Jules Bianchi

Jules promised everything would be fine. It was the Suzuka circuit. He was excited about the upcoming race. He'd been looking forward to scoring points for his team, Marussia, for a long time. He'd done well in practice and qualifying, and now it was time for the race.

Track conditions became challenging toward the end of the race, but Jules persevered. The weather sweeping over the area ahead of the typhoon created highly variable track conditions: the S-shaped section had a semi-dry racing line. At the final section, Dunlop, the line narrowed sharply due to water flowing onto and alongside the track.

Sauber driver Adrian Sutil hit the water and lost control of his car, which crashed into the barrier at the exit of the turn. Sutil was uninjured but was definitely out of the race. Standard recovery procedures were carried out: a tow truck was dispatched to retrieve the damaged car and safely move it beyond the barrier. Marshals were present to remove debris, repair the barrier, and assist with the recovery of the Sauber.

Of course, standard procedures were followed; track workers warned other drivers with a simple yellow flag. Overtaking was prohibited. Jules saw the yellow flags but didn't slow down. When his car approached the same patch of water that had taken Sauber out of the race just a minute and a half earlier, Jules suffered the same fate. He lost control of the car. But Jules turned the steering wheel too sharply, causing the rear wheels to lose traction, sending the car careening straight into the recovery area. Jules tried to steer around the tow truck. He applied the brakes, but the wheels locked up, making the turn impossible.

His car collided with a tow truck. This caused significant damage to his car, tearing off the roll bar and air filter, and striking his helmet. Jules was pronounced dead.