On May 1, 1994, Senna was a part of a race at the Imola circuit in Italy. He was navigating a left turn at high speed when his race car suddenly acted erratically and moved toward the right and a collision with a wall. Senna suffered severe injuries and passed away later that day.

As explained by The Guardian, Senna’s death was complicated and shrouded in mystery. Technical faults in the engine were blamed for the tragedy. Brazilians mourned as a collective for their national hero’s untimely passing. Meanwhile, explosive theories were circulated, as many wondered what really led to the unexpected crash. Patrick Head, director of engineering at WIlliams-Renault, as well as other major players, was embroiled in an ugly controversy for years after the accident. As Vice reports, a 2007 verdict read, “… the accident was caused by a steering-column failure. This failure was caused by badly designed and badly executed modifications. The responsibility of this falls on Patrick Head, culpable of omitted control.”