Former Formula One mechanic Richard Hopkins has shared his experience at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix exclusively with GB News, and how the tragic weekend affected him and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.The Grand Prix in Imola saw the tragic deaths of Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna and Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger.The Austrian died during Saturday’s qualifying after suffering a fatal crash in his Simtek, while Senna was killed in the Grand Prix after crashing into a concrete barrier at the Tamburello corner.The pair’s deaths led to numerous safety changes in Formula One and had a long-lasting impact on those who work in the sport.Michael Schumacher won the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, which is remembered for the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in qualifying | GETTYHopkins worked as a mechanic with McLaren at the race and told GB News exclusively through iPedicta what he remembers from the race and its impact.He said: “To be perfectly honest with you, 1994, I remember for two reasons: one, it was a shocking season for McLaren. We had Peugeot engines, and all I seemed to be doing that year was changing engines constantly, and I got very good at changing a Peugeot engine in the back of a McLaren.”And obviously the San Marino weekend. I avoid watching anything on that San Marino Grand Prix. It brings back a lot of memories, and not always good ones. But obviously, watching this documentary (Schumacher ’94 – The Birth of a Legend), there was a large portion of it that was the San Marino Grand Prix weekend.”It wasn’t until watching the documentary that I probably realised that it was 1994 when things changed, and it was probably the San Marino Grand Prix when things changed… I think we all changed after San Marino. To be perfectly honest with you, Formula One changed; and if you were there that weekend, whether you were a mechanic and engineer, a driver, medical staff, scrutineer, marshal, whoever you were, it changed you.”Richard Hopkins shared his experience at the Grand Prix with GB News | GB NEWSSchumacher won the Grand Prix and went on to win his first World Championship in 1994 with Benetton.Before San Marino, Hopkins would have the odd cup of coffee with Schumacher at events, but explained that after what happened in 1994, the German “changed” and was affected by what happened.He said: “Michael changed, and maybe our random cups of coffee kind of slowed down or came to an end after that because we changed and maybe priorities changed and maybe he got more serious, maybe I got more serious, and it became inappropriate to be having those cups of coffee. “So I hadn’t thought of it in that way, and it was only watching the documentary that made me think. God, maybe the timing. It certainly was during that year period that things changed.”Ayrton Senna tragically died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix | GETTYThe Monaco Grand Prix followed the tragedy in San Marino, which Hopkins described as “amazing” given how the Formula One world came together.Hopkins told GB News he does not remember many races, but Monaco sticks in his mind for how those who work in the sport had an “eyes forward” and “carry on” perspective.He said: “I think Monaco that year was amazing because it was two weeks after San Marino, and I think everybody, including myself, and I know lots of drivers, and I know Michael himself questioned whether they were going to carry on. “Us as mechanics felt very vulnerable because, you know, it wasn’t 100 per cent clear what had caused Ayrton’s accident. It wasn’t 100 per cent clear what had caused Rowan Ratzenberg’s accident, plus all the other incidents, whether it be Reuben Barrichello’s incident and the other ones that happened. Richard Hopkins said Formula One changed after San Marino 1994 | GETTY”So I think we all felt, and I felt, you know, do I want to do this again? Because I didn’t want to be the one who had fingers pointed at me because I made a mistake that caused an accident, an incident, and somebody getting hurt. “So for us all to go back to Monaco and not carry on regardless, not have that sort of stiff upper lip approach, but very considered and knowing that things weren’t normal; but understanding that was a moment in time when Formula One was going to change for the better.”I think as vulnerable as we felt, we also felt a bit of protection as well that everything was going to be kind of okay, and let’s go forward. So I think Monaco. “I remember going to Monaco and thinking, God, do we really all want to be here? But then, you know, your eyes forward. You know, we’re all racers, and we carry on.”