FIA doctor Gerard Saillant (C) and Morgan Caron, French Automobile Federation’s representative for young drivers (R) listen to Marussia driver Jules Bianchi’s assistant manager Alessandro Alunni Bravi (L) upon their arrival at the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi yesterday.
AFP/Yokkaichi
French surgeon Gerard Saillant has arrived in Japan to assist local doctors in the treatment of Formula One driver Jules Bianchi who suffered severe head injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, news reports said yesterday.
Saillant, 69, was also involved in the treatment of record world champion Michael Schumacher after his life-threatening ski accident in December. The head of a brain and spinal cord institute in Paris also operated Schumacher on a lower leg fracture sustained at the 1999 British Grand Prix.
Bianchi’s father Philip, now also in Japan, was quoted as saying in French reports that “we will speak when we have an update with Saillant.”
Marussia driver Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle which was removing the damaged Sauber car of Adrian Sutil towards the end of Sunday’s race after losing control on a wet track.
The 25-year-old French driver underwent surgery and is in intensive care in a hospital in Yokkaichi.