Pallbearers carry the coffin of French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi past a portrait of him during his funeral ceremony at the Cathedrale Sainte Reparate in Nice, southeastern France, on July 21, 2015 PHOTO: AFP
Bianchi died in July, nine months after suffering severe head injuries in a collision with a recovery vehicle in rain and fading light, and the race at Suzuka is set to be a difficult occasion for drivers and team officials.
Bianchi’s Manor Marussia team and rivals alike are set to honour his memory before world champion Lewis Hamilton bids to resume normal service after a freak technical glitch ended his race in Singapore last weekend.
Hamilton’s advantage over Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg has been cut to 41 points with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel a further eight points back after the German’s surprise victory in Singapore.
But the Briton, who won in Japan last year as news of Bianchi’s crash filtered through to shocked drivers, has promised to hit back in Sunday’s race as he looks to equal boyhood hero Ayrton Senna’s 41 career wins.
Hamilton warned, “I’m fast and on form and I will make sure I bring that out to Suzuka.”
After winning seven of this season’s 13 races so far, victory this weekend would put Hamilton tantalisingly close to a third world title with just five races to go.
However, the memory of Bianchi’s sickening crash will be at the forefront of many people’s minds.
“Jules is never far away from our thoughts,” Manor Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon told Autosport.com. “We’re now going to Japan, and we have to be strong. We know it’s going to be difficult, but equally we know Jules was a racer and would want to see the team focus on the job of racing.”
Bianchi became the first driver since Brazilian triple world champion Senna, at Italy’s Imola circuit in May 1994, to die from injuries suffered during a Grand Prix weekend when he passed away on July 17.
The findings of an investigation into the crash prompted Formula One to make changes to its safety regulations, allowing a “virtual safety car” so stewards can neutralise a race in hazardous conditions.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2015.
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