F1 Racer, Jules Bianchi, Passes From Injuries Related To 2014 Crash At Suzuka

It's a shame we have to start the weekend off with such a somber note, but unfortunately, Jules Bianchi who raced for the Formula 1 team, Marussia, has passed away at age 25.

Bianchi was involved in a controversial accident that happened back in October 2014 at the Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit. As a tractor was removing another F1 car that had "gone off," Bianchi's Marussia car slid off track and hit the back of the tractor.

Many who follow F1 seem to agree that Bianchi's career was starting to show promise.

What makes this incident particularly sad is that many have attributed it largely due to poor decision-making of those saying the race should be held in the event of an incoming typhoon as well as the lack of a safety car while the originally crashed F1 racer was being hauled out via tractor.

We wish there were better answers out there, but that's just not the case in this tragic accident.

We offer our condolences to the Bianchi family as well as the Marussia F1 team.

A press release from the Bianchi family follows:

A Statement from the Bianchi Family

Nice, France
Saturday 18 July 2015
02.45hrs France ¦ 01.45hrs UK

It is with deep sadness that the parents of Jules Bianchi, Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Mélanie, wish to make it known that Jules passed away last night at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) in Nice, (France) where he was admitted following the accident of 5th October 2014 at Suzuka Circuit during the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end," said the Bianchi family. "The pain we feel is immense and indescribable. We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice's CHU who looked after him with love and dedication. We also thank the staff of the General Medical Center in the Mie Prefecture (Japan) who looked after Jules immediately after the accident, as well as all the other doctors who have been involved with his care over the past months.

"Furthermore, we thank Jules' colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times. Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.

"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of Jules."

cidflekken - 7/18/2015 1:37:13 PM

+3 Boost

Very sad.

MDarringer - 7/19/2015 6:20:34 PM

-1 Boost

Let's learn from this. This was a man who was trained to drive beyond our imagination. If you have a fast car and drive it fast, get thee to a driving school. A driving school will not keep you from death, but run the bases for your own safety.

In fact, parents of teen drivers: pony up for performance driving school. You will give your kid tools for safety.

My benefactors sent me at an early age.

I go back to school yearly. Contrary to the belief of those who "minus" me for sport, I am an intelligent man. I am not inattentive, but every year when I am at driving school I am floored by what I needed to learn the hard way.

I drive like a grannie on public roads and a warrior at the track, but even then...

I was at the track in Black Widow...a black on black on black LS7 TVR Sagaris...coming out of a turn and the rear end side stepped. For one-Mississippi-two I felt sheer terror. I corrected and nothing happened, but I was keenly aware of my mortality.

I called my wife with my voice faltering and that astute woman said "Are you OK?"

I said yes.

She said "Then summon your balls and get back out there!"

I love her, but that was her way of saying to me "be careful" please.

The Tuscan Speed Six was a hoot by the way.

:)

randy3023 - 7/20/2015 11:23:30 AM

0 Boost

F1 is a waste of life and money.

Terry989 - 7/20/2015 1:36:11 PM

0 Boost

Name one other racing venue with a better safety record? These are the fastest accelerating, fastest braking cars in the world, yet the last death was in 1994.