Flag being waved after crash scene to mark resumption of normal racing conditions; FIA launch investigation into the accident
Tuesday 7 October 2014 11:38, UK
Unsettling footage of Jules Bianchi’s life-threatening crash during the Japanese GP has appeared on the internet.
The footage, apparently filmed on a hand-held device by a spectator at the Suzuka circuit, shows Bianchi’s Marussia’s car colliding with the tractor recovery vehicle retrieving the broken-down Sauber of Adrian Sutil with considerable – and distressing – violence.
A green flag can be seen being waved by a marshal from Hut Twelve above, but slightly beyond, the crash scene. A flag is, in effect, a boundary point around the circuit, and only comes into force once it has been passed.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the FIA confirmed: ‘On lap 42, Adrian Sutil lost control of his car, spun and hit the tyre barrier on the outside of Turn Seven. The marshals displayed double-waved yellow flags before the corner to warn drivers of the incident.’
A double-waved yellow flag is defined as warning a driver to 'slow and be prepared to stop'.
In the footage, which Sky Sports will not be broadcasting, Bianchi's car strikes the rear of the recovery vehicle with such force that the tractor is lifted off its wheels and turned sidewards. Two marshals can also been seen narrowly avoiding the impact as they walk alongside the tractor carrying Sutil's Sauber.
FIA President Jean Todt has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash and is reported to have asked Race Director Charlie Whiting to compile a report ahead of this weekend's Russian GP. Jean’s son, Nicolas, is Bianchi's manager.
The 25-year-old Frenchman remains in a critical but stable condition in Mie University Hospital after suffering what the FIA have described as a 'severe' head injury in the crash.
