Vettel wins for Bianchi and Ferrari on emotionally-charged day

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- German driver Sebastian Vettel delivered an emotional high-speed tribute to his late colleague Jules Bianchi on Sunday when he stormed to victory for Ferrari in a dramatic and incident-filled Hungarian Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion claimed his second victory of the season and 41st of his career -- drawing him level with the late Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna in equal third on the all-time list -- after leading from the start to dominate a thrilling and unpredictable contest.

The Red Bull pair of Russian Daniil Kvyat and Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished in second and third respectively.

The ferocity of the contest, lit up by Vettel’s blazing speed and tenacity, served as an appropriate tribute to Frenchman Bianchi, who died on July 17 from injuries sustained when he collided with a recovery vehicle in torrential rain at last October’s Japanese Grand Prix.

A minute’s silence for Bianchi, a Ferrari academy protégé, before the race created an emotional atmosphere that was reflected in the action and in Vettel’s speech to the Ferrari team on his triumphant slow-down lap.

"Merci Jules, c’est a toi," said the winner. “Thank you Jules, You will always be in our hearts This win is for you."

It was Vettel’s first victory in Hungary, and 21-year-old Kvyat’s first career podium – the best ever by a Russian driver -- as Red Bull produced a reminder of their pedigree. It was the first podium this year without a Mercedes driver.

"Yes, an incredible day, but this victory is for Jules," said Vettel, mindful the Frenchman’s family were in attendance.

"It has been an incredibly tough week for all of us and, for all the people at Ferrari, who know that, sooner or later, he would have been part of our team."

Kvyat said he owed his podium to his own determination.

"After Turn One, I thought my race might be over because I had a massive flat-spot, but my team told me to keep pushing and today I learned what it means to never give up," said Kvyat.

Ricciardo said: "It was a crazy race. I had a contact at the restart with Lewis and thought my race might be over. I had contact with Nico and thought my race was over

"I left it all on the track today. I gave it everything and I owe my race to Jules. I gained extra strength today and I owe that to him."

Dutch teenager Jos Verstappen finished fourth for Toro Rosso -- on a track where his father Jos finished on the podium in 1994 -- ahead of two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso who delivered the troubled McLaren Honda team’s best result of the year in fifth place.

Series leader and defending two-time champion Briton Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, after starting from pole position, for Mercedes to enlarge his advantage in the title race after an afternoon of incidents, mishaps and penalties.

Inspired, perhaps, by the team’s call for total commitment to racing in a signal of respect for Bianchi, Vettel surged from third on the grid to pass Rosberg into Turn One.

Behind him, team-mate Kimi Raikkonen followed closely as both Rosberg and Hamilton attempted to defend, but just as at Silverstone three weeks previously, the two Mercedes men were out-started comprehensively.

Hamilton was relegated to fourth on the opening lap during which, in an attempt to pass Rosberg, he ran wide across a gravel trap at the chicane.

He returned to the track in a spray of stones, re-joining in 10th place. "Nico crossed my line there, he pushed me wide," said Hamilton, a claim not supported by video replays.

After closing the gap behind Rosberg to five seconds, Hamilton lost time in traffic while Raikkonen, suffering more bad luck, lost power and slowed before Hulkenberg, after losing the front wing on his Force India car in a frightening incident on the straight, crashed directly into the barriers at Turn One.

A virtual safety car was deployed immediately followed by the Safety Car as debris was cleared. As the field closed up, both Rosberg and Hamilton pitted for harder medium tyres for a final rush to the flag.

More drama erupted at the re-start on lap 49. Sensing his chance, Rosberg attacked and passed Raikkonen for second while Hamilton, on harder tyres, struggled against Ricciardo and collided with him at Turn One, the Briton losing a front wing end-plate.

It was his final significant act. He pitted on lap 52 for a new front wing, re-joined 13th and was then given a drive-through penalty for his part in the incident.

Hamilton was admirably frank about his performance.

"I was all over the place," said Hamilton, who had been fastest in every session on Friday and Saturday.

"I don't have any words to explain what happened today. It was a really bad performance from myself.

"I pushed and never gave up, but when I had two different choices I chose the wrong one very time. It was weird

"Do I deserve any points? I didn't give up and drove as hard as I could.

"To come away from one of the worst performances I've put in in a long, long time... it shows we are human."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

F1 driver Bianchi dies 9 months after Suzuka crash

French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi has died of critical head injuries sustained at last year's Japanese Grand Prix, his family said in a statement on Saturday. He was 25.

Bianchi had been in a coma since the accident at Suzuka last October. He passed away at a hospital in Nice, near his parents' home in the south of France.

"Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end," said the Bianchi family.

"The pain we feel is immense and indescribable."

Bianchi was the first driver since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna, at Italy's Imola circuit in May 1994, to die from injuries sustained during a grand prix weekend.

"We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle," his Manor F1 team Tweeted. "It was a privilege to have him race for our team."

The Frenchman suffered severe head injuries when, in wet conditions and fading light, his Marussia slammed into a recovery tractor while it was attempting to remove Adrian Sutil's crashed Sauber.

Television images of the Oct. 5 accident, which were not publicly broadcast but have since been posted on the internet, showed the Marussia's roll hoop had been entirely ripped off in the massive impact.

The race was stopped and the unconscious driver was extracted from the wrecked car and taken by road ambulance to the nearby hospital.

Bianchi, who was also contracted to Ferrari and was considered to have a bright future in the sport, was initially treated in the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi.

His parents and siblings flew out from France and were a constant presence at his bedside, hoping against hope for a miracle.

'HEARTS AND MINDS'

An International Automobile Federation (FIA) report said in December that the Frenchman had not slowed sufficiently under warning flags before crashing.

The report found that Bianchi's car hit the tractor at 126 kph and said medical services were not at fault in their handling of the aftermath.

His family praised medical staff in Nice and Mie Prefecture for their care over the last nine months and asked for privacy as they sought to come to terms with the loss.

"Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world," the statement said.

"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of Jules."

Bianchi's father, Philippe, had told French radio earlier this month that he was "less optimistic" of a recovery. In May he said they had been preparing for the worst.

"It's hard to get up in the morning while telling yourself that you're not sure whether your son is going to live and every day is like that," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com