FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON WINS RAIN AFFECTED INCIDENT PACKED JAPANESE GP

Lewis Hamilton won a wet and sombre Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to extend his Formula One lead over Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg to 10 points with four races remaining.

The race started behind the safety car due to heavy rain and ended without celebration after Marussia’s Jules Bianchi was taken to hospital following a crash that left the young Frenchman seriously injured.

Rosberg, who had started on pole position, finished second following a third deployment of the safety car and then red flags being displayed.

Germany’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is leaving Red Bull for Ferrari at the end of the season, took third place with the result based on positions after 44 of the scheduled 53 laps.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who would otherwise have been on the podium, was fourth for Red Bull.

The drivers tense faces as they waited to step on the podium told the true story of the afternoon, with Bianchi foremost in their thoughts.

No champagne was sprayed, with the top three merely clinking the bottles and taking a quiet swig before placing them back on the floor.

“The driver is not conscious and has been sent to the hospital by the ambulance because the helicopter cannot go in these conditions,” said a spokesman for the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA).

“It’s obviously a real anti-climax to hear that one of our fellow colleagues is seriously injured so that’s really the main worry,” said Hamilton, who would otherwise have been delighted with his third win in a row and one of his most impressive performances.

The victory was Hamilton’s eighth of the season but first at Suzuka. The 2008 champion’s only other win in Japan was at the Fuji circuit with McLaren in 2007.

The race started as scheduled but behind the safety car due to rain from an approaching typhoon that threatened to intensify through the evening.

The cars completed one lap and were then led back into the pit lane to await a re-start.

The safety car led the early laps in Japan

“Lewis is saying the conditions are so poor he cannot see you,” Rosberg’s race engineer told the German as the two Mercedes threaded their way carefully around the circuit.

When the race resumed, again behind the safety car, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was an immediate casualty with his car gliding to a halt.

“It was a shame. I had power down in the car, an electricity problem and the car switched off. Maybe some water in some connectors,” said the Spaniard, whose future remains unclear after Vettel’s announcement. Probably we lost an opportunity today.”

When the safety car came in after eight laps, the battle was on with Hamilton chasing Rosberg in the spray and passing him in a breathtaking moment of bravery on lap 29 after their first pitstops.

The Briton was 16 seconds clear of the German when the race was stopped, the margin later reduced to 9.160 in the final results.

Compatriot Jenson Button also shone in the wet, making the right call to run in third place for McLaren before then dropping back to fifth at the finish.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas was sixth for Williams, ahead of Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa, as the team consolidated third place overall and pulled further away from Ferrari.

Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Force India, with Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne ninth for Toro Rosso and Mexican Sergio Perez 10th for Force India.

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MCLAREN PLANNING PRIVATE HONDA TESTS?

McLaren and Honda could be planning to run an interim Formula 1 test car outside the sport’s officially-sanctioned test dates.

It has emerged at Suzuka that the returning Japanese carmaker’s new turbo V6 is being mated to an “experimental vehicle” that according to Auto Motor und Sport is called MP4-29H.

The ‘H’ supposedly stands for Honda, meaning this year’s Mercedes-powered McLaren is being modified to accommodate the different Honda installation.

The fact McLaren-Honda is working on the car indicates the collaboration is planning an unique approach to the 2015 season.

Earlier, it was expected the MP4-29H might debut at the post-Abu Dhabi test. That is now no longer so certain.

Ron Dennis is quoted as saying: “We will start to use it at a time subsequent to the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Out of respect for Mercedes, it will be after this date, but we do not know exactly when.”

Officially, however, Formula 1 teams are not allowed to freely test outside of the sport’s test restrictions. The first official winter test ahead of the 2015 season is at Jerez in February.

But the fact McLaren is building a special Honda-powered 2014 test car indicates either that the full 2015 test car will not be ready for Jerez, or that the team plans to go its own route with private testing.

Team boss Boullier is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: “There is a gentleman’s agreement among the engine manufacturers that prohibits track tests outside the official dates. But we could test if we wanted, because Honda is not (yet) officially part of the world championship.”

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff does not like the sound of that, “You can’t put an engine in an experimental car or whatever and just drive around. It’s clearly against the rules.”

He said Boullier’s argument about Honda not yet being an official part of Formula 1 is not valid.

“McLaren is enrolled as a team,” said Wolff. “And if they have an engine supplier (for 2015), then you can’t just say: I don’t know who my supplier is… In this case, the rules are quite clear.”

At any rate, Boullier confirmed the possibility that McLaren’s full 2015 car, the MP4-30, may not run at the first official test at Jerez.

“No problem,” he is quoted as saying. “We have no pressure.”

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Lauda: Motor racing is dangerous

Niki Lauda insists nothing "was done wrong" during Sunday's Japanese GP although it "could" have been started earlier.

Following a horrific end to the Japanese GP, which was red flagged when Jules Bianchi crashed into a recovery vehicle that was removing Adrian Sutil's car, questions have been asked how safe it was for the drivers to be racing.

Despite a typhoon moving into the area, organisers refused to start the race early meaning when it got underway at 3pm the rain was coming down hard.

The race was started behind a Safety Car before being red flagged for 20 minutes and then restarting after which the drivers quickly swapped to the intermediate tyres.

But, with more rain falling from lap 40 onwards, the conditions quickly deteriorated, resulting in first Sutil's off and then Bianchi's.

"Motor racing is dangerous," Lauda, who lost the World title to James Hunt after refusing to race in torrential race at the 1976 Japanese GP, told Press Association. "We get used to it if nothing happens and then suddenly we're all surprised.

"But we always have to be aware that motor racing is very dangerous and this accident today is the coming together of various difficult things.

"One car goes off, the truck comes out and then the next car goes off. It was very unfortunate.

"In the end the rain was not the real issue of the race. There were Safety Cars put in and the race was run safe more or less to the end so it could have been run to the end without the accident.

"They started with the Safety Car and there was nothing wrong, you can't say anything was done wrong. It was started the most sensible way."

He did, however, add that the organisers "could have started earlier, there is no question about it.

"It would have been possible to start the race at one - in the end that would have been better."

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Sutil: Bianchi hit crane side on

Adrian Sutil has given an eyewitness account of Jules Bianchi's accident at Suzuka.

Marussia driver Bianchi was taken to hospital after he crashed into a recovery vehicle on lap 44 of the Japanese Grand Prix, but it was Sutil's crash a lap earlier that led to the unfortunate chain of events.

The German crashed at the exit at Dunlop, prompting yellow flags as the crane emerged on the scene to remove his car from the track. However, Bianchi went sliding off at the same place and hit the recovery vehicle.

Bianchi was first rushed to the medical centre before being taken to a nearby hospital with the FIA confirming he was unconscious.

According to Sutil, the Frenchman hit the crane side on and he added: "The yellow flags were out after I aquaplaned at the corner as the rain got more and more and one lap later with waved yellow flags Jules came around and had the same spin there. It was more or less the same crash, but just the outcome was a bit different."

"The car [crane] came out to rescue my car and then it all happened."

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Massa was 'screaming' for race to stop

Felipe Massa believes the Japanese Grand Prix should have been stopped five laps before officials called it off.

The race started behind the Safety Car due to wet conditions at Suzuka and proceedings were stopped after just two laps as conditions had become too tricky. It resumed after a 20-minute break, again behind the Safety Car.

Things eased up for 35 laps or so before it started to rain again, which played a part in Adrian Sutil crashing at the exit of Dunlop on lap 43.

The German emerged unharmed, but a lap later Jules Bianchi went off at the same place and was knocked unconscious as he hit a crane that was busy removing Sutil's Sauber.

The Marussia driver was rushed to hospital and the race was finally stopped on lap 47 with the count-back going to lap 44.

Massa, though, felt race control got things wrong at the start and at the finish.

"First of all we need to understand what happened with Jules," the Williams driver told ESPNF1. "I'm very worried to hear just now that he hit the truck. In my opinion they started the race too early because it was not driveable at the beginning and it finished too late.

"I was already screaming on the radio five laps before that there was too much water on the track but then they just took a little bit too long and it was dangerous.

"You saw that there was the crash at the end and... I just need to understand what happened to Jules."

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Rosberg: The better driver won

Nico Rosberg concedes Lewis Hamilton deserved the Japanese Grand Prix win and that his runner-up result was "damage limitation."

As the rain came down at Suzuka, Hamilton had the better pace of the two Mercedes drivers and was pulling away when the grand prix was red flagged due to Jules Bianchi's crash.

With the result declared on lap 44, Rosberg finished in second place, 9.180s down the road.

As such he lost a further seven points to his team-mate and is now ten points off the lead in the race for the World title.

"All in all, Lewis did a better job today and deserves to win. Second place is damage limitation," he said.

"Taking everything into consideration, tricky conditions, seven points lost to Lewis, there is worse than that."

And although the German revealed his set-up was similar to Hamilton's, he says his team-mate coped better with the oversteer that both drivers suffered.

"I was not happy with the balance but we had pretty much the same set-up.

"Lewis must have had the same oversteer. I tried to tweak the balance, but we need to look into it.

"I guess I struggled a bit more with it."

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Alonso: Lost opportunity

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari lost out on a good haul of points at Suzuka following his early retirement.

Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix started behind the Safety Car due to poor track conditions following heavy downpours in the region moments before the official start.

The race was then suspended after just two laps behind the Safety Car, but it all went horribly wrong for the Spaniard once the race got going again as his F14T shut down and you could see the frustration on his face when he got out of the car.

The two-time World Champion admitted afterwards that an electrical problem was to blame for his retirement, but felt Ferrari missed an opportunity.

"It was a shame. I had an electricity problem, may be some connection problem. We lost an opportunity today."

It was a bad day for Ferrari as Kimi Raikkonen also failed to score points with the Finn finishing in 12th following a slow pit stop early on.

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WHEN PLAYBOYS RULED THE WORLD

When Playboys Ruled The World is a documentary about Barry Sheene and James Hunt – two of the most iconic racers of the ’70s and ’80s. Hunt was a Formula 1 driver and Barry Sheene was a grand prix motorcycle racer, both men became famous for their antics both on and off the asphalt with James Hunt’s name now being almost synonymous with the concept of a playboy.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) the two men’s extra curricular activities they were both staggeringly talented racers, both men would win world championships – which was wildly irritating to their slightly more serious peers.

The full documentary runs at about an hour long, it’s a fantastic bit of filmmaking and it’s a must watch for anyone interested in vintage motor racing.

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FORMULA 1 NUMBED AS BIANCHI FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE

Jules Bianchi is attended to trackside after his accident

Formula 1 was divided by anger and grief as it struggled to understand the circumstances that left Jules Bianchi fighting for his life following Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

On a tragic day for motor racing, that also saw former F1 driver Italian Andrea de Cesaris, 55, killed in a motorcycle accident in Rome, 25-year-old Frenchman Bianchi suffered severe head injuries when his Marussia car collided with a heavy crane-carrying recovery vehicle.

His accident came in the closing laps of a race won by championship leader Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and shortly after Adrian Sutil had crashed his Sauber car at the same place just ahead of the Degner turn.

Bianchi was extricated from his car and after examination at the circuit medical centre he was transferred to the Mie General Hospital, about 10kms away.

He underwent surgery and was later described as being in a critical condition in intensive care.

Jules Bianchi in the cockpit of the Marussia MR03

Reports in France that he was breathing on his own, without medical aid, were unconfirmed as other drivers, including Sutil, pointed to the poor light as a factor in the accident.

Many paddock observers also suggested that the race should have started much earlier in the day than 3pm local time to avoid the torrential rain that hit the event ahead of the arrival in southern Japan of Typhoon Phanfone.

Sutil, who had climbed unhurt from his crashed car, stood and watched as Bianchi went off.

He said: “It was quite difficult. In the end, we got more rain and it was dark so visibility was getting less and less and this corner was a tricky one, the whole way through.

“In the end, when it got dark, you couldn’t see where the wet patches were and that is why I lost the car and it really surprised me. His crash was the same as mine and he had aquaplaning, but just one lap later.”

Williams team performance chief Rob Smedley said: “I would say, in the 15 years I’ve been involved in Formula One, that that was the darkest I’ve ever seen a race event.”

Jules Bianchi during the race at Suzuka

The race started and finished – prematurely when it was red-flagged to stop following Bianchi’s accident – in treacherous conditions with torrential rain and reduced visibility.

But despite that, most drivers said the conditions were not extraordinarily bad and suggested Bianchi had been unlucky.

Williams driver Finn Valtteri Bottas, who finished sixth, said: “The whole race was tough, especially the beginning and end… I think there have been more difficult track conditions than this.

“It’s just a difficult track in the wet. Until then, there was nothing special happening. I think it was just a really, really unlucky situation.”

Compatriot Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari agreed. He said: “Was it safe? Is it safe ever? You cannot say. Sometimes it doesn’t matter.

Adrian Sutil at the scene of the accident at Dunlop Curve

“At the beginning of the race, behind the Safety Car, we drive 100 kph and you could aquaplane. So, even if you slow down, you might get into trouble. If there’s too much water you can go off. It’s as simple as that.”

Hamilton said: “They (conditions) weren’t really that bad. I’ve had much worse races in terms of aquaplaning. It started really bad and got quite intense, and then when we went back out [after the first red flag early in the race] it was good.

“Towards the end it started to rain a bit more, but it wasn’t causing me any problems particularly. But it’s so easy to lose temperature in these tyres if you slow down a bit – and then it’s really difficult.”

Defending four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who finished third for Red Bull, said: “It was very unlucky timing and an unlucky position to lose the car. It’s one of the most tricky places – you are still cornering and you pick up speed.

“In these conditions with more water the car is very nervous and it’s very easy to do a mistake,” added Vettel.

[Wing]

Just my 2 cents...

I was watching the race when Sutil's car went off and the crane came in. At that point, and any time there is a non-racing vehicle on the track/run-off area, I would think the Safety Car should immediately be deployed prior to any rescue vehicle- but not in this case. Especially a corner like Dunlop. I cant recall which race it was, but I also remember another incident where there was non-racing vehicle being deployed ahead of the safety car.

However much safer it would have been, I don't think the race should have started earlier as rules, schedules etc etc are all set in place. Imagine there were changes every time something inconvenienced somebody (that's also why I think the teams should stick with the engine freeze).

What an unfortunate event... My prayers to Bianchi

I really like Honda cars (my first car and I've still kept it)... And I really like Alonso.... Ummmmm

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Just my 2 cents...

I was watching the race when Sutil's car went off and the crane came in. At that point, and any time there is a non-racing vehicle on the track/run-off area, I would think the Safety Car should immediately be deployed prior to any rescue vehicle- but not in this case. Especially a corner like Dunlop. I cant recall which race it was, but I also remember another incident where there was non-racing vehicle being deployed ahead of the safety car.

However much safer it would have been, I don't think the race should have started earlier as rules, schedules etc etc are all set in place. Imagine there were changes every time something inconvenienced somebody (that's also why I think the teams should stick with the engine freeze).

What an unfortunate event... My prayers to Bianchi

I really like Honda cars (my first car and I've still kept it)... And I really like Alonso.... Ummmmm

Hi Wing - You sentiments I agree with totally, a safety car should have been deployed immediately and I "think"the race you are speaking of may have been 2011 Indian GP for Felipe Massa where the safety car was not deployed but rather a Non racing vehicle? In that instance a safety car should have been deployed also. To this date, a safety car has never been deployed in India.

I agree about the start times for races, they should never be changed in my opinion, races must start on time and if the weather is not great, then red flag the race and not start at all. Of course, I always love watching the races but drivers lives are far more important IMO than any race. It is an immense shame about Jules.

I'm pleased HONDA are returning, I would love to see more car manufacturers entering the sport. Keep hearing about AUDI and VW entering but I doubt this would ever occur with the current budgets and rules. Good on Alonso, he may fall on his own sword moving from Maranello, but if i were he, I too would make the move as Ferrari have not delivered for him.

Thanks for reading and posting, hope to hear more from you.

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PATIENCE CALLED FOR REGARDING GRAVELY INJURED BIANCHI

French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi remained in a critical condition after suffering severe head injuries in a Japanese Grand Prix crash on Sunday, with the sport praying for him to pull through.

The 25-year-old’s Marussia team issued a statement on Monday giving no medical details but acknowledging a “huge outpouring of support and affection for Jules and the Team at this very difficult time”.

They said any update about his condition would be guided by the wishes of his family.

“Together with Jules’ care, they will remain our highest priority. Therefore, we would ask for patience and understanding with regard to further medical updates,” added the British-based team.

French media said Bianchi remained critical and was under artificial respiration, contrary to reports on Sunday evening that suggested he was breathing unassisted after surgery.

Sky Sports television reported from the Mie General hospital in Yokkaichi, near Suzuka, that his family were expected to arrive from France shortly.

Jules Bianchi scored his best F1 result to date at the 2014 Monaco GP

Bianchi suffered the injury when he aquaplaned off a wet track and hit the back of a recovery tractor that had been deployed to remove Adrian Sutil’s crashed Sauber. The race was then stopped, with his fellow drivers and teams in a state of shock.

Race winner Lewis Hamilton, who leads the championship for Mercedes, said he was praying for the Frenchman, “Our first thoughts go to Jules — it overshadows everything else when one of our colleagues is injured and we are praying for him. Next to this, the race result doesn’t seem significant at all.”

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said the driver had been extracted unconscious from the car and taken to hospital where a scan revealed a severe head injury. He underwent immediate surgery.

Marussia said senior team officials would stay at the hospital to support the driver, along with representatives of Ferrari.

While racing for a struggling tail-end team, for whom Bianchi scored their first ever points this season, the Frenchman also has a contract with Ferrari as a test driver.

Highly regarded and a popular figure in the paddock, the Nice-born driver finished an impressive ninth in Monaco last May and was tipped as a talent for the future — possibly with Ferrari.

He is also managed by Nicolas Todt, son of FIA president and former Ferrari principal Jean, whose other drivers include Brazilian Felipe Massa and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado.

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'Extraordinary set of circumstances'

Sir Jackie Stewart has urged against a knee-jerk reaction to Jules Bianchi's Suzuka crash and calls for a Safety Car for every incident.

Bianchi remains in ICU at the Mie Prefectural General Medical Centre having undergone surgery after suffering a "severe head injury" when he crashed into a tractor in Sunday's Japanese GP.

The tractor was in the gravel trap at Turn 7 to retrieve the Sauber of Adrian Sutil, which had gone off the circuit a lap earlier.

Questions have since been asked about why the Safety Car had not been deployed for Sutil's off.

Stewart, however, says that is not the answer and has called Bianchi's crash a "freak set of circumstances."

He told the Daily Mirror: "If we put a pace car out for every incident there would be a lot of interruptions.

"I don't think the finger can be pointed at the organisations over this one.

"It was almost a freak set of circumstances that the trajectory of the two accidents was almost identical.

"Who could possibly legislate for that."

The triple World Champion, who has been a strong advocate for safety in Formula One, defended Formula 1's record.

"We've got to recognise F1 the best example of risk management in world sport, or any business anywhere around the globe," the Scot added.

"It's 20 years five months and four days since anyone lost their life.

"No other sport, be it equestrian, rugby, mountain climbing or motorcycling, has a package of measures better than F1.

"However in the back of every ticket it says motor racing is dangerous and there will be incident where there is a slip or an extraordinary set of circumstances.

"And this was an unfortunate example of.

"There's been one accident and then a second in exactly the same place.

"Officials were doing the right thing to move it.

"There is hardly anything you can do to protect against that.

"Perhaps this will give the sport's rulers the chance to readdress that issue of whether cranes should be allowed on during racing.

"F1 has always been good at learning its lessons.

"From my own days as a driver F1's record has improved beyond measure.

"In my day people were dying around me almost every month.

"F1 has been more proactive than any sport I know."

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Button: FIA controlled the situation

Jenson Button feels the FIA did the best job possible given the circumstances in Japan but that unfortunately "big accidents happen."

The sport was left reeling on Sunday when Jules Bianchi underwent emergency surgery having suffered a "severe" head injury.

The Marussia driver, who is still in ICU, was injured when he crashed into a tractor that was in the gravel trap at Turn 7 for Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber.

Immediately questions where raised about whether the race should have been started earlier given the rain brought in by a typhoon in the area.

However, with start time set by race organisers, who reportedly refused to bring it forward, Button says the FIA did the best job they could do.

"Big accidents happen and it's an accident," the McLaren driver told ESPNF1. "We go out racing and we give it our all and sometimes something like this happens.

"Our thoughts are massively with Jules and his family right now. It's tough for everyone, but especially Jules. Our thoughts are with him and I hope he's okay.

"We raced at 15:20 when it was green flagged again behind the Safety Car again. I think the FIA did a really good job of controlling the situation. It's so difficult and they are listening to us the whole time.

"We want to go racing but we want to do it in a safe way, and by the time the spray is not too much you are almost on intermediate tyres already - it's that sort of thing around here, I think it must be the asphalt. It's massive amounts of spray that makes it dangerous rather than the grip level around here.

"It was called at the right time, I think, and I think they did a very good job of controlling the situation because it's not easy on them either."

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Ricciardo queries Suzuka start time

Daniel Ricciardo says F1 needs to look into the decision not to start Sunday's Japanese GP earlier given the dismal weather conditions.

Despite a typhoon moving into the area, organisers opted not to begin the grand prix earlier than the 3pm scheduled start.

As such, not only did the drivers have to contend with the rain but also fading light.

According to Williams' team performance chief Rob Smedley "in the 15 years I've been involved in F1 that was the darkest I've ever seen a race event."

In light of the horrific end to the race, which was red flagged when Jules Bianchi hit a tractor after sliding off the track at Turn 7, Ricciardo has now called for F1 to look into the start time and learn lessons from it.

"There was definitely talk about that," he told Autosport when asked whether the race should have started earlier. "What's done is done.

"They have to analyse it, look back and if they could have or should have done something then they will know for next time."

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Jacques Villeneuve wants F1 safety car changes

Ex-Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has called for F1 to change its safety car protocol following the accident that left Jules Bianchi with severe head injuries in Japan.

Sunday's race at Suzuka was stopped early when Bianchi collided with a vehicle that was recovering the crashed car of Adrian Sutil.

While the safety car was sent out on track following Bianchi's crash, Villeneuve believes that it should have been deployed as soon as Sutil's car needed recovering.

"The rules have to be changed concerning the safety car," said the 1997 world champion.

"When I was racing, and afterwards, I was always saying that any time there is an accident there should be a safety car.

"There should not be room for judgement. If someone has to go out to pick up a car stranded on the track, it's simple.

"Accident - safety car, and that's it. It should have been like that for years. America has had that forever."

Villeneuve believes that critics who feel races are neutralised too often are wrong, and that the risk of another car colliding with a stationary vehicle is too high to cover such situations off with yellow flags.

"The problem now is everytime the FIA send the safety car out all the media and fans complain, saying they destroyed the race," he added.

"So now they second-guess themselves. It's a lose-lose situation.

"Yes, sometimes it does slow the race down a bit, but at least you avoid cases like today, and you avoid the human aspect of having to make a decision.

"Whenever I was racing, if I had a crash I was always worried about another car crashing into me.

"I never really like just having yellow flags. You do slow down, but how much? And you could have a puncture, or a suspension failure.

"I'm amazed something like this has never happened before. I think we've just been lucky before.

"Quite often people spin when other cars have spun and they just miss them by inches."

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Jules Bianchi crash: F1 closed cockpits easy to implement - Smedley

Williams performance chief Rob Smedley says it would be technically straightforward to introduce closed cockpits into Formula 1, should the sport decide to in the wake of Jules Bianchi's accident.

Marussia F1 driver Bianchi suffered a serious head injury after crashing into a recovery vehicle in the closing stages of the Japanese Grand Prix.

The sport has repeatedly discussed introducing cockpit surrounds on cars, since Felipe Massa suffered his own serious head injury during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian GP and Fernando Alonso had a fortunate escape at the start of the 2012 Belgian GP.

Formula 1's governing body the FIA has conducted experiments with cockpit canopies (pictured, below) and Smedley said it would be a simple process for the sport to introduce them.

"From a technical point of view it's something very easy to implement," Smedley said.

"It's something that we've looked at in lots of the technical working group meetings and we've been back and forwards.

"Whether that would have made a difference to the accident that Jules had, I've got no idea.

"We don't know how strong anyone's car is in that type of accident. It is a freak accident."

Introducing closed cockpits would re-open debate over the fundamental nature of F1 cars, but Smedley said he would have no issue with them.

"It would change the look of Formula 1 cars, which I guess there is an argument for - they are [currently] open-wheel, open-cockpit racers," he added.

"Does that change the formula a bit? I think if you compare the cars in 2014 to the cars in 1950, when the world championship started, they don't look very similar.

"So whether aesthetics is an argument or not, it's certainly not one for me; maybe for other people."

NO KNEE JERK REACTIONS

New Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman Alex Wurz said it was important for the sport to properly analyse the exact circumstances of Bianchi's accident before making any fresh safety demands.

"None of us wants an accident like this and the FIA has always put safety as priority," Wurz said.

"I am part of some of the research groups, I know how much effort these people are putting in. It never stops.

"I'm not currently [demanding more safety]. What I have learned over the years, [is that] this is the not the conclusion when you don't know all the facts."

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Hamilton defends decision not to deploy Safety Car

Lewis Hamilton has defended the FIA's decision not to deploy the Safety Car for Adrian Sutil's accident, despite Jules Bianchi then going off and hitting a recovery vehicle attending to Sutil's Sauber.

"That's what they do all the time," said the race winner about clearing a car under double-waved yellows instead of a Safety Car.

"That's normal protocol just to get cars off the track for safety.

"If the car was sitting there and someone would have gone off, they'd have hit the car. There's the yellow flag, and with the yellow flags you're supposed to have a big lift, especially when it's double yellow."

The Briton said he was shocked to hear of Bianchi's accident and that he was seriously injured and added:

"I hope he will be okay."

The Mercedes driver also defended the decision to start the race when they did, with some drivers criticising the decision because of the wet conditions.

"They weren't really that bad," he explained.

"It was wet, obviously, but I've had much, much worse races in terms of aquaplaning and stuff.

"When we went back out it was good, we were behind the Safety Car for a little bit too long. I kept saying on the radio 'we're good to go, we're good to go' because the track was great.

"But towards the end it started to rain a little bit more but it wasn't causing me any problems particularly. But perhaps for others, it's so easy to lose temperature in these tyres, if you slow down a bit, then it's very, very difficult."

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Technical: Williams FW36 - revised engine cover

Williams introduced a new engine cover for the Japanese round at Suzuka. It is just a little tighter and shorter - by around 5cm - than the previous version, in order to improve the airflow to the car's rear wing.

Red Bull RB10 - power unit configuration

Compared to that of the Mercedes, Red Bull's power unit layout is much more complicated. Behind the normal radiators (1) on each side of the car there are large air-to-air intercoolers (2) to lower the engine intake air temperature. The exhausts are quite different from those of Lotus, who also use a Renault power unit, and in fact look quite similar to the Mercedes', with very short pipes (3) to help keep as much temperature and energy as possible in the exhaust gasses in order to help the performance of the MGU-H. They also have a small exhaust (4) coming off the waste gate that goes into the top of the main, singular exhaust tail pipe mandated by the FIA in the 2014 regulations.

Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid - Suzuka aero upgrades (part one)

For Japan the Mercedes' sidepods were totally revised (right-hand drawing - previous version on left), starting from the vertical turning vanes (1) on the outer front corner. These are attached in a different way to the stepped bottom area (2), which is also modified with a long horizontal slot (3). This area manages the airflow going under the floor and around the sides of the car, and is vitally important for the consistency of under-body downforce. The small fin (4) under the rear-view mirror has also been altered.

Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid - Suzuka aero upgrades (part two)

For Japan, the modifications to the front of the Mercedes' sidepods were accompanied by changes at their rear, with a quite significant reduction in size in the coke-bottle area of the car (1), utilising the space gained by the removal of the FRIC suspension system, which was effectively banned earlier in the season. Mercedes have also modified the floor cut-out in front of the rear tyres (2 and inset), following the shape introduced earlier in the year by Red Bull.

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VIDEO OF BIANCHI CRASH PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON F1 SAFETY

http://youtu.be/hV11kO_ygWM

Shocking footage has emerged of Jules Bianchi’s crash during the rain affected Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, in the final stages of an incident packed race, which has put F1 safety in the spotlight.

Twenty years after the death of Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 awoke Monday from a sleepless night in Suzuka to face a barrage of questions on Grand Prix safety.

In the wake of Bianchi’s life-threatening accident in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, it was the most intense scrutiny the sport has faced since 1994 when Austrian Roland Ratzenberger and Brazilian Senna lost their lives on successive days at the San Marino Grand Prix.

The questions were clear: Why was a motorised safety crane deployed in a dangerous position in torrential rain while the cars continued racing? Why was the race not red-flagged and halted immediately after Adrian Sutil’s initial crash at the place where Bianchi also aquaplaned off the circuit?

Scene of Jules Bianchi’s accident

And, given the advance forecasts of dreadful weather arriving with Typhoon Phanfone, why was the race schedule not advanced to avoid the storms that made the track so treacherous?

The answers were reluctant and unclear, as drivers, experienced observers and paddock pundits avoided placing the blame exclusively at the door of the organisers.

Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda, both three-time champions and men who survived huge accidents, and Max Mosley, former president of the International Motoring Federation (FIA), said the ruling body and race organisers had done all they could and should not be blamed.

Mosley described Bianchi’s crash as a “freak accident” and told Sky Sports News that he “cannot fault any of the people involved.”

He explained that advancing the race start was not a solution because it was unclear precisely when bad weather would arrive.

Heavy rain, however, has been a feature of many Japanese races since 1976, when Lauda famously retired after two laps and gifted James Hunt the championship, saying “my life is more important than the title.”

On Sunday, the race promoters chose to ignore calls to change their schedule and the race finished in a downpour and near-darkness. Many drivers felt an earlier start was the wisest option.

“What’s done is done, but they have to analyse it, look back and if they could have or should have done something then they will know for next time,” said Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull.

“In hindsight, of course it was wrong, but you never know what is going to happen,” said Sergio Perez of Force India.

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas joined the call for an explanation of why a recovery vehicle was on circuit in a dangerous place. “It’s easy to say afterwards, but it’s worth a good look to see if we can learn from it.”

Another question must be asked: why do F1 cars not have cockpits to protect drivers from head injuries?

Senna, the last driver to be killed at a Grand Prix, died from head injuries and since then fellow-Brazilian Felipe Massa, Spanish test driver Maria de Villota and on Sunday Bianchi have suffered severe head injuries.

Car safety has progressed rapidly and impressively since 1994, enabling many drivers to survive unharmed in accidents that would previously have been serious or fatal, but open cockpits still mean drivers’ heads remain unprotected.

When Senna died, Michael Schumacher won the Imola race to embark on his record-breaking career and it was seen as ironic this year that, after 307 Grands Prix, he suffered near-fatal head injuries while skiing.

As the F1 circus heads to Sochi this week for Sunday’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix, Bianchi’s fight for life should stimulate a new look at the introduction of cockpits and an overhaul of the safety procedures for racing in torrential rain.

[MIKA27]

FERRARI VIEW: FORMULA 1 LANDS IN RUSSIA

Formula 1 world is still shocked after the accident of Jules Bianchi in yesterday’s Japanese Gran Prix. However the drivers left Japan and are heading to Sochi that on Sunday will be hosting the first Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The race will take place on the Sochi International Street Circuit, which is 5.853 kilometres in length and part of it uses roads that run past structures and buildings that make up the Olympic Village, used for last February’s Winter Games, in the city on the shores of the Black Sea.

A little past history: Sunday’s race is not actually the first ever Russian Grand Prix, as history relates that two races were held in 1913 and 1914 at a circuit in St. Petersburg. For the record, the first was won by Russia’s Georgy Suvorin and the second by the German Willy Scholl.

In the modern era, talk of a race in Russia began at the start of the Eighties, as a result of Moscow’s high profile, following the 1980 Summer Olympics. A Soviet Union Grand Prix was even featured on the provisional calendar for the 1983 season, but it never materialized, because of insurmountable bureaucratic difficulties.

The race was back in the news at the start of this century, while in 2012, the Moscow Raceway was established as the first permanent race track in Russia homologated for Formula 1. However, it was never used for that purpose.

Drivers and Cars. When it comes to drivers and cars, the Russian scene is very limited, with only two drivers getting their names onto a Formula 1 entry list: Vitaly Petrov drove in F1 from 2010 to 2012, even securing a podium finish, while Daniil Kvyat has been driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso since the start of this season.

However, the Russian racing scene is growing: Mikhail Aleshin races in Formula IndyCar and many drivers are emerging on the endurance racing scene, several of them at the wheel of the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 in the Blancpain Series and mainly in the European Le Mans Series.

This series also sees Scuderia Ferrari test driver, Andrea Bertolini, racing for the SMP team. This year, the Maranello marque has celebrated ten years on the Russian market. There have been two teams entered in Formula 1 under Russian licenses, Midland in 2005 and currently, Marussia.

One curiosity worth noting is that there was a real Russian, or rather Soviet, Formula 1 car built back in 1967, in Kharkiv, now part of the Ukraine. The car was called the Khadi 8, but could not get past the 200 km/h mark, around 100 less than the cars of that time and it was never entered in a race. The same fate befell the Khadi 10 four years later.

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RED BULL DENY VETTEL IS DEMOTED TO NUMBER TWO

Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel will not be marginalised by Red Bull despite shocking the team with news of his departure at the end of this season.

That is the claim of team chief Helmut Marko, who is already fending off claims the Ferrari-bound German received second-rate treatment during the Suzuka race.

Before his surprise news last Saturday, Red Bull had insisted reigning quadruple world champion Vettel would not be the victim of ‘team orders’ to support his title-contending teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the last races of 2014. But then came Friday.

“There were some signs already,” Marko told Austrian Servus TV on Monday. “He is sorry that it happened completely without warning, but it did not surprise me.

“I approached Sebastian on Friday at Suzuka because I noticed that something was wrong,” he revealed. “We then had dinner and he told me that he will leave us.”

Marko insists he is “still friends” with Vettel, but also true is that the 27-year-old triggered an escape clause in his contract at the eleventh hour.

Auto Bild reported that the first sign of Vettel’s new role as the departing ‘number 2′ driver is the fact his pit strategy in Japan seemed to disadvantage him compared with Ricciardo.

“That’s not true!” Marko exclaimed. “We asked Sebastian if he wanted to come in for new tyres for the final sprint, and he wanted to take the risk.

“We had assumed that he could even have a crack at Rosberg with the new tyres, but this has nothing to do with discrimination! With us there are no team orders. We remain fair and sportsmanlike, which is our philosophy,” he insisted.

Marko also explained why Fernando Alonso was never considered as Vettel’s replacement for 2015. Red Bull has elected instead to promote the Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat.

“Alonso would have been the safest card to play,” the Austrian told Auto Motor und Sport, “but that does not fit with Red Bull. It would make our junior programme absurd.”

Australian Ricciardo also backed Russian Kvyat’s promotion, “Alonso might have been the logical choice,” he agreed, “but Red Bull took a similar risk with me and it paid off.”

“Kvyat is also the cheaper solution,” Ricciardo grinned, “so hopefully Red Bull puts the saved money into the car.”

[MIKA27]

BIANCHI WAS DESTINED FOR FERRARI SAYS MONTEZEMOLO

Jules Bianchi was on course for a future with Ferrari and perhaps as soon as 2015 according to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who told Italian media at the Genoa Boat Show on Monday that he was “very sad” to know the team’s leading ‘academy’ driver is now fighting for his life in Japan.

“This boy was born with us, and we thought of him as our driver of the future,” Montezemolo is quoted as saying.

Frenchman Bianchi was a Ferrari-powered Marussia driver when he tragically ploughed into a recovery vehicle during the rain-affected Japanese Grand Prix. But Montezemolo said he had a definite future at Maranello.

“If – as I think we will have to – we line up with three cars next year, we thought of him for the third car and he would have been perfect for the coming years,” he revealed. “I just hope we have some good news soon.”

“Unfortunately, we always talk about these things with the benefit of hindsight, but we do have to think of what happened if something did not work at Suzuka. If there was something wrong we have to change,” said Montezemolo.

“Definitely it was a very special race with little visibility at 3 in the afternoon and plenty of water. We have also had other races in these conditions and nothing happened. The important thing is to understand the reason and prevent it from happening again,” he added.

[MIKA27]

SCHUMACHER CAN LIVE NORMAL LIFE AGAIN REVEALSTODT

Jean Todt has delivered perhaps the most promising news about Michael Schumacher’s condition since the Formula 1 legend’s fateful skiing fall last December.

The pair became close friends at Ferrari last decade as the Italian team dominated Formula 1. Since then, 45-year-old Schumacher has retired and Frenchman Todt is now FIA president, but they remained close friends.

Todt has visited the Schumacher family since the seven time world champion returned to his home in Switzerland after months in hospital and rehabilitation.

Precious little is known about Schumacher’s health condition, but Todt has reportedly now delivered an upbeat report to the Belgian broadcaster RTL.

“We may assume that Schumacher can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time,” said the FIA president. “What we can say is that he will probably never again drive a Formula 1 car.”

RTL said Todt, 68, visited Schumacher at his home on the shore of Lake Geneva in the week before the Japanese Grand Prix, “He fights. His condition improves, which is very important, as is the fact that he is now home with his family.”

[MIKA27]

Bianchi suffered 'diffuse axonal injury'

Jules Bianchi's family has thanked fans for their "messages of support and affection" and also confirmed he remains in a "critical but stable condition".

The 25-year-old was injured when his Marussia crashed into a recovery vehicle that was busy removing the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil, which went off the track at Turn 7, during the Japanese Grand Prix.

He underwent an operation at the Mie General Medical Center on Sunday evening with the FIA confirming he suffered "severe head trauma" during the crash.

His family arrived by his bedside late on Monday due to the typhoon in the region and they have thanked fans for their support.

"This is a very difficult time for our family, but the messages of support and affection for Jules from all over the world have been a source of great comfort to us. We would like to express our sincere appreciation," the statement read on Tuesday.

They also gave a bit more background on his injury and revealed that a top level medical delegation has also arrived at the hospital.

"Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition. The medical professionals at the hospital are providing the very best treatment and care and we are grateful for everything they have done for Jules since his accident," the statement added.

"We are also grateful for the presence of Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, and Professor Alessandro Frati, Neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, who has travelled to Japan at the request of Scuderia Ferrari. They arrived at the hospital today and met with the medical personnel responsible for Jules' treatment, in order to be fully informed of his clinical status so that they are able to advise the family. Professors Saillant and Frati acknowledge the excellent care being provided by the Mie General Medical Center and would like to thank their Japanese colleagues.

"The hospital will continue to monitor and treat Jules and further medical updates will be provided when appropriate."

MIKA: For anyone who doesn't know what type of injury this is, please click HERE it is tragic news indeed.

A diffuse axonal injury is not the result of a blow to the head, but rather is caused by the brain moving back and forth within the skull as a result of extreme acceleration or deceleration. The injury is very common in automobile accidents. The movement of the brain within the skull causes lesions to the brain tissues, which cause permanent damage to the brain.

The initial treatment is to reduce swelling in the brain as much as possible as this can cause additional damage. However, surgery cannot repair the damage done. It is, however, impossible at this stage for anyone other than the doctors to say how bad the long-term effects of these injuries will be. However it must also be noted that severe diffuse axonal injury is a significant cause of death in patients with traumatic brain injury and is also a frequent cause of persistent vegetative state. It may not be that bad, but we must be prepared for all possibilities.