Senna planned Ferrari moveposted in F130 | 04 | 2014

    FORMULA ONE'S MOST iconic figure, Ayrton Senna, would have ended his Formula One career at Ferrari had he not died at Imola 20 years ago, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, revealed today.

    On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Senna's tragic death at Imola, di Montezemolo has claimed he was in talks the Brazilian with the aim of brining him to the Ferrari Formula 1 team when he was killed in 1994.

    The Italian insists Senna was keen to switch to Ferrari, and evaluations were being carried out to establish ways of allowing him to move from Williams.

    "He wanted to come to Ferrari and I wanted him in the team," di Montezemolo said today. "When he was in Italy for the San Marino Grand Prix, we met at my home in Bologna on Wednesday 27 April.

    "He told me he really appreciated the stand we had taken against the excessive use of electronic aids for driving, which didn’t allow a driver’s skill to shine through.

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    "We spoke for a long time and he made it clear to me that he wanted to end his career at Ferrari, having come close to joining us a few years earlier.

    "We agreed to meet again soon, so as to look at how we could overcome his contractual obligations at the time. We were both in agreement that Ferrari would be the ideal place for him to further his career, which to date had been brilliant, even unique.

    "Unfortunately, fate robbed all of us of Ayrton and Roland Ratzenberger over one of the saddest weekends in Formula 1 history.

    “I always appreciated Ayrton’s style of racing. As with all great champions, he had an incredible will to win and never tired of seeking perfection, trying to improve all the time. He was extraordinary in qualifying, but also a great battler in the races, when he always fought tooth and nail.

    "I remember his kindness and his simple, almost shy nature, which was in complete contrast to Senna the driver, a fighter always aiming for the best."

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    Jim McGill

     

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