, it is clear that Patrick Head, Adrian Newey, Frank Dernie, Damon Hill, David Coulthard and other members of Williams came together to defend the team at all costs.
Adrian Newey himself in his biography said about the steering column: "It doesn't matter whether this steering column caused the accident or not. It is impossible to forget that the axle was a poorly designed part, which should never be allowed in a car."
Jo Ramirez (former McLaren chief mechanic) gave an interview saying that he knew that the rupture of the Steering Column was the cause of the accident that killed Senna. Hill said in an interview that Senna made a mistake in the Tamburello accident, Ramirez was personally with Damon, scolded the Englishman and concluded that Hill said that pon account of the Trial in the Italian courts of the Williams team, which in my opinion makes perfect sense.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7c3jhwbuhQA (Interview by Jo Ramirez- Canal Enerto)
Antônio Pizzonia: "Several people said they heard him (Frank Williams) say: "I killed it, I killed it", really blaming himself, because he knew it was a technical fault with the car. Everyone already warned that this subject was very delicate." He completed saying that the subject was prohibited within the team and that he was at the Williams factory on the day that Senna's car, which had been in the Italian Police for years, returned to the hands of the team, and by order of Frank Williams this car was destroyed.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqcfb9GO6zY (Canal Enerto)
If the objective of the Williams Defense was to make the process cloudy, to generate more doubts than answers and to exempt the team from blame for Senna's accident, they succeeded, as they were acquitted in court. But in 2005 the case was reopened, Patrick Head was found guilty of Senna's death, but the case was time-barred and no one was punished.