“We didn’t know any better in the old days,” the great Denny Hulme once told me. “Now we’ve got the most incredibly hygenic circuits you have ever seen. Some people criticise them. They say it’s terribly boring motor racing. Yes, compared to the old Nürburgring it is… but it’s better than going to a funeral every Tuesday morning.”
Today in Nice the world said farewell to Jules Bianchi. He had a short and sadly tragic life. His is a story of potential that will never be fulfilled; of talent that will never be rewarded; and yet, lest we forget, it is a story that has happened many times in the history of the sport. In my generation I think particularly of the young Stefan Bellof, but there have been dozens of other young men who rolled the dice and lost.
Death in sport is rather a new concept for a lot of people in the F1 paddock and one gets the feeling that many don’t quite know how to handle it. The older folks have seen it before, not just at Imola in 1994, but at many race meetings, far and wide. By the time I was Bianchi’s age I had seen four or five deaths at races. It happened more back then, but I am not old enough to have lived through the really bad years as those in their 60s and 70s today had to do.
And yet, let us keep things in perspective. The trials of previous generations who lived through wars remind one that we are fortunate in the modern age. The school I went to had World War I memorial boards. One day I stopped and counted the names.There were 600 of them and it struck me that this was the same number as my entire generation in the school that day. That shook me. We like to think that those who die young do not die in vain, that the world learns from such terrible waste. As Laurence Binyon famously wrote of his generation: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them”, but you cannot help but wonder.
In the end, there is no point in trying to find reason in all of this, nor even to take comfort from flowery words and phrases. The only value is that we learn from what happened and try to makes sure that it does not happen again.
Assuredly, at some point or other, circumstances in F1 will come together to kill again. We never know when that might be. You cannot make motor racing 100 percent safe. What has been achieved in F1 in the last 30 years is extraordinary, but we must never forget that every time a driver steps into the cockpit of a racing car, they are at risk. They accept that and, if not, they walk away. They have the choice. Big accidents still happen – and always will – but today the consequences are different. The drivers are unhurt after an accident that would have killed them 40 years ago.
That has happened because of advancing technology and a willingness to learn and do things differently.
In medieval times, people felt helpless in the face of the harshness of life and they sought solace in the romantic ideals of chivalry. They wanted to believe in pure and untainted actions and be inspired by them, even if they knew deep down that the world was a cynical and nasty place. At times like this, I like to hope that this lesson will be learned by the brilliant, positive and passionate people of the Formula 1 world. I hope that adversity will teach them to race like the heroes that they are, not like ruthless, money-grabbing rats, willing to do anything to get to the top. And when I think of this, I remember an evening in Brazil in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa to the World Championship. I was proud of the sport that day, proud of the two men.
So let us move on in a positive way, remembering the shooting star that was Bianchi, and trying always to learn, to inspire and to do things in the right way.
joeblogsf1 
Here here.
Merci pour ce papier Joe
“…of talent that will never be rewarded”
Perhaps not all he may have accomplished, but making it to Formula 1, and scoring points in a Marussia no-less (!), is an enormous accomplishment and must have felt a great reward for Jules on that day. R.I.P.
Forza Jules… May he R.I.P.. Such a tragic end to a promising budding talent that was waiting to explode at the top. Today is indeed a sad day for Formula 1. The teams, stewards and FIA need to make sure this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.. Not even when there’s huge money being thrown to organise a race in heavy rain conditions… Families can’t lose their loved ones as a result of monetary greed. This should indeed be a lesson to learn greatly from.
R.I.P Jules!! Godspeed. #ForeverBianchi #JB17
As you mention most of the new F1 fans don’t remember what it was like not so long ago. Some of us can still remember that a crash with deadly consequences was something inevitable back then. None of that today.
Thank you for your words in a very sad day.
A talent will be remembered and hopefully these tragedies won’t happen again sometime soon.
Thank you for a balanced and respectful post. Life ends in death, but we choose not to dwell on the fact.
I hope that motor racing continues to become safer, not just F1.
+1 – let’s not forget that we’ve also had the tragic double loss of Bernat Martinez and Daniel Fernandez earlier this week at Laguna Seca too. It’s probably been the saddest week in motorsport since when the world lost Simoncelli and Wheldon in quick succession.
Thank You for your great wordss as always.
I recently got copies of two of the greatest motor racing movies ever made, Geand Prix & Le Mans. On watching these it is really quite amazing just how far motor racing has come. To think how brave the mechanics were in 1971 to be workin on the car with no pit wall.
I hope it is a good weekend!
All the best!
David Piper lost part of a leg during the filming of “Le Mans”. Even movies about motor sport can incur a sad cost.
I rediscovered Grand Prix 2 weeks ago. Watched it 3 times in 3 days. Then went to the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse last week and discovered that in the racing hall is one of the Lotus’ featured heavily in the movie. I had to look about til the coast was clear, duck under the rope and place my hand reverentially on the car’s nose. It made me feel somehow connected to those who’ve raced in the past, the heroes who risked everything and that golden age of the sport. It felt strangely moving to touch that car, like it was a noble beast now in retirement that deserved respect, affection and admiration.
I trust you paid suitable homage to the Bugattis as well
I’m sorry to say I remember it being released! Great cast (James Garner, Yves Montand to name but few actors), a few of the GP drivers of the time and a starring rôle for the Monza banking (where Yves Montand met his fate). Great music too by Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia et el and father of Jean Michel one time married to Charlotte Rampling). I still have the LP (this probably doesn’t mean anything to you though! LPs, what are those!) I think the bossa nova version of the theme played over one of Frankeheimer’s multi-screen effects and I believe that may have been the first time that particular effect was used on film? But I ramble. Graham Hill played himself – of course!
I’m not one for brown-nosing, but the best articles I have read on the Bianchi situation are from Joe and Simon Arron. It seems situations like this sort the men from the boys. Thanks for painting this from the prespective of over a century of motorsport.
Although understandable in today’s world, I sometimes get the strange feeling that the reaction to deaths in the sport today sometimes highlights the sad detachment we had to it in past years. Just because it was the 60s or whatever, doesn’t make the loss of those drivers any less tragic than those of today – even if it was more common.
Couldn’t have said it better.
“He had a short and sadly tragic life.”
Far be it my place to disagree but I prefer to interpret this as ‘his life was tragically cut short’ – Jules managed to follow through with his dreams and with the success most of us could only dream of.
He promised to bring so much to the future of the sport and I’ll always wonder what could have been.
Thank you for putting Jules’ unfortunate death into perspective with such dignity.
Joe in my opinion it is wrong to say that we should make sure it shouldn’t happen again because there will be another F1 fatality somewhere down the line whether it be 1 year 10 years or 100 years after Bianchi’s accident and death. F1 should always try and keep drivers safe to the best of its ability and that is all it can do.
That is what the article says
Very nice piece, Joe, thank you.
Your words are incredibly moving Joe. Beautifully put. Especially good to see Stefan Bellof remembered, another taken too soon
Also good that Felipe Massa´s grace in defeat is recalled.
All of this is about taking part and taking consequences, not giving in to first loser mentalities.and the Twitterisation of all values and emotion.
Massa defined true character for a sportsman and in some positive ways may be remembered long term more than if he had become a one time world champion. He became one of my favourites on that day, class act.
Well said, same for me.
He is a very decent guy who, if possible, seems to get even better as an example of the very best of values in F1.
I don’t hold with all the maudlin ‘tragic’ commentary. Yes, Bianchi’s death, like any other death, was sad and if we must use the word, tragic. But his life wasn’t tragic. He died in the process of doing the job he must have dreamed of since he was a little boy, something about which he was passionate and something at which he was extraordinarily good. In the course of his motor racing career, before and during F1, he experienced highs that if as the saying goes, his life flashed before him, would have reminded him of all he had achieved for himself and his family and supporters: winning countless races and championships; driving a F1 car for the first time, a Ferrari no less; his first full-time job in F1; his first race; and that amazing result at Monaco last year. Throughout this, he had the respect of his peers, colleagues and employers, and had a bright future to look forward to. So yes, it is very sad that he won’t live that future, but by the same token we should recognize that (OK, bit of a cliche, but nonetheless true) in his life he probably experienced more living than most people do in their 70 or 80 years.
A tragic life is a life lived in vain, or ignorance, or discomfort, or to no purpose, as the latter part of Joe’s post implies. Bianchi’s life was short, but it was exciting, satisfying and fulfilling. I’m sure if the clock could be turned back, no one would choose to put that crane in the path of Bianchi’s car, but by the same token he’d probably choose not to deny himself those highs on the off-chance of having an accident – this, surely is part of the spirit of motor racing? Let this day not just be a reflection on the Bianchi family’s loss, but also a celebration of the passion, talent, and dedication that drove Jules, and every other racing driver, to choose the life, and potential death, that he did and they do.
If you look at the true definition of a tragic life (as opposed to the way it is used willy-nilly today) it is not necessarily one that is lived in vain. It is one where things go wrong because of a person’s nature or character. Therefore all racing driver who are killed are tragic figures, because they take risks that can lead to their deaths.
Very true, Joe, the reference to medieval times is especially apt because, as Johan Huizinga put it, life had a much more ferocious light to it. These days we are shielded from most disasters, but when that ferocious light breaks through in a death, we are blinded.
Ah… a Huizinga fan. How nice to know that someone else remembers a truly great historian.
Nice piece, as always. Just looked up your old school – quite a history, you must be very proud to have been a pupil.
It is far greater than a reminder and a point of reflection for just the motorsport circle. Yet another sobering reminder that life is precious. Enjoy the present, smile, don’t be afraid to give those close to you a big squeeze. The domino effect of such actions is what makes the world a better place.
I think I’ll hold on the constructive F1 comments today and simply go and sit in the sun.
I hear noises that the Bianchi family are considering legal action. Maybe they think that responsibility for Jules’s death rests not only with their son, but the old men running the business.
Now, is not the day to discuss such things
I remember the first time I went to a motor race – “bloody hell” I thought, these guys are faster than I thought. You have to see and smell the action to appreciate it. I’ve kept all my scrapbooks, many made as a small boy, recording the triumphs but also littered with tragedies such as the deaths of Jim Clark, Lorenzo Bandini, Senna and so forth (you should see the newspapers, yellowed but just about intact). Drivers have my ultimate respect for what they do, a by product of which has been to entertain this ‘small boy’, lost admiration. God speed Jules.
This is the great challenge for the modern era. It is to get kids away from the computers to see racing cars for the first time. When they do, they are interested, I am sure of it
Times are changing, to engage with the next generation the FIA should look at technology as an enabler – r-factor and the GT academy initiative are good examples of how it ought to be done. F1 ought to be partnering with such innovative approaches that bring racing to youngsters in a manner that’s more consumable for generation Y and generation Z.
Dropping admission charges would be a start coupled with better facilities. In my next life perhaps?
Agreed Bob.
For all the talk of computers people seem to have no idea that kids are “interacting” on the computer, or consoles or tablets.
If one can’t afford to race in real cars, one alternative is to spectate as other people race in race cars. Another alternative is to race on digital technology. It’s obviously not the same as being in a real car on a real track, but it’s a hell of a lot more interactive and involved than sitting at a track, or staring at a tv. Remember that the overwhelming majority of F1 fans only ever see F1 on a tv screen. Can’t blame people for going for the interactive option – it’s racing, not watching. Most kids I know, and many adults would prefer to “do” something rather than just “watch” something – the fact that they can’t afford to pay for a real drive where real risk is involved is a shame, up to a point, considering the topic of today’s post. However, they are learning more about the dynamics of racing than standing on the edge of a track watching a car pass by for a second every lap.
I know people will scoff at this concept, but whenever we talk about getting kids off computers to watch racing because the racing will ultimately be more exciting than a computer we are missing the elephant in the room. I think part of the problem is that people who make those sorts of comments are not aware of how immersive today’s digital tech is. If digital racing was completely unlike the real thing teams wouldn’t spend millions on simulators – the domestic version of this software is available today on a home PC for $50.00 – cheaper than transport to a GP in many cases. Just wait till VR goggles get sorted.
I take your last point as attending races has become for too expensive, so watching on TV or similar is easier and cheaper. But you’re missing the point entirely. There’s no elephant. I’ve played computer F1 games but find them, well, exactly what they are. Games, no matter how realistic. You can watch F1 on TV, go to races, dabble with computers games or all of those together. But at some time or other you need to ‘smell’ the racing. Simulators simulate real life. If you’re a ‘virtual’ fan alone you’re not really a F1 fan at all are you?
Stephen, haven’t you’ve accused me of not being a proper or real F1 fan in previous comments. I’m not sure why I deserve the attention.
I’m not trying to be offensive but I actually think you have missed my point entirely. In doing so you’ve created an opportunity for yourself to accuse me yet again, of not being a fan.
Joe, and others, comment that we need to get kids away from computers to racetracks. I agree with this. The point I am making is that getting kids away from computers is harder than we realise because we often make the assumption that computers are a passive entertainment. All I am saying is that we underestimate the attraction that computers are having by underestimating what the users are getting from them. Also, please don’t confuse whatever experiences you have with the experiences of others, different people will get different benefits or otherwise from the same exercise.
Can you please stop accusing me of not being a real F1 fan, or maybe perhaps just not bother reading my comments. If there are a set of conditions that people have to satisfy for you before they can comment could you please let us all know what they are.
I don’t know to whom this comment is directed – but I don’t think I have accused you of anything so asking about the rules of the blog is rather odd. Strangely enough, the rules of the blog are listed under the tab Blog Rules (I thought that might be a sufficient clue). If you read that you will fully understand the situation
Joe, I’ve seen your rules for the blog, I fully understand that situation. A month or two ago I got ridiculed for complimenting you on your writing and saw how your rules were applied there.
I was asking Stephen what his rules were.
My comments were directed at him, as he replied to an earlier post above, which is what I was replying to.
You can usually tell who the comment is directed at by following the indentation lines that run vertically from one comment to the next. This isn’t foolproof as it is sometimes affected by the timing of when comments were made – but then you would know this given the length of time you have been doing the blog.
This is not how the commenting works at this end…
I believe that Joe does not see the incoming comments in context… he doesn’t get the same view of them we do.
Given that, it’s amazes me that he has any idea about what’s going on here 😉
I see them all out of context. It is difficult therefore to know to what they relate.
Adam, maybe I should have said ‘one’ and not ‘you’, I thought it was clear. As long as people stick to blog rules I cannot see what your problem is. I don’t agree with you, we’re obviously not on the same wavelength. It does happen you know and I can live with that if you can.
Isn’t Bianchi’s fatal crash the first one in an F1 racing weekend in 20 years? Before that it was 12 years since the last fatal crash in an F1 racing weekend…
It was 20 years and before that another 12. In 1994 and 1982 there were two fatalities during race weekends. One should add Elio de Angelis, who died after a testing accident at Paul Ricard. If you want to count others you can, but these are what I consider to be “proper” F1 accidents.
Thanks for clearing that up, Joe.
A poignant and thoughtful piece.
For some people, better to die trying than to live wondering.
Amen, Joe. I remember the first time I was at an event where there was a fatality. Marcel Albers, Thruxton, 20 April 1992. That was horrible, and whether I’ve been at an event or watching on tv I don’t think it gets any easier to accept or deal with. Jules was the first fatality my son has experienced. I hope he never has to go through it again, but I’m realistic enough to know that’s not going to be the case.
Ciao, Jules. #JB17
Most of the pieces I’ve read in the last couple days about Jules seemed obligatory, with content that was entirely predictable.
It’s nice to read something real for a change…
If I wasn’t too lazy, I’d calc how many driver-miles had been driven in F1 between Senna’s and Jules’ accidents… then I’d see if there’s any nation that has fewer driver-miles per death…
So beautifully said, Joe.
Hear hear – you’ve pretty much said it all, so nothing of significance to add.
As usual Joe, you put all the right thoughts down. You and I are not so old that we both can’t remember back in day when Grand Prix drivers, and racing drivers in general, could die more or less every weekend somewhere in the world.
In F1 probably the worst years I can recall when I was following the sport, were 1968 & 1970, 1971, 1972 & 1973, but truly, it seemed as though there was a nightmare most weekends. I’ve been to a few meetings where tragedy occurred, and I expect It will happen again, although the hope is that it won’t.
It was nice to note the name of Stefan Bellof, a particular hero of mine, followed him from F3 up, and while everyone knows that Senna could have won at Monaco, few remember that Stefan and his Tyrrell- Cosworth was catching both Prost & Senna and could have beaten both!!
Anyway, sad day for Jules’ Family and the sport, the quote that always comes back to me at times like these is ” We’re here for a good time, not a long time “, and that is from WRC Champion Colin McRae, a prophetic quote at that….however, as others have said, Jules did what he loved, and will remain long thought of, as it should be.
I’m not that old!
Ha Ha Joe! Well you’re only 4 years younger than me, and I started going to Thruxton & Brands Hatch with my Uncle in 1968, by then I’d been following motorsport in the specialist press ( and a lot on tv too back then, not so much F1 but a lot of lower formulae and touring cars etc ), since 1964 when I was 7.
The point I was making was that back then I used to read obituaries most every single week in the specialist press, and F1 deaths were headline events in the everyday press. Nowadays, thankfully, it is rare for someone to die at a motorsport meeting, and obituaries are usually for those who survived those times and lived long and happy lives after they left the sport.
I bow to your obvious seniority. I was a late starter. Did not go to my first race until my 18th birthday
You and I are within a few weeks of the same age, Joe, but I was an ‘early starter.’ That meant that by the age of ten, I had twice been present at races at which there had been fatalities, and at the first race of of every season I would scan the entry list and wonder which drivers would not be present at the last race. It was insane, and in retrospect, inexcusable. I miss the classic tracks of my childhood, but Denny clearly had it right.
Oh, and belated happy birthday!
Well now you know how long my passion for motorsports has been in place! And also why my equal passion for a simpler form of F1 is very firm, as I go back to the days pre-ciggie packet wrapping of cars, but grew up following the advertising fuelled F1 and enjoying it too….Brands GP 1976 stands out, amongst many memories of F1 non championship races, glorious 917 vs 512 sportscar battles and much F2 in the UK, not to mention F5000 and F3/FF2000/FF1600, SpecialSaloons and lots of Club events.
That background brought me a life long love of motorsports at all levels and is why F1 whilst being a passion of mine, never replaced all the other outlets for my motorsporting thrills. This is why I find the modern day preoccupation with F1 and the F1 Bubble, rather irritating, there is far more to motorsports than just F1, and unless one is interested in all of it, the narrow spectre of just being an F1 Fan isn’t enough to keep one locked into the whole ethos of motor racing and rallying imho!
Nice one Joe.
Lovely post. Remembering Stefan Bellof (a huge loss); that great evening at Interlagos 2008 (I too found Massa’s dignity inspiring – a lesson to those in all sports, not just F1) – and of course, most of all, Jules. Great to see Binyon’s famous poem “For the Fallen” in all its glory also.
Thank you for the balanced post.
When I long for the old days I remember as you posted: but it’s better than going to a funeral every Tuesday morning.”
I remember that these drivers are someone’s son, brother, father, and husband first and racing driver second.
My condolences to all that J. Bianchi
Very well said, Joe.
We must never forget history here and how dangerous the sport has been and still can be. The first GP I attended was the 1967 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. There were 18 drivers on the grid that day, including Denny Hulme, who you quoted above and who would be World Champion that year. Within the next few years we lost from those 18, Jim Clark, Jo Siffert, Jo Bonnier, Mike Spence, Jochen Rindt, and Bruce McLaren in one form of racing or another. The next year’s grid for the same race added Piers Courage, Lucien Bianchi (Jules’s relative), and Pedro Rodriguez to the list. Dangerous times, indeed.
Joe, As a fellow OH I know the boards you were looking at and it was hard to understand how boys just a year or two older than me had given up their short lives over in Belgium and France. I was involved in F1 in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and the concept of death was not considered after AS and RR and Imola a few years earlier. Yes accidents but not fatalities. Sadly this latest loss will not be remembered by many as the accident was wisely not shown and he passed away in hospital, but never the less Jules had a bright future but one that we shall never see fulfilled. A loss and a dreadful shame.
A lovely post Joe. It is pieces like this that encapsulate why I enjoy reading this blog so much. Thank you.
Many thanks for your insightful and respectful remembrance, Joe.
Godspeed Jules.
You’ve hit the centre of the dartboard with this one Joe. Particularly the bit about flowery words ultimately being, well, just that.
Your mention of Stefan Bellof reminded me that you are quoted in Michael Scumacher’s Wikipedia page comparing Schuey’s talent to his. It made me think, what if we had lost Michael as early as we did Stefan? We’d never know how great he was to go on to be. How many other multiple World Champs have we lost and will never know. It’s so sad. Mainly the human side of it of course but also the lost potential of these would be heros.
Beautiful Joe – thank you for doing this sport the justice it deserves for the decade I’ve been reading your fine work.
This accident could have been avoided if Jules had a rocket fired parachute – they deploy almost instantly. Once on wet grass, a vehicle at speed is certain to hit anything in its path. I’ve done it myself on Turn 2 at the old Sears Point circuit in California. There is plenty of time to think about what you are going to hit and nothing you can do about it. Wet grass is bad news.
They have been used successfully in several sports with many lives saved.
Any drawbacks can probsbly be worked out. Last time I suggested this you seemed to take it as a joke. I honestly believe it could help in many situations. If you think back to a number of crashes and near crashes over the last 20 years there are quite a few where a parachute would have greatly reduced the damage.
Jules at Sazuka, Button (and many others) at Monaco after the tunnel, Kubica at Canada – any crash at high speed with some room to slow down. It might even work where there is less room.
Is there some reason this shouldn’t be taken seriously? If someone can tell me why it isn’t practical I will give up on this idea but thus far it doesn’t appear to be on the table as a possible solution.
Why not?
Would the big engineering brains of the sport just laugh it off or take the time do do some calcs?
Thanks for this great forum Joe – we really appreciate having a moderated place to discuss this great sport – while most forums go down the drain.
They have such devices on small aircraft and they have saved lives. So I guess the technology is there. You can watch it here if Joe is happy to post the link:
Hemingway famously once said the only endeavors worthy of the name ‘Sport’ are bullfighting , motor racing and big game hunting because of the inherit danger involved and the definite possibility of dying . Now that thru technology we’ve all but eliminated the risks for two out of the three [ motor racing & big game hunting ] can we really claim the world and sport specifically is safer ? Unfortunately not . Why . Because as we slowly homogenize the risks out of one sport another even more extreme sport arises to take its place on the danger scale more often than not exceeding the risks of that which proceeded it .On top of that as ‘ sport ‘ becomes safer more conflict arises usually more bloody and violent than what was known previously
The simple fact is human nature demands risk . It demands as Hunter S. Thompson said that we come face to face with ‘ The Sausage Monster ‘ Looking him straight in the eye and staying barely a step ahead but constantly at the edge of our inherit demise .
Which is to say maybe in the long run we’re doing more harm than good focusing so hard on ‘ safety ‘ in sport at the expense of the sport itself .
As for Jules passing of course it is sad . Any death is . But the man was doing what he loved and died doing it to the best of his ability . And in Hemingway’s eyes that is the highest tribute one can pay to any man never mind a sportsman .
>> Hemingway famously once said the only
>> endeavors worthy of the name ‘Sport’ are
>> bullfighting , motor racing and big game
>> hunting because of the inherit danger
>> involved and the definite possibility of dying .
Yeah… and look what happened to him….
My honest and with no insult intended question to you after your hopefully reading my comment rather than quickly scanning it being ;
What is your point pray tell seeing as how Hemingway took his own life after surviving decades of ‘sport’ in order to avoid his eventual mental decay ?
I was just joshing with ya’… nothing more or less than that…
Spot on about Brazil in 2008 — Felipe Massa’s quiet dignity and his genuine congratulations even as he tried to come to terms with champion-oh-shit-oh-no-not was true, transcendent sportsmanship.