- Russian Grand Prix
One car the best Bianchi tribute - Marussia
Marussia CEO Graeme Lowdon says running one car in the Russian Grand Prix felt like the right thing to do to pay tribute to injured driver Jules Bianchi.
Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition after suffering severe brain trauma from a collision with a recovery vehicle at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend. Only Max Chilton will compete for Marussia in Sochi, with Bianchi's car set up in the garage as tribute to the Frenchman.
"I don't know a single person who doesn't like [Jules]," Lowdon said. "And you wouldn't wish that accident on anybody, but I think certainly Jules has so many friends that it's really hit home very hard for a lot of people. Jules is an exceptional Formula One driver but he is also an exceptional human being.
"Our priority from this point onwards is obviously to Jules and his family and we want to provide them with the maximum amount of support at what is really a very difficult time."
Lowdon thinks it is a fitting tribute to the man whose two points at Monte Carlo currently mean the team lies ninth in the constructors' championship, above both Sauber and Caterham.
"The main thing we wanted to do was to do something useful and supportive as much as we can for Jules and or Jules' family. That was our primary objective. But also we are lying ninth in the FIA world championship at the moment and that's a very important position for us, and we're largely in that position because of Jules. He's a racing driver, so he will want us to do the best we can."
"So we thought that the right thing to do was to obviously come here, take part in the event, but as a mark of support for Jules and a mark of respect to his mum and dad and Jules' family, we would withdraw the second car. It's fully scrutineered, it's there, it's ready to go, it's in the garage, it's got Jules' race number on it.
"We found that it's something we could do and also it's been useful for the people in our team as well. They want to do an expression of support for Jules and so I hope people will understand what we've done and why we've done it. And I hope, even if it makes a small difference, then it makes a difference in the right place. We did seek opinion from a lot of people to make sure we made the right decision."
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