(Source: Twitter)
I grew up with a father and a younger brother who both loved motorsports. Formula 1, MotoGP, V8 Supercars - they played on our TV year round. As a little girl, I used to look through the TV Guide and tell Dad when his races were on. It made me feel important, as though he would definitely miss them if I didn't let him know. And that was pretty much the extent of my interest. I just failed to find the appeal in watching cars drive around in circles.
Earlier this year however, I found myself sitting down to watch the Melbourne F1 GP with B, my husband - and God help me, I enjoyed it.
Since then, I've watched every race - sometimes with B, sometimes with my Dad, and sometimes all on my lonesome. I've cheered along with Daniel Ricciardo when he's won, I've winced with Kimi Raikkonen after his crash at Silverstone, and I've rolled my eyes at the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry. I've loved being able to share the joy of a sport that I'd previously written off with my family...much to the bemusement of my mother and sister, who still don't quite understand what's happened to me. In short - I enjoy it greatly.
Last night though, was not an enjoyable race. Not just for us at home, but for the F1 community as a whole.
From the FIA's post-race statement: "On lap 42, Adrian Sutil lost control of his car, spun and hit the tyre barrier on the outside of Turn 7. The marshals displayed double waved yellow flags before the corner to warn drivers of the incident. A recovery vehicle was dispatched in order to lift the car and take it to a place of safety behind the guard rail. While this was being done the driver of car 17, Jules Bianchi, lost control of his car, travelled across the run-off area and hit the back of the tractor."
B & I were a bit shell shocked in the immediate aftermath, not entirely sure what had happened, and judging by the stuttering commentators, we weren't alone. Soon though, the details started filtering through, and we were devestated.
The thing that hit me the hardest is that Bianchi is my age. Only a few weeks separate us, in fact. I sat in silence, looking around my home, at my husband and my daughter, and thought about how much life we both have left to live, and how, in the blink of an eye, his might have just been brought to a tragically premature end on a global stage. And my heart ached for him, for his family, for his friends, and for his colleagues.
It has been over 20 years since the last death in F1, when Ayrton Senna & Roland Ratzenberger both passed away within 24 hours of each other at the San Marino Grand Prix. Since then, it's been easy for fans to become complacent and forget just how dangerous this sport can be. Yesterday was a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile we all are.
My thoughts and prayers are with Jules, his loved ones, and the entire F1 family.
#ForzaJules
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