They did not die in vain

DAMON HILL ON IMOLA HORROR THAT FORCED CHANGE

- DANIEL MOXON

AS DAMON HILL strapped himself into his Williams for the restart of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, he had no idea his team-mate Ayrton Senna was dead.

He knew it was the Brazilian who had suffered a horrifying crash at high speed, seven laps into the Imola race, held 30 years ago this week.

But neither he nor any of his fellow drivers knew at the time the suspension on Senna’s car had penetrated his helmet.

The triple world champion, aged just 34, most likely died instantly.

And just as quickly, in just his second full season as a Williams driver, Hill was thrust into the role of team leader while still dealing with his own grief.

The situation was eerily similar to what his father Graham went through 26 years earlier, as he had to lead the Lotus team after Jim Clark’s death.

Danger is an inherent part of motorsport, but that Imola race weekend was the darkest in Formula One’s history.