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F1 drivers, teams shocked by Bianchi crash

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I have a feeling that whoever was responsible for keeping the start at 15:00 is going to have a lot to answer for. Also, I can't understand the logic of bringing heavy equipment out from behind the barriers with only a local yellow. Something that so obviously compromises driver safety should be out there only under the safety car.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I was watching the BBC coverage of the race and they were talking about the rain and dark literally a lap or so before the race was red flagged for the second time after Bianchi's incident.

I'm now nervously waiting for the next update on Bianchi and I am praying for his recovery because this is something which you never wish to see in motorsport.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I hope Bianchi recovers well. @erbaviva The decision was surely FIA's and not Japan's. Your comment was ridiculous and Japan bashing at its best.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Very poor decision by FIA to run the race when they did, in those conditions. I just hope this young driver doesn't pay for this awful decision with his life.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

FIA is the FIFA os motorsports, they couldn't care less about racers. What really matters to FIA is TV and the sponsors.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This isn't a grandkid's sports day where you look at the dark clouds and hear about the impending typhoon but go ahead with the even anyway -- this is heavy equipment going at massive speeds, and allowing it to go ahead despite the fact that Phanfone was going to hit, or at least affect, the area was a very stupid decision that may cost a person his life. I hope he recovers, and I hope FIA or whomever makes the decisions, thinks a little more carefully from here on in.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

The decision was surely FIA's and not Japan's. Your comment was ridiculous and Japan bashing at its best.

No, your comment was ignorant and ridiculous. Honda, the owners of Suzuka and sponsor of the race, held to a 3 pm start time so that all could arrive on time to see the race, despite two apparent requests from the FIA to start earlier. Japan deserves whatever bashing it gets on this one.

It's even more ludicrous because the fans had been there all day.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

okazaki

Honda, the owners of Suzuka and sponsor of the race, held to a 3 pm start time so that all could arrive on time to see the race, despite two apparent requests from the FIA to start earlier.

I've seen this rumour flying around, and it doesn't make any sense to me.

First, because Honda as a local sponsor stood to lose the least by moving the race forward two hours. The International broadcasters seem to be the most likely to lose out by moving the race up. The 3:00 start time was to ensure European viewers could watch the race at 9/8/7am. Moving the race up two hours to 7/6/5 am would have left them losing viewers.

Second, because moving the race up two hours would have had them racing through more rainfall, not less. The rain let up 20 minutes past start time, and for most of the race the conditions were in the "damp" range.

Third, because pointing the finger at the sponsor or track officials or Japan in general for this accident ignores the following: 1) Bianchi knew Sutil was off. He passed the scene. 2) Bianchi knew his tires were the wrong ones for the conditions AND worn out. 3) Bianchi ignored the waved double yellow (be prepared to stop, marshals on track) and headed through as though he was under a single yellow. 4) The car was not set up for rain, despite it being in the forecast.

Maybe some of you would like to ignore all of those points because they deny you the ability to curse the faceless Japanese bureaucrats again, but that's what actually happened.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

From the NBC site (they broadcast F1 in the US)

However, it [rain] has now hit at the worst possible moment, causing the race to be suspended despite the FIA trying to get an earlier start time. FIA race director Charlie Whiting made his concerns clear to the race promoters, Honda, but the Japanese manufacturer refused to move the time the flag dropped.

As much was being said by the commentators during the friggin' race. Bianchi could barely see the rain light on the car in front of him, much less anything off to the side because of the spray.

Why are you shilling for Japan?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Okazaki, you seem to be saying a whole country deserves blame because of the decisions of some officials at Honda. That's an ugly attitude to take. Also, Hokkaidoguy raises the valid point that an earlier start would have seen more rainfall. I see it as an unfortunate accident. Very few cars were going off the track in the rain. We've seen much worse at other events. About the recovery vehicle, the usual priority is to get any crashed car off the track as quickly and as safely as possible. There was a gap in the barrier right where Sutil's car had come off, and it seemed a reasonable decision to have the recovery vehicle use that to remove Sutil's car quickly. If they hadn't acted, and other cars had slid into Sutil's car, I'm sure we would have heard people criticizing the officials' inaction.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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