This text was initially printed on 30 April 2024.
Gorianstrasse is a small, dead-end avenue in Salzburg’s Riedenburg neighbourhood, round midway between the outdated metropolis nestling on the foot of the Hohensalzburg fortress and the airport on the western outskirts. There, in a new-build block, Roland Ratzenberger purchased a two-storey house with stunning views of Untersberg mountain from the terrace.
For 29 years now this has been the house of Roland’s mother and father. Rudi, his father, quickly turns 91, whereas mom Margit is 86 – however with a reminiscence some a lot youthful individuals would envy.
“Roland was travelling the world as racer, however he at all times burdened he would have a residence in his hometown. That’s why he purchased this house. He took it over one week earlier than Imola,” Rudi recollects. And he provides: “Firstly, we had been reluctant to maneuver in. Then we determined to not promote or lease it however to make use of it ourselves.”
The Ratzenberger household had lived on the jap facet of town, near the highway that results in the lake district. It was there Roland (born 4 July 1960) and his youthful sisters Elisabeth and Gabi grew up.
“Roland was fascinated with vehicles from his kindergarten days,” Margit says reflectively. “He beloved to look out of the window and watch vehicles travelling by. Quickly he may identify nearly each model, each mannequin.”
If the mother and father have one remorse it’s the indifference they as soon as had about Roland’s ambition to pursue a racing profession. The daddy-son-relationship was generally troublesome, they admit. “Roland by no means spoke a lot about his plans or targets. He was fairly inverted, not solely to us, however to most individuals he needed to cope with,” Margit says.
On 30 April 1994, Rudi and Margit returned from a trip in Mexico. They switched on the TV for the San Marino Grand Prix last qualifying session. The following minute they witnessed the aftermath of a heavy accident and realised it was their son’s automotive.
Roland Ratzenberger was tragically killed in a crash in the course of the Saturday qualifying session at Imola, 1994
Picture by: Sutton Photos
Rudi hadn’t wished his son to change into a racing driver however from at the present time on he pushed to maintain Roland’s reminiscence alive within the media. “I do know he will likely be at all times talked about in reference to Ayrton Senna. So he is not going to be forgotten.”
Again to the 80s
Saalbach-Hinterglemm, within the Pinzgau district of Salzburg, is a modern vacationer vacation spot identified for wintersports. Not a lot for rallying, although the village is dwelling to former Austrian rally star Sepp Haider and the secondary dwelling to double world champion Walter Röhrl. It was Haider who organised a nationwide winter rally within the valley in December 1980.
I used to be masking the occasion for the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper. On the service zone close to the Zwölferkogel cablecar, two younger males watching the motion recognised me from the paper and launched themselves: Roland Ratzenberger and Gerald Lachmayr, college students on the technical highschool in Salzburg. They wished recommendation on learn how to change into racing drivers. I steered Walter Lechner’s racing faculty, then on the close by Salzburgring.
In 1989 Roland made his Le Mans debut in a Porsche 962 he shared with Walter Lechner and, although the race was minimize brief by a tyre failure after three hours, Roland’s fascination with the legendary enduro had begun
They adopted my recommendation, Roland so eager to make a begin that he dropped out of college simply earlier than commencement. Lachmayr stopped after one season or so of Austrian Components Ford, having run out of cash. Roland was in need of funds virtually all time. However he clung on to his dream, incomes simply sufficient by working as a ‘gopher’ in Lechner’s faculty and staff, then later as an teacher.
In 1985 he joined Alois Roppes’ Components Ford staff in Germany, working as a mechanic to pay for a journey within the staff’s second automotive alongside Michael Roppes, son of the proprietor. If lack of funds dictated sleeping in a truck or a tent, so be it.
Giving up was out of the query.
Roland’s dedication and ambition had been rewarded. In 1985, he gained 11 out of 19 races and took the Austrian, German and European FFord titles. The next season, success in England introduced him consideration within the racing world. Successful the Race of Champions and the Components Ford Pageant at Manufacturers Hatch, coached by Walter Lechner, paved the way in which to F3 and a works contract with BMW within the Touring Automobile World Championship 1987 – changing Ferrari F1-bound Gerhard Berger within the Schnitzer squad.
Ratzenberger took over within the ETCC from F1-bound Gerhard Berger
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
Massive in Japan
Roland additionally raced in F3 from 1987 (profitable a Euroseries race on the Nürburgring) for West Surrey Racing and moved to England for the 1988 season to race in F3. He discovered a flat in Blakesley, close to Silverstone. The season with Madgwick introduced extra accidents than success. Roland determined to maneuver to F3000 with Spirit, ending up third within the British championship.
Endurance racing attracted Roland as a means of getting nearer to F1. Former Schnitzer worker Peter Reinisch, additionally Salzburg-born, put him in touch with Walter Brun’s sportscar staff. In 1989 Roland made his Le Mans debut in a Porsche 962 he shared with Walter Lechner and, although the race was minimize brief by a tyre failure after three hours, Roland’s fascination with the legendary enduro had begun.
When the prospect of a check for Toyota in Japan got here up, Roland took it in the easiest way, incomes a contract for 1990 and turning into the primary European works driver for the Japanese model. He relocated to Japan and have become a Toyota stalwart for the subsequent seasons in Group C racing.
A primary likelihood to maneuver to F1 appeared within the type of the brand new Jordan staff. Burkhard Hummel, co-owner of Austrian company WWP, tried to arrange a package deal along with a brewery and an oil large to place Roland within the second automotive alongside Andrea de Cesaris. The sponsors couldn’t agree on a contract and the drive went to Bertrand Gachot.
Roland additionally thought-about a ‘plan B’ within the US, testing a Dick Simon-run IndyCar at Willow Springs. However shifting to US racing is usually a one-way avenue; the strong contract with Toyota in sportscars (which allowed Roland to race on in touring vehicles as properly) can be higher for ongoing F1 visibility. 1992 introduced a ninth-place end in Le Mans along with Eddie Irvine and Eje Elgh within the older Toyota 92C-V Turbo. In a Porsche 962 he completed third within the Daytona 24 hours. In 1993, Roland did many of the driving on the way in which to a category win on the Sarthe and fifth general within the up to date 93C-V shared with Mauro Martini and Naoki Nagasaka. Martini nonetheless charges Roland as among the best Group C drivers of that point.
Among the many European expats in Japan – Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Johnny Herbert, Mika Salo, Andrew Gilbert-Scott, Eddie Irvine to call just some – Roland was a well-liked determine and a very good buddy. When a person pulled a knife on Frentzen in a bar one evening, Roland stepped in to forestall HHF from being damage. He was comfortable in Japan, incomes good cash, and even spoke some Japanese.
Ratzenberger accomplished the 1992 Le Mans 24 Hour within the Kitz Racing Toyota with Eddie Irvine and Eje Elgh
Picture by: Sutton Photos
The large break
These comforts didn’t diminish Roland’s ambition to succeed in F1 and he purchased a small flat within the Monte Carlo Solar tower as a European dwelling. Late in 1993, every part started to return collectively.
German businesswoman Barbara Behlau, who ran an company in Monaco specialising in artists and occasions, was approached for an funding in a non-public airline.
Her monetary advisor disagreed, suggesting as an alternative that supporting a race driver into F1 can be a greater proposition. Barbara agreed to pay £500,000 for Roland to compete within the first 5 races with Nick Wirth’s newly established Simtek staff.
Ratzenberger’s case was supported by staff sponsor MTV. Owing to the similarity of his identify to the British tv character Roland Rat, he was identified within the UK and had even appeared in a TV sketch with the puppet rodent. However he knew that he was clearly the number-two driver, firstly as a rookie, and secondly as a result of his team-mate was David Brabham, whose three-time world champion father Sir Jack owned 26% of the staff. Simtek was so in need of cash that it may solely present a automotive for Roland on the final pre-season check at Imola in early March.
It was Ayrton’s intention to get acquainted with Roland. “Ayrton thought Roland was a very good man,” Senna’s physio Josef Leberer recollects. After Roland’s accident, Senna went to Villeneuve nook to get an perception into the reason for the accident
To overlook his first GP at Interlagos a fortnight later was a giant blow for Roland. He knew Simtek’s Ford engines had been two grades under Benetton’s and one under these provided to Larrousse and Minardi. There have been engine issues, a damper failure and different new-car mishaps, so Roland didn’t lap quick sufficient to qualify on Friday and missed out on Saturday when rain hit within the second session.
The Pacific GP at Aida was up subsequent and this supplied particular incentive for a driver with so many connections to Japan. Ending eleventh within the race was a giant motivation for the European season forward.
We met in Simtek’s motorhome on Thursday afternoon of the San Marino GP weekend. Roland defined why he thought he may beat David Brabham and the 2 Pacific vehicles to qualify regardless of a technical drawback. The following race up was Monaco, which Roland thought-about his different ‘dwelling’ occasion. He was in a superb temper and clearly wished to show one thing.
This temper didn’t final lengthy. On Saturday in the course of the lunch break, my colleague Gerald Pototschnig interviewed him and Roland, clearly beneath just a little stress, minimize it brief, saying, “Let’s end this after qualifying, I’ve received no time left.”
His phrases took on a merciless second that means 40 minutes later when he crashed into the barrier at Villeneuve nook whereas travelling at 306km/h. Roland’s entrance wing had indifferent, most likely because of a kerb strike the earlier lap, and, because the stays of his automotive got here to relaxation, the angle of his head within the cockpit led everybody to concern the worst.
Ayrton Senna had hoped to show a tribute following Sunday’s race, although the tribute by no means got here
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photos
We waited in entrance of the circuit’s medical centre, hoping for some aid, some excellent news, although all of us felt there was no hope anymore.
At any time when Roland got here again for a number of hours to Salzburg, we met for a drink and he often allowed himself one glass of beer. Throughout one brief stopover, he randomly received married to Bente, ex-wife of 1989 Le Mans winner Stanley Dickens. It was 13 December 1991. They honeymooned in New York. In early January, simply three weeks later, Roland known as his mom and advised her he’d filed for divorce.
The mother and father by no means discovered the explanation.
Roland’s later companion was a Somalian mannequin known as Kadisha. In line with Rudi and Margit, she devastated the flat in Monaco after the accident and took every part she may. “We don’t wish to consider her,” Rudi says bitterly.
It was Ayrton’s intention to get acquainted with Roland. “Ayrton thought Roland was a very good man,” Senna’s physio Josef Leberer recollects. After Roland’s accident, Senna went to Villeneuve nook to get an perception into the reason for the accident. He was very nervous. And he requested Leberer for an Austrian flag to hold in his automotive and wave for Roland after the race.
Tragically although, Ayrton by no means received the chance to make this gesture.
The Brazilian and Austrian flags painted on the Monaco grid in reminiscence of Senna and Ratzenberger
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
On this article
Gerhard Kuntschik
Components 1
Roland Ratzenberger
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