The thrill of the fight -- F1 news

Last night (or today depending on your point of reference...) I watched the the start of the Japanese Grand Prix. It was a strange very rainy race bookended with torrential rain at both the start and the finish.Something that I see people do -- and I know for better or worse I do myself -- is push themselves. That explains some of yesterday's ride through some really nasty stuff.One of the reasons we look up to race car drivers is their bravery. Their constant pushing the limits.Today the limits were pushed a bit too far for Jules Bianchi as he aquaplaned off the circuit at Suzuka and into a crane retrieving another car that had just crashed out. As I'm writing this there's no real news about his condition beyond the fact that he's sustained some pretty severe head trauma.Why do people put themselves in the position where things like this are a serious possibility? Why not just stay at home where it's warm and dry?Why do I put myself in the same -- albeit far less glamorous and public -- situations? Fuck, the ride yesterday could have ended in tears.Jules wasn't in a car that can reasonably even win the race. His best finish this year was 9th place in Monaco. His one and only points finish. Why was he pushing himself and the car so hard?I posit that it's the same reason I go on roads I probably shouldn't. It's to prove to yourself that you are good enough. It's nothing from the outside. It's from the inside. The drive to show yourself you can.Good luck, Jules. You're in our thoughts.