In the round-up: Ahead of the first anniversary of Jules Bianchi’s death his father has spoken of the family’s wish to put the memory of him “right” following the FIA report into his crash which stated he did not slow sufficiently.
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Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more from hundreds of sites across the web:
Jules Bianchi: One year on from the death that rocked F1 (CNN)
"I want the memory of Jules to be right. It's not possible for me and his mother to see people that say it was Jules' responsibility."
Kaltenborn relieved as Sauber nears salvation (Autosport)
"I'm not going to give a timeline as to an announcement, but we have a solution we will follow, and we will announce it when the time is right."
Williams can repeat 2014 surge next year - Pat Symonds Q&A (F1)
"Our major switch happened a while ago. There are still people working on the current car; we still have upgrades that we will bring. We have a new floor that we are bringing to Hungary, a new wing in Monza - so there are still plenty of things coming. But sure, the majority of our people are working on next year's car."
Jenson Button says 2017 talk 'guesswork' until he decides plans (Sky)
"We need to take a good step for next year to be competitive - and if I'm going to be racing in F1 next year that's what I want and what I need"
Double rear wing boosts corner grip – Bottas (Crash)
"That is the weakness we have at the moment – cornering grip. So we are trying to see what it does, if we can make the downforce in the corner a bit better."
Nasr wants Sauber to prove he should stay (F1i)
"I need to see what I want before (I decide). If I want to stay, if I can clearly see that the team have something to believe in."
Hamilton says truth of Barcelona fallout will stay secret for now (Motorsport)
"Right now I’ve signed for three years including this one with Mercedes, after that I see myself staying for another three years probably – three, four years – then I’m going to stop."
Santino Ferrucci rules out quick jump to F1 after Haas test (ESPN)
"Quickly to F1 is out of the picture, I've got a lot of learning to do"
SC to hear banks plea against Vijay Mallya on July 18 (The Times of India)
"The Supreme Court said Thursday that it would hear the contempt petition filed by a consortium of banks against businessman Vijay Mallya on July 18."
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Comment of the day
Uzair’s verdict on which of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso will reap the rewards of their 2014 team changes.
I think that if Alonso and Vettel were both the same age, then Alonso would get the last laugh as Ferrari at the moment are as good now as they were during Alonso’s time at the team – AKA not the best.
However, Vettel is much younger, and if Ferrari pull themselves together for once then he might get another shot. Time is running out for Alonso, but at this point he hasn’t gained or lost anything in his move to McLaren.
From the forum
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Jv!
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On this day in F1
Mika Hakkinen passed Michael Schumacher on his way to victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone 15 years ago today.
Pontooooof
15th July 2016, 0:58
But…. what if it WAS Jules’ fault? And how does it matter? Do they think that people won’t respect him as much if it turns out that he made a mistake? It would make it more tragic, if that was the case, but I, for one, would never think less of his skills or character. What about you guys/gals?
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
15th July 2016, 1:19
How on earth can it be Jules’ fault that there was a recovery vehicle/tractor which put him in harm’s way?
FFan
15th July 2016, 2:06
Because it was Jules that lost control of his car under a yellow, right at the critical part of the track when it was imperative that he didn’t lose control. No one forced Jules to lose control of car, he did it himself and he paid the ultimate price.
Spawinte (@spawinte)
15th July 2016, 2:48
A driver losing control of their car is a common and expected event. A tractor sitting in front of the tyre wall is not.
ColdFly F1 (@)
15th July 2016, 8:57
Actually not – under double waved yellow it is not not expected that you lose control; quite opposite!
Of course Jules drove too fast for those conditions. But the most important mitigating fact is that they’ve all and always done that.
Had Jules slowed down as required by the rules, then he would have been overtaken by the whole field. Thus the blame is with FIA and Charlie who condoned cars to drive too fast under double waved yellow for years. They made a mockery of one of the most important safety measures they had (using the marshals to wave a coloured cloth to immediately make the situation safe).
@spawinte, @slotopen
Craig
15th July 2016, 9:24
@coldfly
Personally I thought it would be less to do with Jules driving too fast and more to do with his tires. He was on well used intermediates, the rain was getting harder and he would have slowed a little for the yellow flags (they all try to get away with slowing as little as possible, both in order not to hold each other up and also to gain as much as they can). That slowing in conjunction with the Marussia’s less effective downforce was likely enough to take what grip he had away and he would have aquaplaned straight to the scene of the accident. That’s just my view, though.
Sonics (@sonicslv)
15th July 2016, 13:56
@spawinte If you based on history on how drivers lose control of their cars and therefore its common and expected, by the same basis, a tractor in front of tire wall recovering a car that just retired (and doing it as fast and safe as they can) is also common and expected event.
I agree with @coldfly Yellow flag, especially double waved yellow means something bad and potentially unsafe situation has occurred and as drivers it’s their job not to make the situation worse. If your car and/or skill is not enough, then drive safer/slower! There’s a reason overtaking is forbidden on those zones.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 16:40
Craig – in that respect, there are similarities of Jules’ accident and both Manors spinning off almost identically at T1 in Silverstone last weekend.
Evil Homer (@)
18th July 2016, 16:20
@coldfly
Hey mate- just interested on why you think Charlie had any blame for the accident?
I am not sure on who is to ‘blame’, the current lawsuit and what the family aims to achieve or if any of that really matters – I do know whenever Mr Bianchi speaks he never talks of the money, wins or WDC’s his lad could achieved, he just talks of his son and you can tell how much they are still grieving – one year goes fast- RIP Jules!
ColdFly F1 (@)
19th July 2016, 8:08
@evilhomer, Charlie (race control) is responsible to make sure drivers stick to the rules. Therefore, he should have stepped it (long before) when noticing that drivers were still going too fast under double waved yellow. By not acting (condoning it) he told them it’s OK, and drivers will never go any slower than what they can get away with.
It is very similar to track limits. It was always illegal to leave the track to gain time. But Charlie/FIA never stopped them, and now you see them all doing it.
PS – When I see your user name, I always read it as EvilHorner (at times very appropriate)
RP (@slotopen)
15th July 2016, 2:53
You’ve raced and never crashed? If he was inclined to slow down and be safe he wouldn’t have been a driver. Which is why the FIA is trying things like virtual safety car, to take away the disadvantage of slowing down.
Perhaps too his lesser car had less downforce, which is why the other car that went off was a backmarker.
We can only fault Jules for daring to drive the fastest cars with the best competitors. If you think that is a mistake, then find another sport to watch.
Evil Homer (@)
2nd August 2016, 13:46
@Coldfly
“PS – When I see your user name, I always read it as EvilHorner (at times very appropriate)”
Sorry- I have been offline for a while, just read this comment and I did have a laugh :) Maybe I play the Devils Advocate and Horner needs a PA ?? (It wont pay well and I will be sacked in 2 seasons!)
I do see your points as per above, VSC seems to be better but still not seeing the consistency we need with FIA and penalties- rotating driver stewards may not be helping as they all have a different opinion don’t they?
His_majesty
15th July 2016, 18:44
That was definitely NOT the first time I’ve seen heavy machinery beyond the tire barriers. HE is the one that lost control of the car.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 17:24
By that logic, if a vehicle comes on to the track under yellows and a car loses control trying to avoid it, it’s the fault of the racing driver? Something like that could’ve easily happened in a situation like Korea 2013.
His_majesty
15th July 2016, 18:48
Also, what if it were a group of corner workers he hit out there to help another driver? Is it still not his fault the HE didn’t slow? People need to start taking responsibility again for their own actions and not blame others.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 17:09
Tell that to Brundle in 1994: same place, same accident, same yellows, only difference being he hit the marshal, not the tractor. Talking of responsibility and blaming others, lets see what the court has to say on the actions of the FIA and race control.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
15th July 2016, 3:52
It’s clearly not Bianchi’s fault therefore I don’t get your hypothetical question. On the other hand, Jules as any other F1 driver is responsible for what they are doing, he’s responsible for his own life yet the FIA and FOM were cowards not to accept that protocol procedures would and did lead to an predictable outcome, and so these 2 bodies, went hastily to blame both Bianchi for what I presume would hold on court as “not being good enough of a driver”?! and Manor for the failure of the safety device that kills the engine when both throttle and brake are applied at the same time. What the FIA and FOM did could amount to a criminally negligent manslaughter or even second degree murder, as obviously they didn’t kill Jules, that’s on Jules, but the rest is on them. The FIA and FOM are bracing for this lawsuit.
anonymouscoward (@anonymouscoward)
15th July 2016, 7:38
The point is the rules should be fixed such that the driver doesn’t have the need to still be going at such a pace that the situation is even possible. That is why it is not his fault yet he is the one that lost control. How many incidents have we seen investigated where they did not slow sufficiently during the yellow’s? The way the rules are they are penalised (as in race position) unless they go flat out and lift for a second during the yellow sector. The vsc helps but still needs more refinement.
Maddme
16th July 2016, 10:48
What everyone is forgetting is that even under double waved yellows, the race is still happening. All they really mean is that in that area, you cannot overtake. I know that double waved yellows suggest that you must be ready t stop, but, time to look at the facts of he race…
1. Sutil crashed to the outside of a left hand bend triggering a yellow flag.
2. The recovery vehicle came within the track limits to recover Sutils car, triggering double waved yellows… Which had it been a dry race, then this would potentially have been quite safe, but this was in very wet conditions.
3. Evidence showed that Bianchi did slow going through the Double waved yellows, allowing sufficient speed drop to be theoretically able to stop quickly if the need arose… He aquaplaned, ever had a scare driving in icy conditions? Ice is less slippy than aquaplaning (the car being actually lifted off the surface of the road, by a wedge of water that the tyres cannot move sufficiently).
5. The engine cutoff override failed, so the car was also under power when it hit the tractor…
6. Other drivers positioned behind him were actually going faster than Bianchi was driving..
Safety cars were released for far less severe incidents in the 2014 season, why it wasn’t for this, is beyond me. As of yet, there has not been an independent investigation carried out, only the FIA investigation.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 17:36
The context of the time seemed to be one of creeping complacency (“No fatal crash for 20 years” etc., but what about de Villota? Another crash with a Manor’s throttle cut-off not working), with no safety car for e.g. Hockenheim 2014, where Sutil again spun but stalled on track, which saw marshals running across a race track (reminiscent of Kyalami 1977) under yellows.
I can only think that race control didn’t want to affect the order near race end and/or finish the race on time. Cars had to swerve at Hockenheim (Alonso, Hamilton?), but that is less of a problem in the dry. Suzuka 2014 was in the backdrop of an incoming typhoon, with a delayed start reducing the time available before sunset.
Just the fact that the medical helicopter couldn’t take off meant that the session should have been red flagged, and as 75% distance had passed, full points would still have been awarded. The FIA haven’t even released their full report; only a small summary is available to the public.
Sonics (@sonicslv)
15th July 2016, 13:50
Jules has some of the blame, FOM has some of the blame, (bad) luck has some of the blame, and I agree it doesn’t affect my judgement of Jules’s skill. It’s just… unfortunate. Pretending Jules is a saint and completely blameless is just as bad as pretending it’s all his fault IMO.
Wesley (@)
15th July 2016, 22:09
My view exactly Sonics. I hate it but, Jules was partially to blame. His parents saying they want it ‘to be right’ sends the wrong message. (don’t adhere to the rules and there will be no consequences)
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 16:39
@wesley The rules at the time as enforced via FIA directives from race control were that 90% speed was acceptable under double waved yellows. Bianchi did slow, but still got the same aquaplaning that Sutil did a lap earlier (and Brundle in his identical accident 20 years previously).
Jonathan Parkin
16th July 2016, 17:17
There is also the point that Jules has to SEE the yellow flags to slow down for them. He sadly passed away so we can’t ask him if he did, but two previous incidents do indicate that seeing the yellow flags in wet conditions is problematic. Martin Brundle describing his crash in 1994 pointed this out and at the British GP in 1998 the famous incident which caused Schumacher to get his stop-go both he and Alex Wurz couldn’t see them either. Adding to the mix was the fact that the sun was setting so the light wasn’t very high so there is a likelihood that Jules couldn’t see the flags. As for going too fast it could be just a matter of a couple of mph that clinched it.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
16th July 2016, 17:26
True, and as for the aquaplaning, the slower the car probably the lower the speed that aquaplaning hits at.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
16th July 2016, 0:36
+1
Racerdude7730
15th July 2016, 1:35
Ok I have a question about the 2017 aero regs. There was a story I was reading on crash.net and they said Williams was running the double rear wing which is illegal. He went on to say that next your that wing could work in the rules. Is that possible? I thought they could just do as they do now but just wider and lower. If this is the case that they can I’m super excited we will see some crazy interpretations of the rules and see lots of fun stuff. Thanks guys
Racerdude7730
15th July 2016, 1:36
Next year*
anon
15th July 2016, 7:47
As far as I am aware, that type of rear wing would be illegal in 2017 as it would fall outside of the maximum permitted dimensions for the rear wing structure.
Mark G (@)
15th July 2016, 7:38
I have the same question… Are they talking in terms of downforce the 2017 wings can produce or is it really going to be legal to have double wings like that?
WH
15th July 2016, 11:21
Reading the Crash.net piece you’d think the 2017 regs really were allowing double-rear-wing geometries like this. I’m almost certain this is a misunderstanding, probably on the part of the journo not Bottas. They may be getting that kind of downforce in 2017 but not from a double rear wing.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
15th July 2016, 1:37
On CoTD, when comparing Alonso’s time at Ferrari to Vettel’s now, albeit iron clad reliability, there was always a sense that the former “was always there”, ready to pounce when the teams with faster cars trip up..the point is that Alonso could grind out results no matter what.
Vettel has suffered from reliability this year, while he did capitalize on Mercs errors last year, there was not much competition for the final slot on the podium, apart from the odd weekend where Williams or Force India were on the pace. Alonso has proven to the master of getting a good result out of a bad situation, but then again, he did have plenty of experience driving relatively poor cars over his career, whilst Vettel has always been in a car that was reasonably quick. Even the Torro Rosso he had in 08 resulted in him winning at Monza.
If Alonso was still at Ferrari today, providing he was still motivated, I’m quite sure he’d have a lot more points than Vettel.
Ive asked Gary Anderson to rate Vettel’s performance at Ferrari to Alonso’s for Autosport’s fortnightly Ask Gary column, lets what he’d say (providing my question get’s selected of course).
My opinion is that, as things stand, Alonso is able to eke out every last bit of performance available to him, but as mentioned, its simply because he has had that much experience. If he had always driven the best cars on the grid, it might have been very different, his experience at Ferrari has without doubt made him the best driver on the grid. In 4 years time, after his potentially arduous time to come at Maranello, Vettel could well be in the same league as Alonso in getting the best out of what he’s got.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
15th July 2016, 1:49
If you have access to Autosport Plus…
http://www.autosport.com/premium/feature/7088/how-long-until-vettel-patience-runs-out
This a great article on the topic of Vettel at Ferrari
..so Seb stays for a few more years and leaves in similar circumstances to Alonso?..Enter Lewis?
RP (@slotopen)
15th July 2016, 3:01
How disgusted would the Alonso fans, Vettel fans, and Hamilton haters be if Hamilton jumped from a winning Merc to a winning Ferrari?
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
15th July 2016, 12:33
That could very well happen.. Lewis has made good career moves so far.. I won’t be one bit surprised if he wins his 6th or 7th title with Ferrari.
David (@wushumr2)
15th July 2016, 5:21
Jay, I think the other difference is that, at least in 2012, the Red Bull wasn’t [b]overwhelmingly[/b] dominant. In 2013 it was really Vettel who was dominant, as Alonso was second in the championship that year (albeit 155 points behind). If you’re legitimately fighting cars at the front, you can be aggressive and you can be clever with strategy. With Mercedes right now it’s pretty much a matter of “what strategy and race setup will get us a Lewis-Nico 1-2 and what strategy/race setup will get us a Nico-Lewis 1-2?”
I think the other thing [i]might[/i] be this: I don’t remember the exact phraseology, but I remember reading that senior McLaren race engineers said that when Lewis came along and found his feet with the team, his skill enabled the designers to I guess build the car with performance characteristics that they had previously assumed would not be manageable by either driver. It wouldn’t surprise me if Alonso is a similar driver, able to give that little bit extra and take advantage of a car that trades instability for extra maneuverability.
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
15th July 2016, 10:16
If Alonso was still at Ferrari today, providing he was still motivated, I’m quite sure he’d have a lot more points than Vettel.
@jaymenon10 That’s utter nonsense, it’s nothing more than the obligatory stab at Vettel from those who cannot accept he’s as good as Hamilton or Alonso. I also don’t think these top drivers have any problem with extracting the best available at that given day. They’re all very fast men and very capable in driving these cars, that’s why teams want them in their cars. Even in 2012 Alonso did not perform a miracle, he drove one heck of a season but it’s about time people stop acting like he lifted the car from the midfield onto the podium.
I’m also not a strong believer in drivers having that much effect on the development of the car. They can express how they feel with the handling but in the end the designing goes way above their head.
dutchtreat (@dutchtreat)
15th July 2016, 4:19
Sauber can use a boost, maybe the new sponsors will put Simona di Silvestro in the car, she can do it.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
15th July 2016, 8:57
@dutchtreat @omarr-pepper I don’t doubt Simona di Silvestro can drive an F1-car, but the question is: will she be fast? Her career summary shows very little highlights.
ColdFly F1 (@)
15th July 2016, 9:06
From all the messages I’ve read, it seems to be an investor more than a sponsor they are chasing.
Investors (unless named King) typically don’t get involved in driver line up; or when they do it is to accept a driver bringing in the most amount of money.
But the worrying part for me is that an investor seeks a monetary return, and thus Sauber’s problems are far from over.
@dutchtreat
OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
15th July 2016, 4:52
@dutchtreat I would really love to see Simona in F1. She has what it takes, not like Carmen Jorda or Suzie Wolff. And I would expect Sauber to capitalize from all the news they would get about having a woman in an F1 race for the first time in almost 40 years. And I also guess Bernie would make an exception of FIA points to let her race.
John
15th July 2016, 4:54
There are several marshalls that day, lucky not to be killed by Jules mistake.
I’m guessing if they had died none would have been from a privileged background to take the sport on through the law.
Double yellow flags were waving, that means prepare to stop if necessary.
I’m not happy that Jules died, but I’m happier it was him rather than a volunteer marshall innocently going about their job.
That’s how i remember it. Sad for Jules who was taking a risk, very lucky for several marshalls who were just doing their job, a job which will never pay them a lot of money.
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
15th July 2016, 6:26
The memory I have of Jules Bianchi is a pretty simple one: a bright young star who was able to deliver points in a car incapable of doing so, tragically killed in a race which should not have been running at racing speeds, if at all.
Jonathan Parkin
16th July 2016, 17:22
I had the opinion at the time before he died that the race could have run on the Saturday. The grid could have been formed on the practice times
bull mello (@bullmello)
15th July 2016, 7:10
My memory of Jules Bianchi is nothing but good. He was one of my favorite young drivers to watch in the present with hopes of even greater things for him in the future. He really was a bright shining person on and off the track. Such a happy occasion for him, his team and all of F1 for him scoring a point. This is how I remember Jules.
I truly hope for his family to realize that most true race fans will remember him this way. We all have the loss of the promising future that was ahead of him, but none more so than his family.
It’s sad the FIA has been in a cover up mode since the accident even though they have since implemented measures that likely would have prevented this from happening had they been in place at that time. I doubt that the family will ever get any satisfaction from the FIA.
Grief is likely the most complex human emotion. Jules’ family is grieving and understandably hurt. I’ll hold on to the good memories of him and offer hope and prayers for his family.
sato113 (@sato113)
15th July 2016, 7:33
https://vimeo.com/174607578
Nothing to see here, moving on!
montreal95 (@montreal95)
15th July 2016, 11:13
I see nothing there either!
Mike (@mike)
15th July 2016, 7:49
The language used demonstrates that the intention is to sue for compensation. At this point, I don’t think that has anything to do with his memory.
GeeMac (@geemac)
15th July 2016, 8:53
Jules’ family need to ignore the FIA’s ruling of the incident and listen to us, Jules’ fans. We miss him and we remember him as he was: A wonderful young man and a supremely talented racing driver who would have achieved great things in F1.
pH (@ph)
15th July 2016, 10:25
I am not sure what the Bianchi family hopes to achieve. I serously doubt that any court would clear Bianchi of all guilt as he was clearly going too fast under double yellows. If I remember correctly, the driver who passed through that turn just before him has been driving markedly slower, so it was possible for a racing driver to go differently and Bianchi had a realistic choice.
As I see it, the best they can hope for is a shared guilt: FIA was also guilty by notoriously not enforcing double yellows, thus encouraging drivers to ignore them. However, this is a point that has been agreed on by pretty much every commentator, so such a ruling would not really change Bianchi’s memory in any way.
Perhaps they want to have the FIA’s part spelled out in some official ruling, so that there is an alternative to FIA’s report.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
15th July 2016, 11:18
Sorry to say that to Jules’ family , but he’s also had a part in the tragedy. The fact the truck was out there is sheer lunacy and I’m glad it’s now banned unless safety car, but up to Suzuka 2014 it had happened many times before. Drivers had to be aware of that. JB had to also be aware to the condition of the track and the condition of his tires. So the mistake was his. He should not have suffered such a tragic outcome out of this mistake which many before JB have done, but you cannot deny the fact of the mistake itself
Richard (@rick1984)
15th July 2016, 11:29
regarding Nelson Piquet Jnr’s tweet about rental insurance. After Singapore 08 you would ALWAYS make sure his car is fully insured!!!!!!!
ColdFly F1 (@)
15th July 2016, 11:35
good one @rick1984.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
15th July 2016, 14:06
I guess that Nelson Piquet Jr is a pay driver now…
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
15th July 2016, 14:09
haha good one @rick1984
nase
15th July 2016, 14:57
I completely understand Jules’s parents, in a way. But, as heartbreaking as it may be, I think they’re wrong. The accident was the result of Bianchi’s actions, and no-one else’s.
nase
15th July 2016, 15:07
However, it is also true that there were other circumstances that contributed to the tragedy. Double waved yellow flags, for example, are fundamentally incompatible with a race that rages on, in which every split second counts. There is no place for danger awareness in a racing driver’s mind, therefore it is up to race control to ensure that there will be absolutely no racing in sections that are considered dangerous. The VSC was a good innovation, a big step in the right direction, but ultimately, WEC-style slow zones, only shorter, spanning just a couple of corners, are the way to go.
The other factor I already mentioned is the drivers’ and teams’ attitude. They’re participating in a multi-million dollar business, more often than not fighting for their one and only chance to continue their career. They will never slow down for an invisible danger, at least not more than needed in order to avoid a penalty. This is where race control need to be merciless, punishing every little infringement, such as Räikkönen’s driving over the white lines at the pit entry in Baku, with zero tolerance. This is the only way to make sure the message is understood by everyone.
Racing dave
16th July 2016, 22:44
What would we be saying if he’d hit a Marshall rather than the crane?
It’s so sad this accident happened but they happen and by definition it was an accident so let it go and remember Jules for what he achieved in his life not wallow in pity for what he won’t….:(