F1: Father of Jules Bianchi Pushes Forward With Lawsuit

The father of the late-F1 driver Jules Bianchi says he has “nothing to lose” as he pushes forward with his legal action against the FIA and Marussia.

Jules Bianchi died on July 17 of last year from the injuries he sustained in a horrific 2014 crash during the Japanese Grand Prix. His Marussia F1 car slipped off the wet Suzuka circuit and collided head-on with a recovery vehicle during the race.

Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of his death.

An FIA internal investigation later ruled that Bianchi “did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control” under the double yellow flags which were being waved at the time of his crash.

At this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, the news of legal action being taken against the sport and Bianchi’s former team was confirmed. In a statement, the law firm representing the family said the Bianchis “feel the action of one or more of those parties, amongst others, may have contributed to Jules’ fatal accident.”

His father, Phillippe, says preserving the memory of his son is the main reason for the legal action.

“I have lost the single-most important thing in my life and have nothing to lose,” he said to CNN. “I want the memory of Jules to be right. It’s not possible for me and his mother to see people that say it was Jules’ responsibility.”

“Every day, every time I see his photography, I cry,” his father added.

Others have gone back and re-watched the graphic incident, but not Phillippe. He has no desire to be reminded of what happened.

“To lose a child is not normal. For all the parents who lose children it’s difficult,” he says. “It’s difficult for me. It’s difficult for his mother. It’s difficult for all.”

Bianchi’s death, the first in Formula One since the 1994 death of racing legend Ayrton Senna, has had a direct impact on the sport’s safety — start times of races have been altered and the sport has been introduced to the Virtual Safety Car, a period which forces drivers within a delta time while a minor incident is being resolved on track.