Jules Bianchi passes away following accident at 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

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Barra333
I think the idea of remotely limiting the engine in double waved yellows areas has merit. In this case, maybe from the exit of the right before Dunlop. Would obviously need careful thought as to implementation though. The fact remains that Bianchi went too fast into a caution area.
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This. This is Formula 1, there is no way that a simple and cost effective solution couldn't be thought up. The ECU's are a common part aren't they? Onbaord systems are already remotely controlled... It wouldn't be that hard; 1 marshall post before the yellow area, the system is triggered, a light on the steering wheel/and or Audio signals to the driver he is about to loose power, as well as perhaps triggering a yellow light on the back of the car alongside the red light. 2 second delay, and the engine starts to cut power, to limit the speed. The limit could even be set on a per incident basis remotely by race control.
 
It doesn't even need to be that complicated though. With the recent radio comms ruling, the FIA want drivers doing more, so leave it to the drivers and give penalties when safety of the sport is breached.
 
Do not post the video (or any version of the video, or gif) that's been floating around of Jules Bianchi's accident as it's (depressing to say) possibly footage of an incident resulting in a fatality or strongly life altering situation. Out of respect for this sub-forum's rules. Thank you.
 
I've seen the crash, it's a lot worse than you might have guessed before seeing it. It's a miracle that he's still alive, hopefully he can make a recovery.
 
I've seen it as well. Just......wow. Miles worse than what I thought. Amazed he's still alive.
 
I have seen the video. The impact lifted the tractor about 2 feet or more, so its a huge amount of energy going into it. A canopy would of been no good with what I saw. With the speeds required to keep the cars cool (there is no fans to help pull air in), code 60 is not enough for the tires and brakes. That's all I am going to put into it, but FORZA Jules.


EDit: Apparently the video has been yanked by FOM.
 
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Prince.M5
By the way, here's the picture of the tractor from underneath... Quite some damage actually than some pictures we saw initially.
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I thought that wheel looked low when watching...

Anyways, with the whole debacle of "horrid incident with the capsule unable to open," think of all the frontal crashes in LMP1 for the WEC:
McNish-2011
Anthony Davidson-2012
Mike Rockenfeller-2011 (I have not seen the remainings of that car but from the CC images the front monocoque still looked as if it were intact)
Loic Duval-2014 (screen came off, monocoque still intact)
Marc Gene-2008 (Peugeot went off just before Corvette Corner)

I know those are all from Le Mans but those are just 5 I could think off the top of my head that were really bad and yet most of them got away bruised and 1 with a broken finger I think. The doors however (except for Loic's, not sure about his) all opened so I don't see a big deal to adding a canopy/monocoque, aside from budget constraints...

Then again if F1 wasn't so bass-ackwards as how they distribute the money at the end, it wouldn't be too bad.
 
In LMP1 an enclosed drivers area is required now. Only P2 can be open or closed. F1 is still an open well class.
 
^This. I'm old enough to read the debate about closed canopies and "trapped drivers" and have flash backs of my childhood, when I was hearing discussions between my father (a motorsports lover) and friends about the seatbelts. At the time, the ones against them argued that the drivers would be trapped in their cars in case of accident, and would die because of it.

This was the 1960's and this famous accident (late 50's) was always given as example:

1959,+Hans+Hermann,+BRM,+Avus.jpg



My father died in 1971, so he didn't witness Lauda's 1976 accident, but I still remember some, even in those days, saying that his seatbelts were to blame for all the time it took the others to get him out of the car.


I have no doubt a closed cockpit is safer than an open one. And I do think it's a question of time until we have closed cockpit F1 cars.

EDIT- The "^This" bit referred to Swagger's post.

EDIT2 - Here a video of that Herrmann - Avus accident, for those that don't know it

 
yzfmike
I have seen the video. The impact lifted the tractor about 2 feet or more, so its a huge amount of energy going into it. A canopy would of been no good with what I saw. With the speeds required to keep the cars cool (there is no fans to help pull air in), code 60 is not enough for the tires and brakes. That's all I am going to put into it, but FORZA Jules.


EDit: Apparently the video has been yanked by FOM.
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There are gifs on Reddit. I needed to see how it happened. That impact was way faster than I expected. Yikes.
 
Barra333
There are gifs on Reddit. I needed to see how it happened. That impact was way faster than I expected. Yikes.
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Yes very very fast :( The video helps slow it down slightly but I had to watch it twice, but that's all I could do.
 
Video is still viewable on f1Today.net

Looks like he came in at much higher speed than Sutil :(

Also, for some reason they were waving GREEN flags...
For those who've seen it, at the start of the video, there's a double waved yellow. But at the moment Bianchi goes off, there's a green flag out from the marshall watch tower...
 
Seen the video also, heart sank when the impact happened, didn't thought it would be that bad. Praying he makes a full recovery.
 
Just saw the slowed down .gif format. I bet FIA will watch that view of the cameraman who got the whole thing and debate what can be done.

If it had a monocoque, it would definitely been better than just a helmet for protection. Even if rails on the side of the driver where they pull out the fitting were present, anything to slide up over the helmet or push down the suspension would have been better than just a helmet.

Prince.M5
Thought of the same too mate.. But then, it's called perspective. Haha!
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well it was low, the tire was punctured.
 
Hun200kmh
^This. I'm old enough to read the debate about closed canopies and "trapped drivers" and have flash backs of my childhood, when I was hearing discussions between my father (a motorsports lover) and friends about the seatbelts. At the time, the ones against them argued that the drivers would be trapped in their cars in case of accident, and would die because of it.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
Guys I have a link to a video of the crash. Should I post the link?
 
Well... He was lucky he hit it sideways I guess... His helmet does not seem to be the point of impact but the deceleration must have been immense!
 
Fryto
Video is still viewable on f1Today.net

Looks like he came in at much higher speed than Sutil :(

Also, for some reason they were waving GREEN flags...
For those who've seen it, at the start of the video, there's a double waved yellow. But at the moment Bianchi goes off, there's a green flag out from the marshall watch tower...
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The green flag is being waved after the accident sight which is normal.
 
spacecowboy73
The green flag is being waved after the accident sight which is normal.
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No it's not I think. They're first waving double yellows, but as soon as the tractor starts to move backwards, they start waving green. So it's clearly indicating the flag situation for that corner. They should have waited until it got entirely from the track...

I'm not saying that it could have prevented the accident, no one will ever know, but in my view it's a mistake.
 
Yeah, they're waving double yellows. Then when the tractor backs up past the station they change to green. Then when the SC was declared they change to that. If the track was not clear past that station they wouldn't have changed to green. Anyway like you said it wouldn't have prevented the accident.
 
qwbufp
Well... He was lucky he hit it sideways I guess... His helmet does not seem to be the point of impact but the deceleration must have been immense!
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After watching the .gif slowed down, I think the tire was the first thing to rub under the bottom bit, then his helmet and the rear of the tractor proceeded to enitely swipe everything above his helmet. If something more solid was in front of his helmet and rises to the back of the car, it could have been significantly less, but none-the-less, it was terrifyingly fast to lift to tractor as high as it did.
 
Very unlucky accident. But it could have been much worse. When I saw that marshall holding the rope line, by which Sutils car was hanging from the crane, while Bianchi was going very fast into the back of the tractor just few meters away, I had flashback of Tom Pryce incident at Kyalami in 1977.

Also, I wouldn't be so fast with putting blame on anyone or anything. It was just very, very unfortunate sum of very unlucky parts. Sometimes bad things happen, and there is nothing you can do about it.
 
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Since it was hydroplaning that led to the incident, it could have happened to anyone that was on older inters at that point. JEV was on the tires for 22 laps at that point and another driver was on 19 laps, while Bianchi was 18 laps into his stint at the time of the crash.
 
GTPorsche
Since it was hydroplaning that led to the incident, it could have happened to anyone that was on older inters at that point. JEV was on the tires for 22 laps at that point and another driver was on 19 laps, while Bianchi was 18 laps into his stint at the time of the crash.
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Sutil was completely powerless to stop his car and in the gif I've seen Bianchi didn't seem to be slowing down at all.
 
Found gif here:
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Horrible...
 
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Remove the link^.

Wardez
Do not post the video (or any version of the video, or gif) that's been floating around of Jules Bianchi's accident as it's (depressing to say) possibly footage of an incident resulting in a fatality or strongly life altering situation. Out of respect for this sub-forum's rules. Thank you.
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