Lucky Sithole
Sekuyiminyaka engu-28, ngalolu suku, ilanga u-Ayrton Senna da Silva ahluleka ngalo ukulawula imoto yakhe yomjaho i-Williams Formula 1, eyaphahlazeka obondweni lokhonkolo kwathiwa ushonile ngemuva kwesikhashana.
Ubehola i-San Marino Grand Prix e-Imola ngesikhathi imoto yakhe iphambuka kungazelelwe ejikeni ngesivinini kwi-Tamburello.
Umdlali osemusha owayencintisana naye, uMichael Schumacher, uphushele uSenna emkhawulweni ngokoqobo. Ngesikhathi sokuhlungela, uSenna wehlise amandla e-Williams FW16 yakhe, ikakhulukazi ngemuva, waze wathatha isikhundla sakhe ngoLwesihlanu.
Kamuva ikhomishana yamajaji yaphetha ngokuthi ikholomu yokuqondisa yaba buthakathaka ngemuva kokuthi ishintshwe ngesicelo sikaSenna, okubangele ukuthi iphuke emlenzeni wesikhombisa.
Kwakuwumhla ziyisikhombisa kuMbasa ngo-1968, iminyaka engu-26 ngaphambi kokushona kukaSenna, ngesikhathi i-Formula 2 Lotus kaJim Clark ngesivinini esigcwele ihluleka ukujika ejikeni lesandla sokudla emjikelweni wase-Hockenheim eJalimane.
UClark, ngokungangabazeki ungumshayeli owayeshayela ngesivinini esikhulu kunabo bonke kuze kube yimanje, washona ngesikhathi imoto yakhe ishayisa isihlahla.
Nakuba uSenna evame ukunconywa ngesivinini kanye nezingozi emidlalweni, alukho ulwazi oluningi olukhona mayelana nemizwa kaClark.
Lokho kungenxa yokuthi ngeminyaka yango-1960 abashayeli babengabonwa kakhulu njengabashayeli eminyakeni engu-30 kamuva kanti noClark wayengajabule ukwenza imicabango yakhe yangasese esidlangalaleni.
Kodwa kuthiwa uClark, umfuyi wezimvu ngokomsebenzi, wazamukela izingozi njengento engokoqobo yomdlalo.
Umshayeli womjaho u-Alain Prost, ekhuluma ngoSenna (njengoba ejwayele ukwenza), uthe kwamethusa ukuqhudelana noSenna njengoba lo mdlali wase-Brazil ayekholelwa ukuthi ngeke ahlulwe.
Wayenephuzu.
USenna wathi: “Uma unoNkulunkulu ohlangothini lwakho, konke kuba sobala.” Wayeqonde ukuthini ngalokho?
Kumele kube nzima ukugijima esingu-300km/h uma uqhathaniswa nembangi ekhuluma ngokuba kwelinye izinga.
“Ngabona ukuthi angisayishayeli ngokuzimisela imoto. Ngangiyishayela ngendlela engokwemvelo, mina ngangikwelinye izinga,” kusho uSenna.
USenna, ekhuluma ngomjaho wase-Monaco, wathi: “Bekungathi ngisemhubheni. Hhayi nje umhubhe ongaphansi kwehhotela. I-circuit yonke yayisemhubheni. Ngangilokhu ngihamba ngihamba, ngiqhubeka ngihamba njalo. Ngangidlule umkhawulo kodwa ngangisakwazi ukuthola okwengeziwe.”
Omunye ongumpetha wemijaho ngeminyaka yango-1950s, uStirling Moss waphinde wathi umhlaba wavalwa ngaye. “Kufana nokushayela emhubheni,” esho.
Naye uMoss waquleka inyanga yonke ngemuva kwengozi eyenzeka e-Goodwood ngo-1962 futhi akazange abuyele emjahweni.
Namuhla, izingozi zemidlalo kuvame ukuxoxwa ngazo futhi kutholakala izindlela zokuzenza ziphephe futhi zibe ngezifanele. Kodwa noma kunjalo, umbuzo uvame ukubuzwa ukuthi ngabe ababukeli basazovela ngezinkulungwane ukuzobukela i-F1 Grand Prix uma ingeyona ingozi.
Mhlawumbe. Kodwa lokho akusho lutho.
Okubalulekile ukuthi abalandeli bemijaho yezimoto bangabuka bemangele, njengoba izinsizwa ezinjengoSenna, uClark, uMoss, nabanye abaningi, babeka izimpilo zabo encupheni ukuze bafune ingxenye yeshumi engaqondakali isiteji.
Futhi cha. USenna wayengakholelwa ukuthi angeke ahlulwe. Uyaziwa ngokuthi wathi: “Uma kwenzeka ngiba nengozi engenza ngilahlekelwe impilo nami, ngiyethemba ukuthi kuzokwenzeka kanye nje.