Formula 1 - 2014 Season

[Lightman]

Helmet looks to be in one piece which is good, but the g-forces probably were huge and caused the damage
Notice lack of any mention of broken bones in medical statements. Looks like monocoque did it's job, except rool-hop which is completely wiped out!

For the future they should think about either using small mobile cranes which can grab the crashed cars from behind tyre walls or just bubble wrap tractors so they have at least some buffer to absorb impact energy.

I hope Bianchi will survive and recover fully, but I'm not sure if he will ever race in F1 again ...

 

[Kaotik]

Reportedly he's out of surgery and doesn't need artificial life support, as he's breathing on his own

This was apparently false report.
Latest rumors say he's needing 2nd surgery to stop bleeding and is on life support for breathing etc

 

[DieH@rd]

I hope Bianchi will survive and recover fully, but I'm not sure if he will ever race in F1 again ...

Well, he's done for this season, that's for sure.

Marussia is closely connected to Ferari, so I presume Pedro De La Rosa [universal F1 reserve driver ] will jump in his seat. I kinda want Suzie Wolf to get few races, but that is a long shot.

 

[Kaotik]

Bad day for F1, not just the Bianchi accident, but former F1-driver Andrea de Cesaris died today in motorcycling accident

 

[Bludd]

They are now saying he is not breathing unaided and is in life-threatening and critical condition.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

"they" are Craig Slater from sky sports, right? As far as I know he is the only one who's been claiming that.

 

[Bludd]

"they" are Craig Slater from sky sports, right? As far as I know he is the only one who's been claiming that.

Indeed, Sky Sports Online

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/report...ter-emergency-surgery-on-severe-head-injuries

 

[Kaotik]

Here's a video of the crash, probably the best there ever will be in public:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASnqrbMtnos

edit: Apparently removed already. GIF of the exact moment of crash from said video: http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/10-06-2014/Mi8u2K.gif mirror for the youtube video: http://mirror.ninja/sc60

--

As for the breathing, the initial reports of "out of surgery, breathing on his own" was most likely false, for example finnish brain surgeon commented that it would be almost unheard of after brain surgery

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Wasn't the initial report that after the crash and before the surgery he was breathing on his own?

That GIF looks pretty bad. Difficult to see how bad his head got hit but it is literally a matter a centimeters or his head would have been taken off...

Amazing (not the right word) to see the roll hoop taken clean off. Obviously it's not designed to survive a frontal impact with a solid object but still, it doesn't look like it even slowed down the car.

 

[DJ12]

Holy sheet.

Doesn't seem to be spinning or anything. Maybe it was a failure of some sort?

 

[DieH@rd]

That was the worst possible crash he could have, direct hit of very hard object above crash structure of his car.

 

[Kaotik]

That was the worst possible crash he could have, direct hit of very hard object above crash structure of his car.

Well, almost worst possible, few cm's more to left from Bianchis point of view and he would have ended up quite a bit shorter

 

[Phil]

I feel sick after watching that video.

I really hope he pulls through, but after watching that video, I think it's a miracle he is still alive. What an impact...

 

[Lightman]

I wonder why there were green flags waved with tractor still on the race track just before Bianchi accident. Was that the reason he approached this turn with racing speed?

If that's the case race director will have some explaining to do ...

This is video where you can see more than FIA wants to show ...

http://mcformula.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/wideo-z-wypadku-julesa-bianchi.html

Link to Polish site with Rutube source for those worried about clicking on it.

 

[DJ12]

The green flag was after the accident, bianchi was still in the double yellow zone. He wouldn't enter the green zone until he'd actually passed the guard station.

Double yellows would also be indicated on his steering wheel.

If he was at racing speed he only has himself to blame.

 

[Gerry]

The green flag was after the accident, bianchi was still in the double yellow zone. He wouldn't enter the green zone until he'd actually passed the guard station.

Double yellows would also be indicated on his steering wheel.

If he was at racing speed he only has himself to blame.

I think the slightly strange thing is that the marshal is clearly waving double yellows as Sutil's car is being hooked on to the recovery vehicle and then when they start to back it up into the gap (about 10s before Bianchi hits) he starts waving a green flag. Doubt whether it contributed to anything, just a bit odd.

 

[Phil]

I think the slightly strange thing is that the marshal is clearly waving double yellows as Sutil's car is being hooked on to the recovery vehicle and then when they start to back it up into the gap (about 10s before Bianchi hits) he starts waving a green flag. Doubt whether it contributed to anything, just a bit odd.

My guess is because at that point, the tractor was behind the post, which ment that at that point, the track was cleared, hence why the green flag was waved. To clarify: the flags are only valid *after* that point. Technically, after the post, the track was clear and secured. I'm fairly certain that up to that post, there was still a double yellow being waved.

 

[DJ12]

There was no danger after the guard station at that point. No marshals on the track/run off area passed that point either so no need for yellows.

It's just normal, we have very few facts but if Jules was at racing speed then I don't see how anyone can be blamed but Jules himself.

I think there's more to it though, it didn't seem like he was spinning so I suspect it was a malfunction of some sort. Maybe a brake failure?

 

[Phil]

I think there's more to it though, it didn't seem like he was spinning so I suspect it was a malfunction of some sort. Maybe a brake failure?

I think he aquaplaned straight off the circuit.... :S

 

[DJ12]

But so did sutil and he spun. It's unlikely that he started aquaplaning in the short straight before the turn so should not have gone straight off the way he did.

If he was already turning then he would've spun after he hit the water surely?