Sebastian Vettel called out the names of the two Formula 1 drivers who died in crashes at Imola 30 years as he drove laps of the track in honour of them before today’s race. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Vettel drove a McLaren MP4/8 previously raced by Senna, sporting overalls in the same colours as the three-times champion’s helmet. Vettel also added Senna and Ratzenberger’s helmet colours to his design for the run in front of the crowd ahead of today’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
The winner of 53 grands prix said his run in the MP4/8 was “one of the most beautiful moments I had behind the wheel, to be honest.” “I was alone on track and I wasn’t racing, but the car is fantastic to drive,” he told Channel 4. “I love the car.
” Vettel waved Brazilian and Austrian flags to pay tribute to the two racers. After Senna’s crash during the 1994 race an Austrian flag was discovered in the cockpit of his car, which he planned to wave as a gesture of respect to Ratzenberger, whose death occured 24 hours before Senna’s fatal crash. “I had the flags with me and the moment I got those flags out, the people were just going mad.
It was such a great moment. I was shouting their names in the helmet. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free “Also to get the Austrian flag out, which is the job that Ayrton wanted to do and really belongs to him because he had the Austrian flag in the car on that Sunday, was very, very special.
Pictures: Vettel dri.
