F1: The harrowing confessions of a Jules Bianchi mechanic about the driver’s death and acceptance
A mechanic who worked with Jules Bianchi reflected on the driver’s death at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, sharing harrowing details.
Jules Bianchi’s death shook the world of Formula 1 in 2014. That year, the young French driver lost his life during the Japanese Grand Prix while driving for the Marussia team. At Suzuka, Bianchi’s car collided with a recovery vehicle, and the French driver tragically died. More than ten years after this tragic episode in F1, Calum Nicholas, now a Red Bull ambassador, spoke openly about the event. Having spent over ten years as a Formula 1 mechanic—working in particular on Max Verstappen’s car—he began his F1 career at Marussia and was one of Bianchi’s mechanics. On Kristen Holmes’ podcast The Line, Calum Nicholas shared harrowing insights about accepting Bianchi’s death and about the fact that F1 did not stop after this tragedy, making it a very difficult moment for him.
Calum Nicholas’ difficult reflections on Bianchi’s death
“F1 doesn’t stop for this. The following week, we went straight to Russia. You didn’t even have time to process what had happened, to take a moment… straight to the next race. Two days after the accident, you’re already back in the garage trying to rebuild a car. You had no time at all to take it in, to reflect on everything. That was probably one of the hardest aspects. In hindsight, it was also one of the things that made me understand the value of a team, because collectively, we were incredible in supporting each other during that period. It takes time to fully appreciate these things later. It was a difficult period,” Calum Nicholas reflected more than ten years after this tragedy that marked Formula 1.
“There is an acceptance that there is always that risk when you do something like motor racing. It was something difficult to swallow. It always feels unfair, and for me, at 22 or 23 years old at the time, it was the fact that I had built a race car, that a guy got in it, and that he lost his life. I know there was no issue with the car, there was no issue with what I did. But in the end, my technical team and I carry that kind of responsibility, and I think at just over twenty years old, it was difficult to face at that time. There was also this thing where everything just keeps going without stopping. We had that accident in Japan…”
