There was a lot of excitement surrounding the move, with Williams proving to be serial drivers\u2019 and constructors\u2019 champions<\/a> at the time, with Adrian Newey<\/a> helping design the car in the background.<\/p>\n Damon Hill<\/a> was Senna\u2019s teammate at the time, while David Coulthard<\/a> was Williams\u2019 reserve and test driver.<\/p>\n RANKDRIVERTEAMPOINTS1Michael SchumacherBenetton922Damon HillWilliams913Gerhard BergerFerrari414Mika HakkinenMcLaren265Jean AlesiFerrari246Rubens BarrichelloJordan197Martin BrundleMcLaren168David CoulthardWilliams149Nigel MansellWilliams1310Jos VerstappenBenetton101994 Formula 1 drivers\u2019 championship<\/p>\n Senna took pole position in each of the first three races but failed to finish any of them, spinning at Interlagos and being involved in a first corner collision with Mika Hakkinen at the Pacific Grand Prix.<\/p>\n The Brazilian started from the front at the race now known as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix<\/a> before his fatal accident on lap five.<\/p>\n Coulthard has now recalled the last message Senna sent him before his own race at Silverstone that weekend.<\/p>\n READ MORE: All to know about Ayrton Senna including Alain Prost rivalry and Imola crash<\/a><\/p>\n Senna\u2019s accident forced a raft of safety changes from the FIA<\/a>, with the weekend also seeing Rubens Barrichello suffer a huge accident in practice, and Roland Ratzenberger losing his life in qualifying.<\/p>\n Coulthard was taking part in a feature for the official Formula 1 website called Memory Box<\/a>, and talking about that weekend and his relationship with Senna, he said: \u201cHe just came with this aura around him.<\/p>\n \u201cI do recall spending time with him, testing the car and just being completely made up thinking this is as good as my career ever needs to be!<\/p>\n \u201cFor the majority of his career, Ayrton was just the complete package.<\/p>\n Grand Prix starts161Pole positions65Wins41Podiums80Fastest laps19Points610 (614)Championships3 (1988, 1990, 1991)Ayrton Senna\u2019s Formula 1 record<\/p>\n \u201cI was racing that weekend in Formula 3000 at Silverstone. That morning, before I went to Silverstone, I received a fax.<\/p>\n \u201cIan Cunningham, who worked with Williams at the time, had organised for them, I guess, to wish me luck for the Formula 3000 race.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Ayrton had written, \u2018Very best to you\u2019, and then later that day, sadly, he passed away and then that obviously started a period of speculation as to who would be in the car, and then ultimately, we know that I was given the seat for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: David Coulthard warns McLaren of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri \u2018bust-up\u2019 after Monza team orders<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Williams](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1361569040-1024x669.jpg\")
Photo by Jean-Marc LOUBAT\/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesDavid Coulthard recalls the final message Ayrton Senna sent him before his fatal Imola crash<\/p>\n![\"Williams](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-879735480-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Paul-Henri Cahier\/Getty ImagesFrank Williams says Ayrton Senna was the quickest driver he had ever seen<\/p>\n