The tragic incident involving Jules Bianchi took place just over 20 years after Ayrton Senna’s. As we know, the Brazilian driver, considered one of the strongest and most iconic in this sport, tragically lost his life in an accident at the Tamburello corner in Imola on May 1, 1994. The time elapsed since Ayrton Senna‘s accident had almost made the specter of death in racing disappear. Unfortunately, history took a different turn, and Jules Bianchi’s 2014 incident reminds us that Formula 1 and motorsport are still dangerous.
The extremely adverse conditions on that Japanese day had raised many doubts among the drivers. The race still began, and after two restarts under the safety car, everything was proceeding smoothly. However, at lap 43, everything came to a halt. Adrian Sutil, driving for Sauber, went off the track at the Dunlop corner, a fast left-hander taken almost at full speed in dry conditions. There, track marshals had to bring in a recovery vehicle to remove the car and resume the race. Unfortunately, the race direction decided not to deploy the safety car for the recovery operation, a reckless choice given what happened next.
In the moments that passed from Adrian Sutil’s accident to Jules Bianchi’s, the Marussia driver impacted the recovery vehicle violently. The collision was so severe that it left the driver in a coma, and given the circumstances, the race was immediately red-flagged. Unfortunately, we all know how it ended, and on July 17, 2015, shortly before his 25th birthday, Jules Bianchi left us forever, robbing us of one of the most infectious smiles in the paddock.
Have we learned anything from Bianchi’s 2014 accident?
There have been many safety improvements, and the search continues. From fire-resistant suits to biometric gloves to monitor the driver’s condition, to ever-safer cars capable of absorbing violent impacts. However, the most significant intervention was the Halo, introduced in Formula 1 in 2018. This device has been vital on several occasions, the first being the incident at the start of the 2018 Belgian GP. On that occasion, Charles Leclerc had Fernando Alonso’s McLaren pass right over his head, and thanks to the Halo, he emerged unscathed. Another example is Romain Grosjean’s in Bahrain in 2020 when his Haas became stuck in the barriers and engulfed in flames. The Halo’s strong structure allowed him to exit the car and escape.
Unfortunately, the same level of safety cannot be claimed during track interventions. The most striking example is Suzuka 2022 when, under conditions similar to those in 2014, Carlos Sainz went off track and remained stranded without being able to continue racing. Recovery vehicles immediately entered the track to remove the car, with no deployment of the safety car. This was a situation that immediately brought back memories of Jules Bianchi’s accident, suggesting that there is still much to learn in this regard.
Source: f1ingenerale
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