Marussia thanks F1 and fans for Bianchi support
Marussia F1 President and Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon has extended the team's 'huge thanks' to both the F1 paddock and fans from around the world for their well-wishes and support in the wake of Jules Bianchi's accident in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Jules Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital after going off-track in a double waved yellow flag zone at Suzuka and colliding with a recovery tractor.
With this weekend's Russian Grand Prix getting underway just five days after the accident took place, Lowdon says the immense support for the Frenchman and team from within the F1 paddock and across the globe has 'helped enormously'.
"It's been an incredible difficult week for Formula 1 but it's been an incredibly difficult week for our team," he said, speaking during the scheduled team representative press conference. "As you know, my team-mate Jules Bianchi had a terrible accident in Suzuka. He's in hospital there. He's in a critical condition and the thoughts of everybody in the team, and I know much wider than that, are with Jules at this moment and also with his family.
"It has been a really difficult time for the team, but I have to say we have been helped enormously by the Formula 1 family. I think it would have been really difficult for us to get through this week without the help of some very key people. I'd like to personally thank (Ferrari team principal) Marco Mattiacci for his support and kindness not just in his role at Ferrari, but personally as well. He was at the hospital immediately afterwards and I know provided an awful lot of comfort to those that were there.
"The Ferrari team also arranged for Professor Alessandro Frati to be present and I know that gave an awful lot of comfort to us, to the people that were there at the hospital and the family. So from our team to the Ferrari team we really want to offer a lot of thanks, it really made a difference.
"Also at the hospital was Professor Gerard Saillant from the FIA and I think we have to thank Jean Todt for arranging that. I think that was extremely helpful as well and certainly provided support to us. I know Jules is very close with his management team - Alessandro Bravi and Nicolas Todt - and I think they did an exceptional job looking after their driver.
"It's been a very, very difficult time but it's also been a time that has reminded us of just how much support there is for people within this sport, looking at the wider picture and the fans. Jules is an exceptional Formula 1 driver but he is also an exceptional human being. I don't know a single person who doesn't like him. You wouldn't wish that accident on anybody. Certainly Jules has so many friends that it has really hit home very hard to a lot of people.
"Our priority from this point onwards is obviously to Jules and his family and we want to provide them with the maximum amount support at what is really a very, very difficult time. From our point of view John Booth has remained in Japan to offer what support he can. None of us are medical people - we can't help in that area - but we can provide another form of support, which we hope helps at a really difficult time. From a team point of view we want to thank everyone who has provided support, especially the fans."
Marussia is competing in Russia with just a single entry for Bianchi's team-mate Max Chilton, while drivers this weekend will be displaying logos in support of the Frenchman.
