Formula 1: Suzuka GP Preview

I mean, honestly—it feels like what happened to Senna was way less severe. His head hit some suspension components. Meanwhile, Bianchi basically slammed into a 3-ton tractor

I swear to God, he was going way slower than that.

steelmaker83 said:Senna died on the track—of course nobody cares how they transport him...

Actually, he didn't. He died in a helicopter.

Word on the street is everyone's ended up in the hospital.

It seems like his injuries were significant enough that they had to be working on him constantly just to keep him stable during the flight... a medevac helicopter isn't exactly designed for that kind of intensive care...

ruggedhawk20 said:No. He died in the helicopter.

Wrong.

We won't actually know what went down unless they finally give us access to the onboard footage.

I mean, that corner has been pretty well-covered by cameras over the last few years anyway.

Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree with most of the points you guys made—this kind of silence is never a good sign. 😢

There’s a tweet over on Autosport where Jules's father mentioned he’s undergone surgery, and apparently, the situation is quite serious.

Raymond Anderson4 said:There’s a tweet floating around on Autosport saying Jules's father mentioned he underwent surgery—apparently things are looking pretty grim.

They opened his skull up to relieve the pressure.

That’s exactly what they should've done for Schumacher right away, instead of waiting until the next day.

Come on. At least they did something immediately—at least they opened his head up right then and there.

God, I really hope everything turns out okay 🙂

#KeepFightingBianchi

Emily Patel64 said:11:32

Williams' Felipe Massa says: "WE need to understand What Has happened with Jules. I'm very worried. I heard that he hit the truck at the end of the race.

"I was already screaming on the radio five laps before the safety car that there was too much water on the track, but they took a bit too long and it was dangerous. So we saw that there were some crashes at the end."

Massa is talking nonsense again. Too much standing water and only one driver on full wets. The real issue is that damn excavator; if that excavator hadn't been right there, Bianchi's exit would have been just like a million others before it...

Why the hell is an excavator working on the track during a race?! Those machines always rubbed me the wrong way because I constantly felt like this would happen eventually. Tracks should have cranes ready to lift cars, not random excavators driving around. If they can't manage without an excavator, then there has to be an SC on track. Period.

Emily Patel64 said:11:32
Williams' Felipe Massa says: "WE need to understand What Has happened with Jules. I'm very worried. I heard that he hit the truck at the end of the race.
"I was already screaming on the radio five laps before the safety car that there was too much water on the track, but they took a bit too long and it was dangerous. So we saw that there were some crashes at the end."

And man, Massa also mentioned wanting to delay the start, even though every other driver was getting on the radio saying it was time to pull the SC off the track... I mean, Button went straight for intermediates right after the start, so he clearly wasn't making a mistake by switching tires if the conditions weren't right for them.

I suppose that’s just how things are going to be from now on; any time a car gets stuck and requires heavy machinery to clear the track, we can pretty much count on an immediate safety car. Isn't it funny how the rules seem to shift toward caution like that?

steelmaker83 said:Now Massa is getting screwed too. There's way too much water on the track and only one driver is actually on full wets. The real issue here is that damn excavator—if that machine hadn't been there, Bianchi's crash would have been just like a million others before it...

What on earth is an excavator doing on the track during a race?! Those machines have always rubbed me the wrong way—I've had this nagging feeling for years that something like this was bound to happen. You should have cranes ready to lift cars off the asphalt, not some random excavator driving around the circuit. If they absolutely can't manage without an excavator, then there needs to be an SC on track, period!

That's not an excavator, it's a front-end loader.

Raymond Anderson4 said:And look, Massa was making the exact same argument about delaying the restart even though every other driver was screaming over the radio that it was time to pull the SC off the track... I mean, Button went straight for the pits right after the start—he isn't an idiot; he wouldn't be diving in for tires if the track conditions didn't justify it.

Massa was being completely thick-headed there. It’s like his headset caught some weird, bad frequency—he really should have listened to the rest of the field.

I'm listening to the BBC broadcast right now, and they aren't just talking about puddles; they're describing actual pools of standing water where those guys spun out.
We can't possibly know the exact level of hell they were driving through.

wanderingbison9 said:That’s just how it is now. Any time a car goes off track and needs heavy machinery to clear it, we're looking at... SC...

It should have been this way all along, but it wasn't. And honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've watched a crash happen, the yellow flags fly, and the driver just climbs out of the cockpit to mess with the steering wheel or sit there fidgeting while the rest of the field tears past him. This kind of nonsense happens constantly. Why on earth would we increase the risk of a massive accident by sending a construction vehicle onto the track?

Jacob White49 said:that’s not an excavator, it’s a loader

work machine = excavator

Emily Patel64 said:Matt Massa was totally out of it. It’s like his radio frequency picked up some garbage signal; he should have actually listened to the team.

I'm sitting here listening to the BBC commentators talk about "pools of water" instead of just calling them puddles... which is exactly where these guys lost it.

We can't possibly know the exact level of filth they were driving through.

You don't get it... the crash itself isn't the issue. This is Formula 1; spinning off is practically part of the job description.

But please, let's all keep trashing Tilke and complaining about the new tracks. Who knows how many lives that man has actually saved with his designs!

steelmaker83 said:Matt Massa is pissed off now too. Way too much water on the track and only one guy on full wets. The real issue is that damn excavator. If that excavator hadn't been there, Bianchi's crash would have been just like a million others before it...

What the hell is an excavator even doing on the track during a race?! Those machines always rubbed me the wrong way; I always had this nagging feeling it was going to happen eventually. Tracks should have cranes ready to lift cars out, not some random excavator driving around. If they can't do it without an excavator, then there has to be a Safety Car. Period.

Spot on... the real issue is failing to deploy the Safety Car in time.
It’s not about the rain or anything else—the second Nico Sutil went off, the Safety Car needed to be out on the track immediately.
Honestly, it would've been better if the car just stayed right where it crashed instead of trying to drag it out like that. A hit to a stationary car wouldn't have been nearly as devastating as slamming into that hunk of junk being moved.