Celebrating a Decade: How has the Heritage of Jules Bianchi Shaped the Motorsport Industry Today?
- Oct 12, 2024
- 14 min read
Jules Lucien André Bianchi (born 3 August 1989 – died 17 July 2015) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 2013 to 2014.
Bianchi was the grandson of endurance racing driver Mauro Bianchi and the great-nephew of Formula One driver Lucien. Graduating from karting to junior formula in 2007, Bianchi won his first championship at the 2007 French Formula Renault 2.0 Championship with SG Formula. After winning the 2008 Masters of Formula 3, Bianchi won the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2009 with ART Grand Prix. He then progressed to the GP2 Series, finishing third in 2010 and 2011 with ART. Bianchi then finished runner-up to Robin Frijns in the 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2009 to 2014, Bianchi was a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari in 2011 and a reserve driver for Force India in 2012. Bianchi signed for Marussia in 2013 alongside Max Chilton, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Retaining his seat for 2014, Bianchi scored his first championship points at the Monaco Grand Prix—finishing ninth after starting 21st on the grid—earning widespread acclaim from drivers and pundits.
During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Bianchi lost control of his Marussia MR03 in very wet conditions and collided with a recovery vehicle, suffering a diffuse axonal injury. He underwent emergency surgery and was placed into an induced coma, remaining comatose until his death nine months later. The number 17 was retired from Formula One in his honour by the FIA. As of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.
Early life
Jules Bianchi was born in Nice, France, to Philippe and Christine Bianchi. He had two siblings, and was the godfather of current Ferrari driver and 2024 Monaco Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc.
Bianchi was the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, who competed in GT racing during the 1960s and three non-championship Formula One Grands Prix in 1961. He was also the grandnephew of Lucien, who competed in 19 Formula One Grands Prix between 1959 and 1968 and won the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, before dying during Le Mans testing the following year.
His favourite racing driver was the Great Michael Schumacher.
Bianchi's exposure to motorsport started at around 3 years of age through karting and was facilitated by the fact that his father owned a kart track. Since age 17, Bianchi was professionally managed by Nicolas Todt.
Formula Renault 2.0
In 2007, Bianchi left karting and raced in French Formula Renault 2.0 for SG Formula, where he finished as champion with five wins. He also competed in the Formula Renault Eurocup where he had one pole position and one fastest lap in three races.
Formula 3 Euro
In late 2007, Bianchi signed with ART Grand Prix to compete in the Formula 3 Euro Series.
In 2008 Bianchi won the Masters of Formula 3 at Zolder, and also finished third in the 2008 Formula 3 Euro Series season.
Bianchi continued in the F3 Euroseries in 2009, leading ART's line-up along with rookie team-mates Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutiérrez and Adrien Tambay. With eight wins, Bianchi sealed the title with a round to spare, at Dijon-Prenois. He then added a ninth win at the final round at Hockenheim. He also drove in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series at Monaco, after SG Formula acquired the cars formerly run by Kurt Mollekens.
GP2/Formula 2 (2024)
Bianchi drove for ART in the subsequent GP2 Asia season and the 2010 GP2 season. He competed in three of the four rounds of the GP2 Asia championship. In the main series, Bianchi took two pole positions and a number of points positions before he was injured in a first-lap crash at the Hungaroring. In the feature race, he spun into the path of the field exiting the first corner, and was struck head-on by Ho-Pin Tung, sustaining a fractured second lumbar vertebra in the process. Bianchi was fourth in the drivers' championship at the time of his injury. Despite initial pessimistic assessments of the severity of his injury, he recovered to take part in the next round of the championship.
Bianchi remained with ART for 2011, and was partnered by 2010 GP3 Series champion Esteban Gutiérrez. He starred in the first two rounds of the 2011 GP2 Asia Series, holding off Romain Grosjean for victory in the feature race and gaining fourth in the sprint race, but he was later penalised. He finished runner-up to Grosjean in the drivers' championship. In the main series, Bianchi finished third in the championship, behind Grosjean and Luca Filippi.
Formula Renault 3.5
Bianchi opted to switch to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for 2012, following his one-off appearance in the category in 2009 to get more racing time.
He signed for the Tech 1 Racing team, and was partnered with Kevin Korjus, and later with Daniel Abt. He finished second in the title race, narrowly losing out to Robin Frijns at the final round.
Formula One career
Ferrari and Sahara Force India (test roles)
In August 2009, Bianchi was linked by the BBC and various other media sources to the second Ferrari Formula One seat occupied by Luca Badoer during Felipe Massa's absence. Bianchi tested for Ferrari at the young drivers test at Circuito de Jerez for two of the three days, over 1–2 December 2009. The other drivers tested on 3 December included Daniel Zampieri, Marco Zipoli and Pablo Sánchez López as the top three finishers in the 2009 Italian Formula Three Championship. Bianchi's performance in this test led to him becoming the first recruit of the Ferrari Driver Academy and signing up to a long-term deal to remain at the team's disposal.
On 11 November 2010 he was confirmed by Ferrari as the team's test and reserve driver for the 2011 season, replacing Luca Badoer, Giancarlo Fisichella and Marc Gené, as well as confirming he would test for the team during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi over 16–17 November. Bianchi carried on his GP2 racing, as Formula 1 allows test and reserve drivers to race in parallel in other competitions. On 13 September 2011, Bianchi tested for Ferrari at Fiorano, as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, with fellow academy member and Sauber F1 driver Sergio Pérez. Bianchi completed 70 laps and recorded a quickest lap time of 1:00.213. For the 2012 season, Ferrari loaned him to the Sahara Force India team, for whom he drove in nine Friday free practice sessions over the course of the year as the outfit's test and reserve driver.
Marussia F1 2013 The LEAP OF FAITH !!
On 1 March 2013, Marussia announced that Bianchi was to replace Luiz Razia as a race driver after Razia's contract was terminated, due to sponsorship issues. Bianchi qualified 19th for the Australian Grand Prix, out-qualifying team-mate Max Chilton by three-quarters of a second. Bianchi overtook Pastor Maldonado, and Daniel Ricciardo on the first lap and he eventually finished 15th on his debut. Bianchi had beaten his teammate in all qualifying sessions and all races that both of them had finished. In the Japanese Grand Prix he and Charles Pic of Caterham were given ten-place grid penalties for receiving three reprimands over the season, and at the race, his race ended early after a collision with Giedo van der Garde.
During that year Jules Bianchi won the Autosport Rookie of the Year !
2014 The Tragic Destiny
In October 2013, Marussia confirmed that Bianchi would stay at the team for the following season. After starting off the season with struggles in Australia, in which he was not classified, Bianchi overcame the odds to score his – and his team's – first World Championship points by finishing ninth at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Out of the nine races which Bianchi and Chilton completed without retiring, during the 2014 season, he was the quicker driver in eight of them, establishing his status as the first driver. Chilton retired twice, and Bianchi five times, with three of Bianchi's retirements being mechanical failures.
Days before his fatal accident, Bianchi declared himself "ready" to step into the Scuderia Ferrari race seat should the team need him amid the looming departure of Fernando Alonso.
Suzuka accident
The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix was held on 5 October, under intermittent heavy rainfall caused by the approaching Typhoon Phanfone and in fading daylight.
On lap 43 of the race, Bianchi lost control of his car and veered right towards the run-off area on the outside of the Dunlop Curve (turn seven) of the Suzuka Circuit. He collided with the rear of a piece of heavy equipment called a wheel loader that was tending to the removal of Adrian Sutil's Sauber after Sutil had spun out of control and crashed in the same area a lap before. Bianchi did not slow down enough to avoid losing control while approaching the double waved yellow flags. Spectators' video footage and photographs of the accident revealed that the left side of Bianchi's Marussia car was extensively damaged and the roll bar destroyed as it slid under the wheel loader. The impact was such that the wheel loader was partially jolted off the ground causing Sutil's Sauber, which was suspended in the air by the crane, to fall back to the ground. The race was stopped, and Lewis Hamilton was declared the winner.
Bianchi was reported as being unconscious after not responding to either a team radio call or marshals. He was treated at the crash site before being taken by ambulance to the circuit's medical centre. Since transport by helicopter was not possible due to poor weather conditions, Bianchi was further transported by ambulance, for 32 minutes under police escort. The destination was the nearest hospital, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, which was 15 km (9.3 mi) away from the Suzuka circuit. Initial reports by his father to television channel France 3, were that Bianchi was in critical condition with a head injury and was undergoing an operation to reduce severe bruising to his head. The FIA subsequently said that CT scans showed Bianchi suffered a "severe head injury" in the crash, and that he would be admitted to intensive care following surgery.
Initial media reports in October 2014—said to be based on information obtained from Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) documents—claimed that the speed at the moment of loss of control was recorded at 212 km/h (132 mph) and that the impact generated 92 g0 so 92 times your own weight in simple terms. This data had been sourced from Bianchi's g-sensors in his earplugs; however, it was understood that these slipped out at a crucial moment.
Subsequent calculations in July 2015 indicated a peak of 254 g0 (2,490 m/s2) and data from the FIA's World Accident Database (WADB)—which sources information from racing accidents worldwide—also indicate Bianchi's impact occurred 2.61 seconds after the loss of control, at a speed of 123 km/h (76 mph) and at an angle of 55 degrees. According to Andy Mellor, Vice President of the FIA Safety Commission, this is the equivalent of "dropping a car 48 metres (157 ft) to the ground without a crumple zone".
Consequences of that Crash
FIA reaction and investigation:
The primary reason for the accident was determined to be the positioning of the tractor on the track.
Following Bianchi's accident, the FIA began an investigation and also considered appropriate changes to safety procedures, such as those at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where the location of a tractor crane serving the Senna S chicane was altered.
Further, the FIA confirmed ongoing research into closed cockpits for Formula One cars, the possibility of fitting protective skirting to all recovery vehicles as well as ways to slow down cars in crash zones more effectively than double yellow flags. With respect to the latter, the FIA moved to quickly consider the introduction of a virtual safety car – or VSC system – which was then tested during the season's final three Grands Prix in the United States, Brazil and Abu Dhabi – based on a Le Mans racing "slow zone" arrangement that does not neutralise race proceedings as much as safety car periods.
For the 2015 season, on safety grounds, the FIA also implemented measures requiring that no race can start less than 4 hours before sunset or dusk, except in the case of official night races. The revised regulations affected the start time of Australian, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian Grands Prix.
In July 2015, Peter Wright, the Chairman of the FIA Safety Commission was quoted as saying that a closed cockpit would not have averted Bianchi's head injuries, while the Vice President, Andy Mellow, also confirmed that attaching impact protection to recovery vehicles was not a feasible solution.
Death
Bianchi died on 17 July 2015, aged 25, from injuries sustained at the time of his accident in Suzuka nine months earlier. His death made him the first Formula One driver to be killed by injuries sustained during a Grand Prix since Ayrton Senna in 1994.
Let's examine what the crash and death of Jules Bianchi brought to F1 in terms of safety, shall we?
Halo (safety device)
The halo is a driver crash-protection system used in open-wheel racing series, which consists of a curved bar placed above the driver's head to protect it.
The first tests of the halo were carried out in 2016 and in July 2017. Since the 2018 season, the FIA has made the halo mandatory on every vehicle in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula Regional, Formula E and also Formula 4 as a new safety measure. Some other open-wheel racing series also utilize the halo, such as IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Super Formula, Super Formula Lights, Euroformula Open and Australian S5000. The IndyCar halo is used as a structural frame for the aeroscreen.
Construction
The device consists of a bar that surrounds the driver's head and is connected by three points to the vehicle frame. The halo is made of titanium and weighed around 7 kilograms (15 lb) in the version presented in 2016, then rose to 9 kilograms (20 lb) in 2017.
The system is not developed by the teams, but is manufactured by three approved external manufacturers chosen by the FIA and has the same specification for all vehicles.
In a simulation performed by the FIA, using the data of 40 real incidents, the use of the system led to a 17% theoretical increase in the survival rate of the driver.
History and development
Early development
In 2009, 2 major accidents happened in top level FiA open wheel series. These being the fatal accident of Henry Surtees at the Brands Hatch round of the 2009 Formula 2 season, and the accident Felipe Massa sustained during qualifying at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. These accidents led to a push for additional cockpit protection.
Initially the FIA looked into the development of closed cockpit systems, visors, and forward roll structures. "Fighter-jet style" screens were largely seen as the least effective early due to problems with flexing too much or shattering, depending on material used.
During development, the FIA examined three fundamental scenarios—collision between two vehicles, contact between a vehicle and the surrounding environment (such as barriers) and collisions with vehicles and debris.
Tests have shown that the halo system can significantly reduce the risk of injury to the driver. In many cases the system was able to prevent the helmet from coming into contact with a barrier when checked against a series of accidents that had occurred in the past.
During the study of the last case it was found that the halo was able to deflect large objects and provide greater protection against smaller debris.
In August 2017 the Dallara F2 2018, a new Formula 2 car, was presented and was the first to install the halo system. The SRT05e Formula E car presented in January 2018 had a halo. In November 2018, the 2019 FIA Formula 3 car, which was unveiled in Abu Dhabi, installed the halo too. Beginning in 2021, the Indy Lights' IL-15 began using the halo.
Alternative systems
As an alternative to the halo system, Red Bull Advanced Technologies developed the transparent "aeroscreen". The design, which was similar to a small fairing, did not receive much interest from the FIA. After the drivers had expressed their opposition to the introduction of the halo system, the FIA developed "Shield", a transparent polyvinyl chloride screen. In 2019 the aeroscreen was adapted to use the halo as a structural frame for use in IndyCar.
Sebastian Vettel was the first and only driver to try Shield in a Formula 1 car. During the free practice for the 2017 British Grand Prix, he completed a lap with the new system before ending the test early. He complained of distorted and blurred vision that prevented him from driving. Its introduction was subsequently excluded, as there was no guarantee that the issues with Shield could be solved in time for the 2018 season.
Initial reception
The system aroused some criticism before it was involved in any incidents, including that of Niki Lauda, who claimed that the system distorted the "essence of racing cars". The system was also initially unpopular with fans, with some saying that it was visually unappealing, against the concept of open-cockpit racing, and obstructed the driver's vision. There were more safety based concerns from both some of the race teams including Ferrari and Mercedes, and some drivers stating the invention would make it “harder for the driver to get out of the car”. Though, other former drivers, including Jackie Stewart, welcomed the system and compared it to the introduction of seat belts, which had been similarly criticised, but then became the norm also on road cars. Max Verstappen did not support the introduction of the halo in 2018, saying that it "abused the DNA" of F1, which was "less dangerous than riding a bicycle in a city." However, the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix is the last crash that inspired engineers to fix the big problem: the fatality rate.
Cost
The halo also changed how much the companies spend on the car. Economically within the FIA, the teams had a big issue with the price because a single halo cost somewhere between €13,000 and €24,000. Each team has two drivers so the teams would have to spend double that amount for both drivers. To put into perspective, each team would spend roughly €48,000 (about $50,270) just for the halo and not the rest of the car. Additionally, they would have to perform many tests to make sure that it is durable and safe to use. Formula One does not really profit from the race and they only do it because they want to advertise their name; thus, spending that amount of money on the halo comes as a surprise according to Force India technical boss, Andy Green.
Incidents
Despite initial criticism, the halo was praised by the community following an incident where the halo was struck by another car—one in the Formula 2 race at Spain, where Tadasuke Makino's halo was landed on by fellow Japanese driver Nirei Fukuzumi's car, and one in the Belgian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc's halo was struck by Fernando Alonso's airborne McLaren, with both of their haloes showing visible damage from the impact. Both Makino and Leclerc credited the halo for possibly saving their lives, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who had criticised the halo earlier in the season, said that saving Leclerc from injury made the halo "worth it" despite its "terrible aesthetics".
The halo was credited with potentially saving the life of Alex Peroni after his vehicle became airborne and crashed during a Formula 3 event at Monza on 7 September 2019.
2020: The pivotal moment - The Romain Grosjean Crash!!
The shocking crash of Romain Grosjean at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020 is something we all can recall. Where, after hitting Daniil Kvyat's car, he crashed into the barriers head-on. The car split the crash barrier, allowing the car to slip through in between and splitting off the back of the car from the safety cell. The halo deflected the upper section of the barrier, protecting Grosjean's head from the impact.
Despite initial concern over drivers being unable to evacuate quickly due to the halo, Grosjean was able to climb out largely unassisted, despite the car catching fire upon impact with the barrier. He emerged from the flames with burns on his hands and ankles. "I wasn't for the halo some years ago, but I think it's the greatest thing that we've brought to Formula 1, and without it I wouldn't be able to speak with you today".
In a similar pre-halo accident at the 1974 United States Grand Prix, driver Helmuth Koinigg was decapitated.
Final thoughts :
Thanks to Jules Bianchi's accident, the motorsport world and the FIA were prompted to take swift and serious action on the matter, leading to significant advancements in enhancing safety in F1 and motorsport overall. Undoubtedly, this has saved the lives of numerous drivers worldwide!
However, there is still room for a lot of improvement. Let's not forget the recent tragic accident involving French driver Anthoine Hubert, who, despite the halo system, lost his life due to injuries. This serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of Motorsport and the risks drivers face every weekend. It highlights the need for the FIA to further enhance safety measures for drivers. Hopefully, we can prevent any more tragic accidents in the future!
Of course I haven't been able to talk about everyone, but I'd like to end this article by talking about a particularly gifted and fast driver, and one I particularly like, who sadly died in 1973 and who represents a magical era of F1 when a driver wasn't sure of going home at night while driving. In the person of Francois Cevert!
COPYRIGHTS AND IMAGES !
-Par Henry Mineur — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27934306
-By Michael Cooper / ALLSPORT - https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Schumacher, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79893942
-Par AngMoKio — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6907991
-Par Luca Barni — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16684253
-Par Morio — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25076890
-Par Habeed Hameed — https://www.flickr.com/photos/122685162@N04/13712850814/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32282551
-By Morio - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25308955
-Par Artes Max from Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67016367
-By Alexander Migl - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67190617
-Par Raimund Kommer — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9775871
Comments