started with a fourth place in Brazil and a third place at Aida, which was his first podium position. These results put Barrichello in second place in the drivers' ranking, behind Michael Schumacher, who had won the two races. However, at the , he suffered a violent crash during Friday practice, hitting the wall at the "Variante Bassa" and flipping the car. The accident knocked him unconscious and threatened his life, with his tongue blocking his airway. Barrichello credited the on-track work of Sid Watkins for saving his life. The race weekend saw a succession of serious accidents, of which two were fatal: Roland Ratzenberger died during Saturday's qualifying session when he crashed his Simtek at the "curva Villeneuve", while on Sunday, during the race, Barrichello's mentor Ayrton Senna crashed his Williams at "Tamburello" and also died. Barrichello was deeply affected by the deaths.