Hill (left) drove in the same race that claimed Senna's life

Three-time world champion Senna suffered a high-speed crash at Imola on 1 May, 1994 and died at the age of 34.

And Hill, his Williams team-mate at the time, told The Times newspaper that he believes there was nothing wrong with the car they both were driving.

"I am convinced that he made a mistake, but many people will never believe that he could," said Hill.

"Why not? He made many mistakes in his career."

Senna crashed at the Tamburello corner, a bend considered to be relatively straightforward.

But Hill believes his team-mate simply took the corner too fast for the conditions at that time.

Ayrton was a great driver and a man with enormous humanity, but he was as frail and vulnerable as you or I Damon Hill

"I have listened to and read endless theories about why, or how, he could have crashed on such a 'simple' corner like Tamburello," the Briton, world champion in 1996, wrote.

"No-one other than Ayrton Senna and me know what it was like to drive that car, through that corner, in that race, on that day, on cold tyres."

Hill added: "He was identified with pushing to the limit and beyond.

"He would often prefer to crash into his opponent rather than be defeated.

"It was not the fault of anyone else that he kept his foot flat when he could have lifted," said Hill.

Hill admitted that his views would not go down well with some.

"These opinions are sacrilege in the world of driving gods," he said. "Ayrton was a great driver and a man with enormous humanity. He was not a god. He was as frail and vulnerable as you or I."