During Sunday’s rain-affected Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi crashed at high speed into the back of a tractor that was being used to remove the Sauber of Adrian Sutil who had crashed earlier in the race. The impact caused serious head injuries for the 25-year-old Frenchman, who was rushed to nearby Mie General Medical Center to undergo surgery to treat the injuries.

Jules Bianchi’s family have now released a statement regarding the injured Marussia driver. The statement reveals that Bianchi suffered a “diffuse axonal injury” and that he remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center.

The statement also revealed that top Italian neurosurgeon Alessandro Frati has flown to Japan to help with the treatment, at the request of Scuderia Ferrari. Bianchi had close links to the Italian team through its junior driver program and was widely regarded to be one of the team’s future drivers.

The accident is the most serious to occur in F1 since Felipe Massa, driving for Ferrari at the time, suffered a skull fracture during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix when a suspension spring from another car hit him in the head and caused him to drive into a tire barrier.

The full statement from Jules Bianchi’s family is reproduced below:

“This is a very difficult time for our family, but the messages of support and affection for Jules from all over the world have been a source of great comfort to us. We would like to express our sincere appreciation.

Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition. The medical professionals at the hospital are providing the very best treatment and care and we are grateful for everything they have done for Jules since his accident.

We are also grateful for the presence of Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, and Professor Alessandro Frati, Neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, who has travelled to Japan at the request of Scuderia Ferrari. They arrived at the hospital today and met with the medical personnel responsible for Jules’ treatment, in order to be fully informed of his clinical status so that they are able to advise the family. Professors Saillant and Frati acknowledge the excellent care being provided by the Mie General Medical Center and would like to thank their Japanese colleagues.

The hospital will continue to monitor and treat Jules and further medical updates will be provided when appropriate.”

SEE ALSO: F1 Driver Jules Bianchi Was Seriously Injured In A Race This Weekend As A Typhoon Hit Japan

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Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - Felipe Massa on Thursday described last weekend’s tragic Japanese Grand Prix, in which Jules Bianchi suffered life-threatening injuries, as "the worst race of my life". 

As he and other drivers reacted to the crash, in which Frenchman Bianchi of Marussia collided with a recovery vehicle, Brazilian Massa – who survived terrible head injuries in an accident in Hungary in 2009 – revealed his emotions.

Speaking at an official pre-event news conference ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix, the Williams driver said he wanted to race “and do his best for him, and for his family”.

Massa, 33, a veteran of 206 Grands Prix, said: "For me, it was the worst race of my life… A really bad race, worse than the race of my accident that I can’t remember. The worst of my life.

"And it is so difficult to be every day thinking about him, all the time, of Jules. It was a very difficult weekend for all of us. Maybe tomorrow, we are working again and will have something to think about and – you can put that inside your brain."

Like former Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso, Massa made clear he wanted to support Bianchi by racing for him – a feeling shared by the drivers and teams as they assembled in the sunny Sochi paddock where Bianchi’s friend and compatriot Jean-Eric Vergne was distributing stickers declaring ‘Tous Avec Jules’.

Spaniard Alonso said: "I have huge respect for our work, but when there are big accidents of this type…. It will be a tough weekend and right now, we are here and it is emotionally very difficult.

"I am ready to race, and to race for him, and to be as professional as we can be and, at this moment, our minds are with him."

Bianchi remained in a 'critical but stable' condition in hospital in Japan following surgery to treat severe head injuries.

A Ferrari academy graduate, Bianchi was close to the team and well known by all the competing F1 drivers, but particularly all at the Ferrari team.

"It is hard to say in words and a shocking moment for everyone, and for myself," said German Adrian Sutil, who witnessed Bianchi’s accident, having crashed at the same place in his Sauber car a few minutes earlier.

"We just have to pray now – and to hope, that is all awe can do… Here in Russia, there is a grey cloud over us. We will try to be professional enough to focus on a race weekend again, but it still affects everyone."

Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat, 20, who will switch from Toro Rosso to Red Bull next season, said his pride in taking part in his home event was overshadowed. “I really wish for him to recover – it is the only thing that matters,” he said. “I am thinking of him very often.”

Briton Jenson Button, 34, a veteran of 262 races, said: "It is a horrible feeling to know what one of your fellow-drivers went through and is going through – most important is that we wish him well and our thoughts are with him."

Defending four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel, who has announced he will leave Red Bull next season, summed up his feelings, saying: “I think, first of all, it was an extremely difficult race for all of us.

"It was the most difficult to digest, so far… I think the difficult conditions, giving a very small margin for error, and for Jules, it was too small – and the circumstances led to a catastrophe."

SEE ALSO: Formula 1 Driver Jules Bianchi Suffered A Very Serious Brain Injury From Crash In Japan

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Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - The circumstances of Jules Bianchi’s life-threatening crash with a recovery vehicle in heavy rain at Suzuka last Sunday were “totally unacceptable” and must not be repeated, according to Sergio Perez.

The Mexican Force India driver told reporters on Thursday that the accident needed to be explained and then studied in detail, but he stressed that changes must be made no matter what.

Speaking on the eve of opening practice for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix, Perez said recovery vehicles must only be used on the circuit during a race after a Safety Car has been deployed.

Frenchman Bianchi, 25, crashed with a recovery vehicle in heavy rain during last Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. He suffered severe head injuries and remained in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital in Yokkaichi.

“What happened on Sunday is totally unacceptable,” said Perez. “We to have full details and a full answer from the FIA (International Motoring Federation, the sport’s ruling body) and we need to get together.

“We need full explanations of what happened and what we are going to change. We have to have answers from the FIA on what happened in this tragic accident. We have to make sure they hear us."

Perez, 24, said he had never experienced anything like the shock of Bianchi’s accident and its implications before in his career. “It was one of those weekends,” he explained.

“I have never had this in my whole career. I am fully on Jules’ side – and it could have been avoided.

“We are here now, in Sochi, a new circuit, a nice place, and you are now interested and care only about Jules … always looking to the internet and talking to the people in the paddock for news of him. “It is not a normal weekend.”

Asked by Sky Sports News if he had confidence in the current arrangements for the use of Safety Cars, he said: “No. I don’t. And that is something we have to improve.”

He added: “In the future, when there is a tractor coming up to pick up the car, we need a safety car, in no matter what conditions.

“There is always a risk. Even if it is dry -- because you expose the marshals and a lot of people.

“You can have people running out of brakes. There are so many factors you never expect so, if you have the tractor there, it is a big problem."

As the F1 circus regrouped ahead of Sunday’s race, he made clear also that the drivers are likely to hold a meeting of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) to review their position.

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Spaniard Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari because he "can't wait much longer" if he wants to win another world title, outgoing Ferrari chief Luca de Montezemolo confirmed on Thursday.

Montezemolo officially stepped down as Ferrari's chairman on Monday, after over two decades in the role.

Former two-time world champion Alonso was widely rumored to be leaving the Italian giant at the end of the current season, two years before his contract ends.

"He's leaving for two reasons," Montezemolo told Italy's RAI TV. "One is he want to test himself in another environment, and two because he's at an age where he can't wait much longer if he wants to triumph again."

Alonso was said to have lost faith in Ferrari's ability to produce a winning car. With three races of the championship remaining, he sits third in the drivers' championship standings.

"It hurt him that he didn't win this year and he needs fresh motivation," added Montezelomo.

Alonso's contract with Ferrari was set to expire at the end of 2016, meaning he would leave two years short of its expiry.

While speculation over the Spaniard's future destination continues, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull is rumored to be heading to Ferrari.

Vettel announced last week he was quitting Red Bull.

There's been speculation that Alonso might start a professional cycling team— bringing to the world of two wheels his already fierce competitive nature from the world of four.

SEE ALSO: This Is What It Looks Like When The King Of Ferrari Takes A Final Bow

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At the Independent, Kevin Garside has an important article about the changing of the guard that's currently happening at Ferrari. 

The carmaker's longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo, officially stepped down on Monday, just as parent company Fiat was merging fully with Chrysler and beginning to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne will now assume control of Ferrari.

The luxury brand occupies a disproportionately significant place in FCA's overall business. Because $300,000 (and up) bright red supercars are extremely profitable, FCA can see Ferrari as a shimmering golden growth opportunity. In fact, Montezemolo's reasons for leaving are probably the result of Marchionne's desire for Ferrari to sell another 3,000 cars a year, beyond its current, strictly limited 7,000.

But here's the thing: Ferrari is a very successful luxury carmaker only incidentally to its racing glory in, primarily, Formula 1. There really isn't another automaker in the world that's organized this way. The Scuderia — Ferrari's racing arm — is the basis of the business and has been since founder Enzo Ferrari created the company. Build race cars first, then use the track experience to develop high-performance luxury cars to sell to the public.

If this sounds nuts, just have a look at the Ferrari 458 Italia — effectively a roadgoing race car that in stripped-down form is frequently raced on actual tracks by trained drivers.

Ferrari could sell a trillion bucks worth of cars every year, but if the Scuderia doesn't succeed, the core of brand erodes and the mystique fades.

And lately, Ferrari has been struggling in Formula 1. On Thursday, Montezemolo revealed what many knew was coming: that F1 driver Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari, ahead of schedule. A tough announcement for Montezemolo to make, as several years ago he named Alonso along with Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda (both multiple F1 world champions) as the top of the pile, driver-wise.

Garside put it well:

It is perhaps in the nature of empires that the seeds of downfall are sown at the height of power. The great Alonso was seen by Di Montezemolo as a guarantee of the continuation of the dynasty that he rebuilt, the driver with whom the team would rise again to the imperious station carved out with Michael Schumacher at the wheel.

And then here's Marchionne's comments about what needs to be done now:

“I keep getting reminded racing is not a science, that a number of factors influence performance, and then I go to Monza and see the first six cars are not Ferrari or powered by a Ferrari engine, and my blood pressure just popped. A non-winning Ferrari on the Formula One track is not Ferrari. I can live with periods of bad luck, but it cannot become a structural element of the brand.”

This is why, for Ferrari, the Scuderia is the sword you live by, and you die by. Imagine the head of another automaker stepping down after a wildly successful period — Montezemolo hasn't really made a single misstep in reviving Ferrari after the brand lost its way a bit in the 1980's — because the race cars aren't winning. 

Win in the market, lose on the track — and you have to go. Ferrari is one of the biggest brands in the world for a reason.

The pressure to maintain it is unlike anything else.

SEE ALSO: Ferrari Is Losing A Formula One Driver, But May Be Gaining Another

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(AFP) - Former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is part of a high level panel named Monday to propose new safety measures after the Japan Grand Prix crash that left French driver Jules Bianchi fighting for his life.

The 10-member group, which will also include renowned former Formula One team chief Ross Brawn, will make recommendations by early December, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) governing body said.Bianchi's Marussia car smashed into a recovery vehicle on the drenched Suzuka track on October 5 leaving the 25-year-old with life threatening brain injuries.

Bianchi is still in intensive care in a Japanese hospital and a communique released by his team and family last week said he was in "a critical but stable" condition.

The investigation panel "will carry out a full review of the accident to gain a better understanding of what happened, and will propose new measures to reinforce safety at circuits," an FIA statement said.

The group will start work this week and present its findings at the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on December 3 in Doha, it added.

FIA president Jean Todt announced five days after the crash that a panel would investigate the crash.

The inquiry is to be chaired by Peter Wright, president of the FIA safety commission, and include heavyweight Formula One names such as two-time drivers' champion Fittipaldi, who still heads the FIA drivers' commission.

Brawn helped Ferrari win several titles as technical director and stood down as Mercedes team principal at the end of last year.

Former Ferrari team leader Stefano Domenicali is in the group along with former driver Alex Wurz, chief racing steward Gerd Ennser, Eduardo de Freitas, World Endurance Championship racing director, circuits commission chief Roger Peart, FIA court of appeal judge Antonio Rigozzi, and Gerard Saillant, president of the FIA medical medical commission.

- Race changes ahead -

The Japan Grand Prix went ahead in heavy rain after a typhoon battered part of the country.

A film of the accident showed one driver Adrian Sutil aquaplane off the dry racing line, causing his Sauber to spin off the track. 

Bianchi appeared to do the same, but attempted to correct his slide and was pitched, nose-first into a collision with the heavy vehicle, carrying a crane to recover Sutil's car.

Japan race director Charlie Whiting said that "not everybody slowed down" in response to yellow alert flags waved on the track.

He said that Bianchi had slowed but refused to say by how much.

Whiting said the FIA was already considering ways to control cars in dangerous conditions, including an electronically controlled speed limit when yellow flags are in use.

The FIA was also thinking of fitting "skirts" to all recovery vehicles to ensure it was impossible for cars to go beneath them, as Bianchi did, Whiting said.

SEE ALSO: F1 Driver Jules Bianchi Was Seriously Injured In A Race This Weekend As A Typhoon Hit Japan

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Paris (AFP) - In the month that Jules Bianchi has battled for his life after crashing into a recovery truck at the Japanese Grand Prix, his Marussia team has gone into administration and Formula One has agonised over race safety.

The 25-year-old Frenchman has lain in a hospital at Yokkaichi near Suzuka in a "critical but stable" condition unaware of the mounting controversy since his October 5 crash.

In a rare public comment, Bianchi's father Philippe said his son was in a "desperate" state.

And having suffered a traumatic brain injury when his car smashed into the truck at an estimated 200 kilometres (125 miles) an hour, Bianchi could stay in this condition for months.

Marussia may not exist when any change comes. The team has gone into administration as it struggles to find finance to keep racing.

The Bianchi family meanwhile maintains hopes that their "fighter" son will improve. 

There have been unconfirmed reports that Bianchi could be moved to the same hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland where Formula One ace Michael Schumacher was treated after his ski accident.

Another former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is part of a high-level International Automobile Federation (FIA) panel that will recommend new safety measures before a December 3 meeting of the governing body. 

Philippe Bianchi has talked of a "traffic accident" rather than a racing crash.

Bianchi's car slid off the track made treacherous by a rainstorm as the mobile crane was lifting Adrian Sutil's Sauber off the track. A few seconds earlier Bianchi could have hit track marshals who had been stood there.

The final FIA report on the accident is likely to spread the blame.

Formula One observers have highlighted three possible reasons that contributed to the Bianchi crash.

He may have been going too fast for the wet track, his intermediate tyres were due for a change in the rain and focus has also been put on whether the marshals should have halted the race after Sutil left the track on the previous lap.

Yellow warning flags were up, but the racing was still intense.

Nobody has blamed Bianchi for his speed. According to the FIA, the Frenchman had slowed down but it has not given details of how fast he was travelling at.

"Some cars slowed down more than others. Jules did slow down, it's a matter of degree," race director Charlie Whiting said after the crash.

The FIA tested a "virtual safety car" at the US Grand Prix last weekend.

In the event of a crash, drivers will have to keep to a speed about 35 percent slower than a normal dry lap time. They will have displays in their cars and face penalties if they breach the limit.

A new version will be tried at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.

Many drivers and experts say there were exceptional circumstances at Suzuka on October 5 and exceptional answers are needed.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has called for tests on closed cockpits for drivers. They have been rejected in the past because teams said they made cars look too ugly. The Williams team has also backed the call.

Williams driver Felipe Massa, who survived life-threatening head injuries when struck by a spring from another car at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, said the cockpits should be tested.

"Definitely, for my accident, it would have been perfect," said Massa. "For Jules -- I don't know."

While the Formula One waits for news of Bianchi, the racing circus is heading for major changes.

SEE ALSO: Formula 1 Driver Jules Bianchi Suffered A Very Serious Brain Injury From Crash In Japan

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A grim picture of Michael Schumacher's state of health has been revealed, with the German racinglegend confined to a wheelchair and incapable of speech.

Former racer Philippe Streiff said the German is "getting better" at home under the care of his wife Corrina, but things are "very difficult".

Speaking to a French radio station, Streiff, 59, said: "He is getting better but everything is relative. It's very difficult. He can't speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems."

Updates about Schumacher have been scant since his discharge from a Lausanne hospital in France, due to a veil of secrecy from his family.

News that Schumacher cannot speak and has memory problems may not be surprising considering the seriousness of his injuries, but the details throw some doubt on claims he could recover within three years.

The German suffered catastrophic head injuries while skiing in the French Alps last year, after falling and cracking his head on rocks.

Streiff himself is confined to a wheelchair following a racing accident in 1989 and was seen visiting Schumacher at Lausanne. 

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As Formula One's field of drivers chase England's Lewis Hamilton around the race track at this weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton will be chasing the record books.

Southeast England is the Mecca of Formula One. It is home of virtually every team including Hamilton's dominant Mercedes-AMG Team.

With 32 career wins and counting, Hamilton recently surpassed 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansel to become the winningest British racer in the sport's history.

Hamilton 10 victories this season makes 2014 the winningest year of his career — even more than his 5-victory World Championship-winning 2008 campaign. 

However, Hamilton has bigger fish to fry.

The 29-year-old from Stevenage wants to be the sport's top dog— again. Since his title-winning 2008 effort, he's seen his throne usurped by fellow Britain Jenson Button in 2009, followed by four-straight titles by the sport's current boy king, Germany's Sebastian Vettel. 

Once deemed to be the hottest young star in the sport, Hamilton has since developed in to a seasoned veteran in the prime of his career.

With a 33rd career victory this weekend, Lewis will guarantee a his place in the history books and become the first British driver to win a second title since Scotland's Sir Jackie Stewart won the second if his trio of crowns in 1971. In addition, Hamilton will become be the first English double world champion since the legendary Graham Hill in 1968.

In all, only 15 drivers in the history of the sport have been crowned champion more than once.

If Lewis Hamilton wins the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he'll shake his current status as "just" a superstar and assume his position as one the sport's true greats. Here is the esteemed company Hamilton will join if is he is crowned World Champion for a second time.

Alberto Ascari

Ascari was one F1's first stars and help put Ferrari on the map in early 1950s by winning 13 races on his way back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953. The talent Ascari could have won many more time, but his life was tragically cut short when he was killed in a crash in 1955. In addition to his victories and championship, he inspired a young boy from northern Italy to become a racer. You may have heard of him — Mario Andretti.

Graham Hill

During the 1960s, there were few stars as big as 1962 and 1968 world champion Graham Hill. In addition to F1, Hill also complete the triple crown of auto-racing by winning the 1966 Indianapolis 500 and 1972 24 Hours of LeMans. Hill was killed in a plane crash in 1975. He was the father of 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill.

Jim Clark

In the years since his death at the age of 32 in 1968, Jim Clark has reached near mythical status. This is for good reason. Widely touted as one of most naturally talented racers ever to get behind the wheel, Clark won 25 of the 72 F1 races he entered — on his way to titles in 1953 and '65. In addition, to the F1 title,  Clark also won the Indy 500 that year.

Emerson Fittipaldi

Fittipaldi took home the F1 crown in both 1972 and '74.  Over the course of his decade long F1 career, the Sao Paulo-native won a total of 14 races. The skillful Brazilian left F1 in 1980 — taking his talents to IndyCar. Fittipaldi capped off his career with a dozen successful seasons in the U.S. including an IndyCar championship in 1989 along with a pair of Indy 500 wins in 1989 and '93.

Mika Hakkinen

The affable Finn helped launch McLaren-Mercedes' resurgence in the late 1990s by winning back-to-back championships in 1998 and '99. Hakkinen's decade-long F1 career — including 20 race victories — will be most remembered for his back and forth rivalry with 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher and his bright red Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso

Alonso is the only active F1 driver on this list and was once Hamilton's teammate at McLaren. Like Hakkinen, the speedy Spaniard won his pair of world titles — in 2005 and '06 — the hard way, by facing down Ferrari's Michael Schumacher. So far, Alonso has an impressive 32 victories to his name and counting. Next season, Alonso will leave Ferrari and return to McLaren-Honda. If you have any recollection of Formula One in the late 1980s, you'll remember that's one heck of a potent combination. 

SEE ALSO: This $3.2 Million McLaren Is So Exclusive That Only 375 People Can Buy One

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Ferrari has finally confirmed what everyone has already known for some time, that four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel will replace Fernando Alonso at its F1 team in 2015. Alonso is yet to confirm where he’s headed but the current thinking is a return to McLaren, which the Spaniard drove for in the 2007 season.

Vettel will be teamed with Kimi Räikkönen next season and has a three-year contract with Ferrari.

The German previously said he chose to leave the team where he won his four championships, Red Bull Racing, because he had a hunger for something new. No doubt the fact that his current teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, has outshone him this season also weighed on the decision.

“The next stage of my Formula One career will be spent with Scuderia Ferrari and for me that means the dream of a lifetime has come true,” Vettel said in a statement. “When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol and now it’s an incredible honor to finally get the chance to drive a Ferrari.”

“Scuderia Ferrari has decided to put its faith in the youngest multiple champion in the history of Formula One,” Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci said. “In Formula One terms, Sebastian Vettel is a unique combination of youthfulness and experience and he brings with him that sense of team spirit which will prove invaluable when, together with Kimi, they tackle the challenges awaiting us, as we aim to be front runners again as soon as possible.”

During today’s announcement, Ferrari also thanked Alonso for his five years with the team. The two said they had ended their relationship by common consent.

“Today is not an easy one for me, because even if I always look to the future with great enthusiasm and determination, at the end of this season my journey as a Ferrari driver will come to an end,” Alonso said. “It was a difficult decision to take, but a carefully considered one and from start to finish, my love for Ferrari was a prime consideration.”

Both drivers will appear with their current respective teams for the last time at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In related news, the Lotus F1 team has confirmed an unchanged driver lineup in 2015, meaning Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado will stay on.

SEE ALSO: Here's Why Formula One Superstar Lewis Hamilton Could Become A Legend This Weekend

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After a two decade separation, McLaren and Honda will once again team up to conquer the world of Formula One racing in 2015.

However, don't expect to find Honda power plants inside McLaren's future supercars. 

"It won't happen,"McLaren Automotive's director of global sales and market Joylon Nash told Australia's Drive. "I mean that in the nicest way, as we are an independent company — we produce pure McLarens."

"There is no need for us to go into partnership with another manufacturer," Nash added.

The two companies' collaboration in the late 1980s became the most successful engine/race team in the history of Formula One. Every indication since the announcement of Honda's return is that McLaren is as happy to have the Japanese automaker around as Honda is to be back. 

A spinoff of McLaren's World Championship-winning racing operation, McLaren Automotive first rose to prominence in the early 1990s with its all-conquering McLaren F1 hypercar. 

The 240 mph beast became the world's fastest car and rose to near mythical status. To power the F1, McLaren decided to use BMW's 6.1 liter 627 horsepower V-12 engine. To this day, it remains one of the finest engines ever to hit the roads.

However, McLaren's latest super and hypercars no longer depend on outside suppliers for their propulsion. The MP4-12C, P1 and 650s all derive power from McLaren's own 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged V8.

In addition, Honda has been planning the imminent return of its own supercar, the NSX, for the past decade. The NSX is expected to have a V6 hybrid engine.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Hottest Maseratis Of All Time

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Australian Formula 1 racing driver is back on home soil for Christmas and today hundreds of Melbourne fans got to cheer the Infiniti Red Bull racing team’s new lead driver.

It’s been an amazing year for the 25-year-old from Perth, who outshone his team’s now-departed number one, Sebastian Vettel, by winning three races and finishing 3rd in the 2014 driver’s championship, becoming just the fourth Australian to win an F1 Grand Prix.

Vettel, one-time nemesis of Ricciardo’s fellow Aussie Mark Webber, ended the year winless.

Ricciardo quickly became one of the hottest properties in F1, but after Business Insider had the chance to meet and talk to him this week, we’re also convinced he’s one of the loveliest and most unassuming blokes in sport notorious for big egos.

The proof came as he did a meet-and-greet with the crowd at Melbourne Emporium. He spotted one woman and cried out “Ms Tati!”

A decade ago in Perth, Nadia Tati was Ricciardo’s Italian teacher for three years at high school.

The F1 driver, who now lives in Monaco, stopped to give her a hug and say hello and have his photo taken with “Ms Tati”.

Tati, who now lives in Melbourne, told Business Insider she was shocked he recognised her.

So what was he like as a student?

“He was very chatty – he hasn’t changed,” she said.

And in news that will provide both argument and inspiration to countless teenage boys that they’ll turn out just fine, apparently Ricciardo never did his homework.

“He was always out racing,” Tati said. “He told me he’d be a Formula One driver on day.”

His relaxed, natural charm also got him out of tight corners, “so basically he got away with it”.

Tati is impressed by how her student’s turned out.

“I think he’s a good role model for young people today,” she said.

It was just 10 months ago that motor racing fans suddenly realised just how good Ricciardo was, when, having replaced fellow Webber on his debut race for the Infiniti Red Bull Racing team, he finished second at the Melbourne Grand Prix.

To the dismay of both the team and Australian fans, Ricciardo was disqualified for exceeding the maximum fuel flow rate on his car.

He explained to fans today that that wasn’t the important part.

“What happened on the Sunday before the disqualification was amazing to stand up there on the podium and to see a sea of Aussie fans is something they’ll never be able to take away from me and something I’ll always remember.

“The disqualification obviously hurt a little bit, but still I was proud about what I did. Just to stand on the podium was really cool, so they can’t take the rest’” he said.

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Here's everything you need to know about the wonderful world of motorsports this week.

NASCAR may be coming to the New York City. Although a proposal to build a racetrack on Staten Island failed to materialize, NASCAR has not given up on the Big Apple and the millions of dollars in revenue it could generate. According to Fansided.com's Beyond the Flag, Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner and NYC resident Andrew Murstein is actively looking for opportunities to establish a new stock-car track in New York. Murstein also said that NASCAR itself is still pursuing the possibility of an NYC facility, although it's not at the top of the organization's priority list, Beyond the Flag reported. NASCAR's 2015 season kicks February 22 with the Daytona 500.

Nissan has unleashed one of the most bizarre and innovative prototype race cars we've seen for some time. The Japanese-automaker officially unveiled its GT-R LM Nismo Le Mans prototype racer last week in a commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLIX. So what makes the GT-R LM such an odd ball? It's fronted/mid-engined and front-wheel drive! Nissan has decided to use a pair of massive front wheels to drive the racer instead of the conventional rear-wheel drive layout. As a result, GT-R LM Le Mans' proportions look a bit...odd. 

McLaren-Honda Formula's pre-season testing is not going well. With a brand new car and brand new engine supplier, the team is expected to face a steep development curve. However, Honda Motorsports chief Yasuhisa Arai told Formula1.com that, "the difficulties we faced here were more than we’d expected, so we weren't able to get the running time we’d ideally wanted." In fact the team, managed just 79 laps during last week's test session in Jerez, Spain.

SEE ALSO: McLaren's Latest Supercar Is Incredibly Hot — And You Can Actually Buy One!

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Here's everything you need to know about the wonderful world of motorsports this week.

Joey Logano delivered big time over the weekend by taking the checkered flag at the Daytona 500. 

Joey Logano is one NASCAR's brightest young stars. Although just 24 years old, Logano is actually an eight-year veteran of NASCAR's top flight Sprint Cup Series, with 220 race starts and 9 victories to his name.

Although Logano ended last season in fine form by finishing fourth in the Sprint Cup standing, last weekend's win at Daytona is arguably the Connecticut native's crowning achievement in his career thus far. Logano's win gave team owner Roger Penske his second Daytona 500 victory in 10 years. Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and third respectively.

NASCAR's bad boy Busch brothers couldn't be having a worse year. Kurt and Kyle Busch are two of the Sprint Cup Series' fastest drivers, but also two of its most controversial.  Kurt — the 2004 series champion — has been suspended indefinitely after a Delaware family court judge found him "likely to have committed an act of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend,"ESPN reported. 

This is the same ex-girlfriend who Busch accused of being a trained assassin earlier this year.

Kyle is has been sidelined after suffering a compound leg fracture and broken foot in a gruesome crash in Daytona. Seems unlikely that either driver will see the race track anytime time soon. 

Formula One champion Fernando Alonso has been airlifted to a hospital with a concussion after a massive crash during a practice session. Two-time F1 world chamption Fernando Alonso was airlifted to a hospital after crashing his McLaren-Honda during a pre-season test session in Barcelona, Spain. The team blamed the crash on an "unpredictable gust of wind," reported Sky Sports. 

Fortunately, Alonso seems to be in good spirits and is recovering well at the hospital.

Lewis Hamilton is having a great time. At least that's what the defending Formula One world champion tweeted over the weekend. Included in his tweet is a photo of the Mercedes-AMG driver sitting on the wing of his red and black Bombardier CL-600 private jet after finishing his pre-season test session in Spain.

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Here's everything you need to know about the wonderful world of motorsports this week.

NASCAR wants to put an end to post-race fist fights. After a spate of high-profile ,post-race fisticuffs, NASCAR is implementing new rules to prevent them taking place.

A new rule will limits the number of crew member allowed on pit lane to greet the race cars at the end of the race to just two per team, according to USA Today. 

The new rule comes on the heels of last November's dramatic melee between NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski.

Jimmy Johnson takes the checkered flag in Atlanta. Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup chamption Jimmy Johnson took home his first victory of the young season at last weekend's Fold of Honor QuikTrip 500. Johnson held off defending series champ Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr to earn the 71st victory of his illustrious career, Fox Sports reported. Pole-sitter and last week's Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano finished 4th.

Mercedes-AMG remains at the top of the time charts at the end of pre-season testing in Barcelona. Mercedes-AMG drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton finished preseason testing at the top of the charts with the fastest average lap times around the track in Jerez, Spain. In preparation for this month's season opener in Melbourne, Australia, the defending champions completed 378 laps during the 12 day test.

Meanwhile, McLaren has struggled to integrate its new chassis with the team's new Honda engines. Its drivers finished the test in 15th and 16th position (out of 18) and managed to complete just 177 laps, the fewest of the 9 teams who participated.

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Formula One driver Fernando Alonso was in a crash last month in Spain.

He sustained a concussion in the accident and, according to The Huffington Post (via the Spanish newspaper El Pais), woke up at the hospital "believing that it was the year 1995."

"Alonso suffered retrograde amnesia post-crash, which is said to not be unusual in patients who have suffered from a severe concussion," The Huffington Post reported.

Alonso knew his name but thought he was a 13-year-old who hoped to become an F1 racer at some point. He completely forgot he was a tw0-time world champion and was considered to be one of the greatest drivers of his generation.

Alonso crashed at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain during preseason testing. He was then airlifted from the racing venue to the hospital, where he spent three days.

When he woke up, he said he was a go-kart racer and wanted to join the big leagues in his future. Karting is where many pro racers get their start as kids, dreaming of glory on the track.

Alonso is reportedly now fully recovered, but he isn't going to be racing in Formula One's season opener in Australia.

His crash occurred during gusty winds, when Alonso was driving at 134 mph, the BBC reported. He "suffered two blows to his head,"according to the BBC. There were no major concerns about Alonso's injuries.

Alonso switched recently from Ferrari to McLaren, as Ferrari shakes up its Formula One team for the 2015 campaign. 

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On February 22, Formula 1 racer Fernando Alonso's McLaren slammed into a wall at approximately 93 mph while coming out of the third turn at the Montmeló circuit track in Barcelona.

At some point he apparently lost consciousness and showed signs of confusion, so he was airlifted to a hospital in a medical helicopter.

It was an odd crash on a pre-season test run for one of the greatest drivers in the world, but even stranger and scarier was his response when doctors asked him "who are you?" and "what do you do?"— standard questions for someone who suffers a head injury and likely has a concussion.

“My name is Fernando, I race karts and I want to be a Formula 1 driver,” was his response, according to the Spanish newspaper El País.

He remembered his 13-year-old self, who wanted to become an F1 racer when he grew up, but nothing beyond that.

He had forgotten the past 20 years of his life, the fact that he was a two-time world champion in his sport, and the four Real Madrid Champion's League wins that had happened in the past 20 years.

A week later his memory had come back, but that leaves us with the question of what happened.

How does someone lose 20 years?

Alonso received a variety of tests including an MRI and CT scan, which  ruled out pre-existing abnormalities like epilepsy or an electric shock, and also shows that he didn't suffer lasting damage.

And so in the opinion of neurologist Dr. Rafael Blesa, director of the neurology department at Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, this is just normal memory loss that can occur after a concussion.

As Blesa tells El País, “A concussion like that one happens because the brain suffers a blow that affects the neural synapses... When that happens, biochemical substances do not work [normally], meaning that the brain tries to find a memory but fails. Depending on each case, the recovery time can vary. You have to take into account the fact that, within the brain, the circuits that are most sensitive to an impact like his are connected to the memory.”

In other words, the brain disruption caused by a concussion temporarily damaged Alonso's brain circuits related to memory. Fortunately in this case, he seems to have recovered fully.

Thistype of memory loss is called retrograde amnesia, where someone forgets memories they'd acquired before the injury — it can cover a short period of time or a time period of years or decades, and can be the result of a concussion or other brain damage. (That's distinct from anterograde amnesia, where someone becomes unable to form new memories.)

Alonso seems to have recovered from his concussion completely, even though he was kept in the hospital three days, a length of time that indicates his concussion was quite severe. Amnesia associated with concussions is usually mild.

Multiple concussions can lead to brain damage over time, and getting two concussions in a short period of time can be extremely dangerous and cause serious trauma, which is probably why McLaren is keeping Alonso out of the Formula 1 season opener on March 15 in Australia.

A final impact test will be administered before Alonso is allowed to race again, but provided his amnesia was caused by a concussion that he seems to have recovered from, as his doctors and McLaren team officials say, he should be fine. He released a YouTube video on February 27 telling fans that he is completely okay and excited to race again.

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Here's everything you need to know about the wonderful world of motorsports this week.

Reigning Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing a massive contract extension with Mercedes-AMG Racing. 

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG are close to a contract extension that could keep the two-time champion with the team for the remainder of his career the Guardian reported. 

Hamilton, who is in the final year of a 3-year $100 million contract, told the Guardian that although he doesn't have an exact timeline for when the contract will be signed, he is committed to the team for the foreseeable future.

The exact terms of the proposed deal have not been released, although the Mirror reported late last year that the deal could be worth as much as $160 million over five years. The 30-year-old recently quashed rumors that he demanded a deal worth as much as $1.6 million per week.

Hamilton, who has amassed 33 wins over eight seasons with McLaren and Mercedes-AMG, will begin his title defense on March 15, in Melbourne, Australia. 

Defending Spring Cup Champion Kevin Harvick took the checkered over the weekend in Las Vegas. Leading 142 of 267 laps, Harvick made his 29th career victory a truly dominant one. Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed Harvick in second, third, and fourth. Chevrolet powered cars swept the top four spots. Pole-sitter Jeff Gordon finished further back in the pack, in 18th position. 

Money problems will hurt Force India F1 team's early season results. Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya has warned the press that his team will likely struggle at the beginning of the 2015 season. Force India finished 6th in F1's constructor standings last season and consistently challenged for top-10 finishes. However, due to financial issues during the off-season, the team has been forced to begin the new season with just two-and-a-half days worth of pre-season testing. 

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Formula One will crisscross the globe in 2015, with 20 races on five continents over an eight-month season. 

A total of 10 teams and 20 drivers  will compete on a variety of challenging courses that range from the streets of Monaco to the mountainous terrain of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, from long straits of Abu Dhabi to the rolling hills of Austin, Texas.

Defending champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes-AMG teammate Nico Rosberg look to be the duo to beat once again. Ferrari has rearmed after a disappointing 2014 season by replacing two-time-world champion Fernando Alonso with four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel.

Historically weaker teams, such as Manor, Sauber, and Lotus, will look to improve upon poor performances in 2014.

The 2015 F1 season kick off on March 15, at Albert's Park in Melbourne, Australia with the Australian Grand Prix.

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team

Base: Brackley, England

Engine: Mercedes

Grand Prix Victories: 20

World Championships: 1

Lewis Hamilton

For the second time in his career, the 30-year old from Stevenage begins the season as reigning world champion. With 33 wins under his belt, Hamilton will have to fend off title challenges from teammate Nico Rosberg, as well as a reinvigorated Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo.

Nico Rosberg

Son of 1982 F1 world champion Keke Rosberg and last season's runner up, Nico Rosberg returns in 2015 as the favorite to unseat teammate Lewis Hamilton. With 8 careers victories under his belt, the 29 year old German will be in his 6th season as a member of Mercedes F1.