Jules, keep fighting

Jules Bianchi's accident has cast a shadow of horror over Formula 1 and motorsport. Although this sport is inherently risky and absolute safety is impossible to achieve, before learning lessons from this tragedy, we must first pray for the French driver's swift and complete recovery.

Jules Bianchi is facing the toughest battle of his life. The French driver has received massive support from the entire paddock, the public, and beyond. An accident of this magnitude has not been seen in Formula 1 for years – the closest comparisons are Robert Kubica's accident in Canada in 2007 and Felipe Massa's in Hungary in 2009. These incidents remind us that F1 remains a dangerous sport. Despite the enormous progress made in safety over the last two decades, there is no room for complacency. It is disturbing to recall the circumstances of Bianchi's accident. The famous mobile cranes and other recovery vehicles have long been criticized for their slowness to respond while the cars are racing at full speed. We have had several near misses, and this time we cannot sit back and do nothing. Luck played a part in this accident, and we could analyze in detail everything that went wrong. For now, however, our priority is for Bianchi to recover and for this episode to quickly fade away for him, while the governing bodies must learn from it. The fight for track safety is never over. We must remain focused on Bianchi's progress and hope for the best possible outcome. The remarkable recovery of Michael Schumacher, which we have followed throughout the year, gives us the greatest optimism. Let us pray that this tragedy will soon become nothing more than a painful memory.