Italy’s Public Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Supreme Court, and in May 2005 the court found Head guilty of negligence in the change in the steering column of Senna’s Williams. The British team appealed, but two years later the court upheld the decision, without acquitting Head.
In 2007, Patrick Head was solely responsible for the accident: manslaughter (without intent to kill). Williams’ technical director at the time, however, did not serve the sentence because the sentence was announced 13 years after the accident — the action was time-barred.
The cause of the accident was the rupture of the steering rod, caused by the poorly designed and executed modification, leading to culpable and negligent behavior on the part of Head, as what happened was predictable and avoidable, said the sentence.
Head left the F1 routine in 2011. With Williams’ crisis in 2019, he returned to take on the role of technical consultant, but does not follow the circuit. At 77, he is an influential figure on the team.
What caused the accident?
The investigation showed that the breakage of the steering bar (steering column) was decisive for the tragic accident. The steering column was the point of debate due to an adjustment request from Senna.
