Jules Bianchi Crash: FIA Urged to Consider Closed Cockpits

The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, have been urged to consider enforcing closed cockpits in the sport to prevent a repeat of the potentially fatal head injury suffered by Jules Bianchi during the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Marussia driver is in a critical but stable condition in intensive care after his car hit a recovery vehicle but the Frenchman has been diagnosed with a diffuse axonal injury, damage many victims either never awaken or rarely fully recover from .

Proposals to implement closed cockpits from the FIA institute, who developed designs after Felipe Massa was struck on the helmet by a suspension spring and when Fernando Alonso escaped being hit by Romain Grosjean's Lotus car, have previously been dismissed by leading F1 teams amid concerns regarding the aesthetics of the car.

However, Williams' head of vehicle performance said closed cockpits would be "very easy to implement" and that stance has been backed by team principal Claire Williams.

Speaking at the Sport Business Summit in London, Williams said: "We have to look at the all the options available whether that is a closed cockpit or not but I think those conversations have to take place behind the scenes.

"Safety is always paramount so we have to find ways to ensure our drivers are as protected as possible and I don't think the aesthetics of a car, yes they are important, but safety has to be paramount."

The FIA are understood to have asked promoters to allow the Japan Grand Prix to be brought forward two hours to avoid the torrential rain that led first to Adrian Sutil's crash and then Bianchi's subsequent incident.

However, concerns that fans were not able to reach the circuit in time meant the original 3pm local time start remained.

The Formula 1 season resumes this weekend with the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, the first to be held in the country for 100 years and Williams admitted it will be "difficult" to continue the season with Bianchi remaining in a critical condition.

"I think it is [difficult to look head of the next race in Sochi]," she added. "When something like this happens in our sport it is reverberates round it and that's quite natural with the condition that Jules is in at the moment.

"We're trying to monitor that, keep communicating with the FIA. Going into Russia it is going to be really difficult for the team and the drivers who are going to have to line up on Sunday afternoon."