Any death in auto racing is shocking, as it happens at high speed out of nowhere and is usually shown on live television. Yet when Ayrton Senna crashed into a concrete barrier during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, it was altogether something else. Senna was the biggest star in Formula One, an international celebrity, and a national hero in his native Brazil. He also died one day after the Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger died in a qualifying session at the same track. More shocking, these were the first deaths on a Formula One track in 12 years, after racing deaths occurred about once a season in the 1970s and 1980s. Finally, Ayrton Senna's death was captured on live international television, so the whole world saw him crash into a concrete barrier at the Tamburello Corner on the 7th lap. Senna's front right tire came off and flew into Senna's cockpit. Senna was airlifted to a local hospital, where he was officially declared dead that evening. His funeral was one of the largest events in Brazilian history, and the wreck itself would lead to a number of safety improvements.