Another week has passed in the month break between the Singapore Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix, which will take place at the end of October. With no current race to report on this week, it’s time for a flashback to a race from October 5, 2014.
If you are new to the world of motorsports, you might not know the story of Jules Bianchi. As a newer fan, I learned about him through following Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) on Instagram and watching Netflix’s “Drive to Survive.”
Bianchi, who was driving for the Marussia team at the time, suffered a fatal accident at the Japanese Grand Prix that put him in a coma until July 16, 2015 when he passed away. He tragically collided with one of the recovery vehicles while it was recovering damaged cars.
While I could discuss the details of Bianchi’s crash, I want to focus on the happier things about him.
One of my favorite things is that he was so respected in the sport that they retired his number, 17, and it is no longer allowed to be worn. He was also the godfather of Leclerc, who paid tribute to him after winning the Monaco Grand Prix this year. Leclerc dedicated his helmet and race win to Bianchi and his family at the race.
Something that brought happy tears to many fans’ eyes was that Leclerc, in this year’s Japanese Grand Prix, was leading the race during lap 17.
Another thing to come out of the crash was the halo. When looking at a Formula 1 car, you may notice a bar around the cockpit where the driver is sitting. It is in place to protect the driver’s head and neck during an accident. While this invention took some getting used to for the drivers, I’m sure they’re glad to have had it for the many crashes in the past decade.
As we gear up for another race in a couple of weeks, I hope everyone stops to remember Jules Bianchi and the impact he has had on the sport of Formula 1.