Schu's tribute to Senna

Schumacher's Benetton was closely following Senna's Williams in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when the Brazilian speared off the track and hit the wall at Tamburello corner, an accident that inflicted fatal head injuries. It followed Roland Ratzenberger's fatal crash in practice the day before, and the double tragedies have left their mark on Schumacher.

"I still have these pictures before my eyes as I drove directly behind him," Schumacher told his official website. "It was anyway a terrible weekend, because Roland Ratzenberger was killed the day before. It was a shock for me, for us all.

"What I experienced, what happened, left me speechless. It was the first time I was confronted by death in my sport. For a while I doubted whether I wanted to carry on at all."

"Senna was an inspiration for Formula 1 and gave so much for the sport," Schumacher added. "I think Max Mosley rightfully said that Formula 1 became safer owing to him and also Roland. That is the only positive that one can perhaps take from these tragedies."