Jules Bianchi, eight years already
On July 17, 2015, Jules Bianchi passed away as a result of his accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Eight years later, the Frenchman is still remembered.
The Suzuka Grand Prix, on October 5th, 2014, took on a very somber tone. It only took a violent typhoon, pouring rain, and everything changed. Just a few laps before the end of the Grand Prix, Adrian Sutil skidded off the soaked track and ended up in the gravel. The safety car was deployed, but even behind it, the track was extremely dangerous. Two laps later, Jules Bianchi’s retirement was announced, without any footage. At that moment, no one knew why or how.
A 92G shock
A few minutes later, images finally appear. They are horrifying. Aboard his Marussia No. 17, Jules Bianchi veered off the track at the same spot as Adrian Sutil. The French driver’s car crashed into the back of the recovery vehicle that was trying to clear the German’s car. The impact to his head measured at 92G. The collision was unimaginably violent. The images are unbearable. Rescuers quickly intervene, but Jules Bianchi has lost consciousness and is unresponsive. The French driver is in a deep coma and is immediately taken to the nearest hospital.
Repatriated to Nice, his hometown, Jules Bianchi stays close to his loved ones before passing away on July 17, 2015, nine months after his terrible accident in Japan. On this day, a great French hope was lost. Jules fought until the end, as he always did, but yesterday, his battle came to an end, as stated in the family’s statement.
Sebastian Vettel: « Thank you Jules »
The pilots’ tributes did not fail to appear following this terrible news. Perhaps the most poignant was Sebastian Vettel’s declaration on the radio just after his victory at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix, only a few days after Jules Bianchi’s death. The words speak for themselves: “Thank you Jules, this victory is for you. This victory is for you. You will always be in our hearts. We all know that one day, you would have been part of this team,” he said on the day of his 41st victory. Indeed, Jules Bianchi was destined for a bright future, and perhaps even at Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc also frequently pays tribute to Jules Bianchi, his close friend. The Monegasque driver emphasizes that without Jules, he would not be in Formula 1. In 2010, my father no longer had enough money to finance my karting years. It was supposed to be my last year. But Jules spoke about me to his manager, Nicolas Todt, who then paid for everything for me until my arrival in Formula 1. Without Jules, I would be nowhere, he declared. The memory of Jules Bianchi lives on in Formula 1, especially through Charles Leclerc.
His death prevented others
Jules Bianchi’s accident also led to safety improvements. The halo, a carbon protection surrounding the driver’s helmet, was introduced in 2018 to prevent head impacts and avoid a similar accident to Jules Bianchi’s from happening again. It has already proven its effectiveness: Charles Leclerc in Belgium in 2018, Romain Grosjean in Bahrain in 2020, Lewis Hamilton in Monza in 2021, or more recently, Guanyu Zhou in Silverstone in 2022. The French driver is responsible for the increased level of safety in recent years.
Jules Bianchi will remain in the memories of all, and from the heavens, he continues to watch over his family, the Formula 1 family.
