Because of Senna's series: Coulthard warns - and thinks of Ratzenberger's parents

(Motorsport-Total.com) - On April 30, 1994, Roland Ratzenberger crashed his Simtek Ford in the Villeneuve corner during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix - a defect in the front wing left the Austrian no chance at one of the fastest sections of the circuit: It was the first fatality on a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend in twelve years.

However, the tragedy surrounding the newcomer was overshadowed by the death of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna the following day, which dominated the news worldwide. Three decades later, little has changed; to this day, the names Senna and Ratzenberger are inextricably linked by the horror of Imola.

This was most recently evident in the mini-series "Senna" released last year, with which Netflix wanted to create a cinematic memorial to the Brazilian Formula 1 icon on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his death - which, due to the many inaccuracies and errors in the portrayal , was only partially successful...

Distortion of events "for dramatic effect"

These are particularly evident in relation to Ratzenberger, because the Austrian's accident on the tragic weekend in Imola is not only exploited in the series, but is also sometimes portrayed inaccurately (a detailed list of the errors and deviations from reality in "Senna" can be found here in the video ).

Unsurprisingly, this has been met with disapproval by former teammates and companions of the victim: "Why would you do that? Just for the dramatic effect," criticizes former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com . The Scotsman hasn't consciously watched the series yet, but has noticed the negative reviews and inconsistencies.

Coulthard: "It's important that something like this is portrayed accurately"

Coulthard is thinking especially of Ratzenberger's parents, pointing out: "Roland's father, a very nice man, is often in the audience whenever we come to Salzburg for ServusTV [sports and talk from Hangar-7] on Monday evenings. He wears his Roland cap and all that. And he's a man who lost his son—so for him, it's especially important that something like this is portrayed accurately."

No wonder, then, that Coulthard, given the many criticisms of the series, says: "I probably won't watch it." The now 54-year-old, who was Williams' third driver in 1994 and took over Senna's cockpit after Senna's death, handled this for many years with Asif Kapadia's award-winning Senna documentary from 2010:

"I didn't watch the Senna film for ten years or so, until I was on a plane one day. The reason I didn't watch it is: I was there when Senna died. I was part of the team. So I didn't need to watch a film about it, a documentary dominated by opinion."

In the Netflix series about the Formula 1 legend, however, this form of distortion has reached a whole new level: other protagonists have recently sharply criticized their portrayal in the biopic, most notably Senna's former teammate Gerhard Berger.

Senna series for Gerhard Berger "a disgrace!"

Among other things, he was accused of making derogatory remarks about Senna's great rival Alain Prost, whom he insulted as a "French dwarf," according to the series. "A disgrace! I would never say something like that," Berger fumed in an interview with Krone .

Like Coulthard, he hasn't seen the series either: "I don't usually watch things like that because they're usually blown up in an American way, which doesn't always have anything to do with reality. And if you know it, it's a strange feeling," explains the Austrian.

Even the vilified Prost has repeatedly stated his disdain for the Netflix series . Recently, he doubled down in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo: "I'm sure Ayrton wouldn't have liked it, not least because it shows a lack of sensitivity," Prost said, warning: "You shouldn't just say things that aren't true." Regardless of whether it's about Senna or Ratzenberger...