2014 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka

[JimClarkFan]

Very fortunate that none of the marshals were hit. It was a very big impact.

[Phil]

Is he ? People don't crucify me for saying this, but watching the above posted vid frame by frame shows (i think) that the very first contact is made by the helmet... I'm now thinking whether there's been a cover up taking place since yesterday or not...

This was my thought too. But I think the sidepod lifted the tractor to the point it might have only graced his helmet. If he had hit it with his helmet at that speed, the post accident picture showing an intact helmet wouldn't be possible...

[Shrieker]

I guess you're right...

[nhojekim]

First and foremost: wow... i hope Jules gets okay again.

But guys, pay attention to the upper right corner. The marshall at the post in turn 7 first waves double yellow, then switches to green while they are still recovering Sutil's car, roughly 15 seconds before Bianchi crashed into the recovery vehicle. He even keeps on waving green after Bianchi crashed. Also, the marshall light at this post doesn't seem to work at all.

You can see the marshall posts in the official circuit map http://www.fia.com/championship/fia-for ... ircuit-map

Yeah, i paid attention on the upper right of the video and it was already green( no longer double yellow).

[Mesteño]

Oh-my-god.
It is a real miracle he is still alive. Look how the airbox is blown away.

Is he ? People don't crucify me for saying this, but watching the above posted vid frame by frame shows (i think) that the very first contact is made by the helmet... I'm now thinking whether there's been a cover up taking place since yesterday or not... It's very depressing... It's nothing short of amazing if the helmet and hans managed to keep him alive.

I managed to capture the instant (warning for strong content)

http://i58.tinypic.com/jl71bq.jpg

Imagine how strong the beat was you can't see the helmet.

[Shakeman]

Is he ? People don't crucify me for saying this, but watching the above posted vid frame by frame shows (i think) that the very first contact is made by the helmet... I'm now thinking whether there's been a cover up taking place since yesterday or not...

This was my thought too. But I think the sidepod lifted the tractor to the point it might have only graced his helmet. If he had hit it with his helmet at that speed, the post accident picture showing an intact helmet wouldn't be possible...

The problem is the helmet doesn't have to make contact with anything for a massive brain injury to occur, the rapid deceleration is where the real damage is done as the brain keeps moving anyway. The HANS devices help and certainly stop the internal decapitations where the head is thrown off the top of the spine by the force of impact but they don't stop the brain continuing to move in the skull. Without the HANS device it would've been another Ratzenberger type incident for sure.

Having seen the footage I'd be very surprised if there was much good news to come because that was a massive deceleration.

[lillschumi]

Very much questions after that video. What if only there were barriers (sutil type of incident), can anyone judge if he went faster than sutil?. Also i kind of captured the moment of impact and the tractor have upward angle on it´s underside. I think this was one thing that might have had an impact of the outcome. I think the sidepod hitted where the undercarridge was closer to the ground. It looked like his helmet just squeesed under the outer edge of the tractor and then the roll-hop took a lot of the impact as it sits higher.

[The_table]

The tractor in question seems to be a "Caterpillar 910H".


These are the specs (ground clearance ,etc) of this particular vehicle. (I'm not 100% sure if these are right)
http://www.carjunction.com/caterpillar_ ... specs.html

Maybe we can find out exactly where his car got hit on the moment of impact with the tractor?
it seems he was kind of at an angle compared to the tractor.

(i also wonder why the Fia would allow tractors with just enough ground clearance and overhang to fit an F1 car nose under?)

[NathanOlder]

Wasnt the green flag the next flag position after the accident. I know its extremely close to the accident. But Jules was off the road way before that green flag. So he hadnt passed a green flag before he was able to resume racing speed. Double waved yellows before this point tell a driver slow down and be prepared to STOP. No way was he ever prepared to stop.

[Mikey_s]

First and foremost: wow... i hope Jules gets okay again.

But guys, pay attention to the upper right corner. The marshall at the post in turn 7 first waves double yellow, then switches to green while they are still recovering Sutil's car, roughly 15 seconds before Bianchi crashed into the recovery vehicle. He even keeps on waving green after Bianchi crashed. Also, the marshall light at this post doesn't seem to work at all.

You can see the marshall posts in the official circuit map http://www.fia.com/championship/fia-for ... ircuit-map

Yeah, i paid attention on the upper right of the video and it was already green( no longer double yellow).

I saw that too... it is shocking that a) the marshall switched to green flag before the tractor was off the circuit and, b) that the green flag continued to wave for minutes after Bianchi crashed, then replaced by a half hearted single waved yellow.. I doubt that the flag issue was a contributory factor to the crash, I guess visibility was pretty poor by then. However, it would be interesting to know who gave the instruction to switch to green and whether that was reflected on the drivers light indicator in the cockpit. In any case it was certainly unsafe to give a green flag with a tractor on the circuit. Also remarkable that the marshall waving the flag didn't notice the second crash.

[the EDGE]

First and foremost: wow... i hope Jules gets okay again.

But guys, pay attention to the upper right corner. The marshall at the post in turn 7 first waves double yellow, then switches to green while they are still recovering Sutil's car, roughly 15 seconds before Bianchi crashed into the recovery vehicle. He even keeps on waving green after Bianchi crashed. Also, the marshall light at this post doesn't seem to work at all.

You can see the marshall posts in the official circuit map http://www.fia.com/championship/fia-for ... ircuit-map

Yeah, i paid attention on the upper right of the video and it was already green( no longer double yellow).

I saw that too... it is shocking that a) the marshall switched to green flag before the tractor was off the circuit and, b) that the green flag continued to wave for minutes after Bianchi crashed, then replaced by a half hearted single waved yellow.. I doubt that the flag issue was a contributory factor to the crash, I guess visibility was pretty poor by then. However, it would be interesting to know who gave the instruction to switch to green and whether that was reflected on the drivers light indicator in the cockpit. In any case it was certainly unsafe to give a green flag with a tractor on the circuit. Also remarkable that the marshall waving the flag didn't notice the second crash.

I am quite sure that if the driver could see a small green flag he would not have been able to miss the Sauber along with a large yellow recovery truck that was next to it, I really think it does not matter what colour this flag was, as long as the preceding waved yellows were in place

[vall]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Zesx9657M

Just saw this!!!! It's a brutal and a very bad impact. Let's hope he will recover [-o<

[foxmulder_ms]

I think that green flag is right after crush site indicating after that point, it is clear??

That looks like a terrible accident.

[Töm87]

I hope all those advocats of Tarmaced run offs are happy now. Clearly this would have been a lot better had there been deep gravel. The wet Tarmac is like one big slide without any stop whatsoever.
What a bitter irony that one of the worst pussyfications of modern F1 has destroyed a young man's life.

[Sombrero]

How could Bianchi be driving so fast under a double yellow ?