F1 | 10 years without Jules Bianchi: when fate plays cruel tricks
10/05/2024 08:23 AM
Goodbye Jules
No one, on that October 5, 2014, could have imagined the tragic events that would unfold for Jules Bianchi on the Suzuka circuit. A date that Formula 1 fans, and motorsport enthusiasts in general, remember as if it were yesterday, and one that, in many ways, changed the sport as we knew it.
On that Sunday, amidst the torrential downpour caused by Typhoon Phanfone, Bianchi lost control of his Marussia in Turn 7 on lap 43, crashing violently at high speed into a crane that had come onto the track to recover Adrian Sutil's car, which had gone off just moments earlier.
The impact with the crane was devastating, causing severe brain injuries to the driver. Despite the rapid response of emergency services and a helicopter transfer to Mie University Hospital, about 15 kilometers from the Suzuka circuit, there was little hope for Jules, with a faint chance of survival that lasted nine months.
The French driver remained in a coma until July 17, 2015, when he sadly passed away during the night. Despite significant advances in safety, Formula 1 faced another major shock, 20 years after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994.
Following the accident, the FIA and race officials faced heavy criticism from fans and professionals alike, who believed that the reduced speed under yellow flag conditions was insufficient to ensure complete safety on the track, especially in such low visibility and slippery conditions as on that day at Suzuka.
However, Jules Bianchi's death was not in vain. After that race, several experiments and additional measures were taken to protect drivers, including the avoidance of standing starts in wet conditions and the introduction of the Virtual Safety Car in 2015, which is still widely used today.
But the most significant change, which has since proven crucial in saving several lives, was the introduction of the HALO, a titanium ring around the cockpit, officially implemented on Formula 1 cars starting in the 2018 Formula 1 season.
Consider, for example, the contact between Romain Grosjean and Charles Leclerc at the 2018 Belgian GP, or Grosjean's terrifying accident in Bahrain in 2020. Other recent incidents include the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at Monza in 2021, or Guanyu Zhou's rollover at Silverstone the following year. All potentially fatal crashes, but thanks to the HALO, none resulted in serious consequences.
This is why today we remember Jules Bianchi not only for the driver he was and the great career he surely would have had, but also as a trailblazer for a crucial step forward in safety, with the hope that Sundays like October 5, 2014, never happen again.
Today, Jules Bianchi is no longer with us, but in truth, it's as if he never really left.
A driver who became a legend without even being one in life, whose passion still burns brightly.
Goodbye Jules, wherever you are.
Source: f1ingenerale
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