#OTD 7 years ago, Jules Bianchi lost his life FIGHTING after terrible crash at Japanese GP 2014

#OTD 7 years ago, Jules Bianchi lost his life FIGHTING after terrible crash at Japanese GP 2014

Jules Bianchi

Jules Bianchi, a skilled driver who was affiliated with Ferrari, was young and had a contagious smile. His career in Formula One was hinged on the renowned Maranello team after he made his debut in 2013. But in his second season with Marussia, the decisive 2014 Japanese Grand Prix occurred.

During the race, a severe storm rocked the Suzuka circuit, which caused Adrian Sutil to lose all control of his vehicle and crash into the security personnel. A crane to extract the German’s car and the Safety Car both emerged at the very same time. On the same corner, Jules lost control of his Marussia though, and it slammed into the tow truck at a high rate of speed.

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After being rushed to a hospital in Japan, Bianchi was identified as having diffuse axonal damage, a severe brain lesion that contributed to his coma. After a few weeks, he was sent back to his homeland of Nice, where he spent the following several months fighting for his life. The grid for the final races of the season was affected by the memories of Jules’ tragic tragedy in Japan.

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The tragic death of Jules Bianchi

Jules Bianchi
Jules Bianchi

Jules Bianchi passed away finally on July 17, 2015, nine months after the catastrophic accident at Suzuka. Days prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix controversy, he passed away. Before the race, the drivers and the Frenchman’s family formed a circle while hugging each other and placing their helmets next to Bianchi’s. It was a homage that left all of the viewers overwhelmed with emotion.

The tragic French tragedy finally prompted the FIA to act and shift its attention to the protection of the drivers. The two factors that were crucial in the Bianchi accident—the exterior aspects on the circuit and the driver’s head—were the target of the highest motorsport body. On the other hand, the FIA ultimately decided to make the halo compulsory for all teams after much discussion and disagreement.

This feature was heavily criticised at the time for being unappealing, having an impact on the aerodynamics of the cars, and making it more challenging for the drivers to exit the vehicle in the case of an accident. However, it is evident that the halo has already saved a number of lives in Formula 1 after only four and a half years since its inception in 2018, including those of Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, and most recently, Guanyu Zhou at Silverstone 2022.

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