Bianchi – A Future Fate Removed
Thomas Maher July 20, 2015
Jules Bianchi’s funeral is set to be held in Nice on Tuesday and will cast a shadow over the remainder of the 2015 season – a shadow that hasn’t been seen in 20+ years.For those of you who may be in the south of France this week, Jules Bianchi’s funeral arrangements have been announced as being held in the Saint Reparate Cathedral in Nice on Tuesday at 10am. The turnout will be huge, and F1 is sure to be well represented by the drivers and team members from up and down the pitlane. It’s difficult to gauge how welcome the FIA & FOM might be, but that’s not a topic for this article. The media will be there in their droves and hopefully will show the same respect and class that the Bianchi family have shown them throughout their ordeal. It has been a long and tortuous road for the Bianchis, a road that ultimately has led them to the most crushing of heartbreaks – albeit maybe not an entirely unexpected one.
Jules’ name, in years to come, will become uttered in the same sentence as some names from Grand Prix racing that have become synonymous with talent that was struck down. Think back to the mid-80s when Stefan Bellof was killed in a sportscar race at Spa. Bellof had shown a spark akin to, if not exceeding, fellow rookie Ayrton Senna in 1984 and looked set to become one of the main names in F1 until his untimely demise. Francois Cevert & Roger Williamson were both men to fall in 1973; Cevert in a vicious crash at Watkins Glen in the final race alongside Jackie Stewart. Cevert had been groomed by Tyrrell and mentored by Stewart to replace the Scottish driver as Tyrrell team leader upon Jackie’s retirement. Instead of reaping the benefits of Stewart’s planned stepping down, Cevert ended up merely hastening Jackie’s career ending. There were no such grandiose arrangements in place for Williamson – the Englishman struck down in his second F1 race after a strong pre-F1 career. Tony Brise, the protege of Graham Hill, died just 10 races into his career; dying in the same plane crash that claimed the former Champion and the lives of several of the Embassy Hill racing team.
“Jules was one of us, a member of the Ferrari family.” says a quote from Luca Di Montezemelo in Italian media this week. “He was the future of Ferrari as our collaboration with Raikkonen would come to an end. He was a first class man – shy, prompt, polite, very attached to Ferrari. He promised a bright future, but fate removed it. Jules leaves a huge void.”
Source
I think this is so far the best article written about what has happened.
Statements like these are a double edged sword. On one hand, announcing what could have and should have been merely makes Jules’ death all the more difficult to fathom. On the other, such a public acknowledgement of what Jules actually had managed to achieve in his short time should make his family very proud. He had guaranteed himself a bright future with F1’s most talismanic team, but fate removed it.
There’s been calls on social media for a tribute to be paid to Jules by removing his No. 17 from use as a mark of respect but, with driver number selections still in their infancy, this isn’t likely to come about. It’s worth remembering that Jules’ No. 17 was actually selected for him as his three nominated numbers were all selected by drivers ahead of him in the queue at the time. His original choice of No. 7 was taken by Kimi Raikkonen. No. 27 was taken by Nico Hulkenberg, while No. 77 was assigned to Valtteri Bottas. Ironically, Hulkenberg & Bottas are now the two frontrunners to replace Raikkonen – the seat Jules should have been inheriting.
“It is at times like this that we are brutally reminded of how dangerous racing still remains.” the GPDA announced after the news of Jules’ death broke. “Despite considerable improvements, we, the Grand Prix drivers, owe it to the racing community, to the lost ones and to Jules, his family and friends, to never relent in improving safety.”
Virtual Safety Car aside, there hasn’t been a huge change in that regard. Realistically, what can be done? Fans complain about neutered circuits and asphalt run-off areas, but the thing about gravel traps is that cars get beached in them. Recovery vehicles are thus required to remove them. An already crashed car needs a recovery vehicle. This is far from ideal but, outside of stopping the race, what’s a better solution? According to the FIA’s crash investigation findings published last December, Jules ‘did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control’ and that ‘if drivers adhere to the requirements of double yellow flags, then neither competitors nor officials should be put in immediate or physical danger.’ Pretty damning stuff that points the finger firmly at Jules being at fault for his own crash. However, a safety system that relies on the drivers not trying to find a competitive advantage is inherently flawed. An arbitrary ‘everyone slow down’ wasn’t enough, and Jules has paid the price for that failing. If it hadn’t been him, it would have been someone else. The Virtual Safety Car has taken speed moderation out of the driver’s hands. By removing the potential for a competitive advantage, the risk is removed.
The Bianchi family bury a son and a brother on Tuesday, the man who succeeds Ayrton Senna as Formula 1’s most recent victim. They have opened up the ceremony to those who have been behind them every step of the way since October 5 2014 – a gesture that shows the regard in which Phillippe, Christine, Tom & Melanie hold their son’s fans. The way the family have handled every moment of their ordeal has been nothing short of impeccable and thoughtful – dignified and restrained, yet always forthcoming with information about how Jules was doing. No good has come from Jules’ passing but at least their purgatory of suffering has reached its conclusion.
It’s just over a year since Jules topped the times for Ferrari in Silverstone testing when he stepped in to replace Kimi Raikkonen. A year since Jules underlined his abilities and his intentions, and a year since he donned the Prancing Horse overalls for what would be the final time. Since then, his team have survived administration and a rebrand (thanks to his 2 points at Monaco 2014), his teammate has scored his first Indylights win (dedicating the win to Jules), while Ferrari have begun the process of finding a different replacement for Raikkonen. Time will march on without Jules; his story unfortunately reaching a premature and unplanned end. If you are in a position to, attend his funeral on Tuesday. Show your support to a family that motor racing, not for the first time, has been cruel to. Shed a tear for the driver, the racer, the son, the brother, the man who made such an indelible mark on those around him. Rest in Peace Jules.
