Massa: Bianchi's death will strengthen ties between drivers

Felipe Massa spoke in the columns of the Brazilian magazine Globo following the death of Jules Bianchi on July 18 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes). The disappearance of the Marussia driver, following his accident at the Japanese GP on October 5, 2014 at Suzuka, caused great emotion in the world of motorsport, and particularly in the paddock of the F1 which had not experienced such a tragedy since the 1994 San Marino GP where Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna lost their lives.

“After a moment like this, the drivers will finally become closer. The links will strengthen”, said the pilot Williams, whose manager Nicolas Todt also looked after the career of Jules Bianchi. “It was a very sad moment for the sport. It was not a normal accident but a collision with a tractor. Many things have changed since then, such as the appearance of the virtual safety car. »

Felipe Massa seems particularly marked by the death of the man he considered more than a simple adversary. “Jules was a friend. We saw each other often and our relationships were very different from those pilots usually have with each other.", said the Brazilian.