Incredible footage of F-1 driver Jules Bianchi's crash at Japanese Grand Prix (VIDEO)

It's been 20 years since a Formula One driver was killed during a race — racing great Ayrton Senna was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 — but that doesn't mean it can't happen again.

Especially due to the carelessness of those not behind the wheel.

After Jules Bianchi freak crash into a tractor being used to clear away the wreck of Adrian Sutil's car from a lap earlier at the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday, officials are looking into whether or not both accidents could have been avoided if better judgement was used before, and during, the rain-soaked race.

The 25-year-old Bianchi is still in critical condition after being driven to a hospital 10 miles away before surgery lasting three hours.

Here's the frightening crash (WARNING: Graphic footage):

While the Formula One community’s thoughts remain predominantly with Bianchi, questions were being raised about both accidents and their aftermaths.

First, should the safety car not have been deployed the moment the tractor came on to fetch Sutil’s car?

Surprisingly, the FIA, the governing body of the sport, refused to answer that one on Sunday night.

But there was also the strong suggestion that Bianchi caused the accident by failing to see, or react to, the double yellow flags that were being waved. It seems he did not lift off the throttle as he would normally do in those circumstances.

Then, if it was not deemed safe for the helicopter next to the medical center to take Bianchi to the hospital because conditions were too dangerous, why did the same helicopter take off at about the same time, presumably to a different location less sensitive to the weather?

Another question is whether the race should have been held so late: 3pm local time. It was getting dark by the time the race was ending, at close to 5pm.

Chinese Grand Prix ends two laps early after checkered flag blunder: Report

The Chinese Grand Prix ended two laps earlier than scheduled after the checkered flag was waved before the end of the race. 

The embarrassing blunder stunned the start-to-finish leader, and eventual winner, Lewis Hamilton, who reported the mistake over the team radio as he began his final lap.

"That was very strange. I was thinking 'am I seeing things?'" Hamilton said afterwards. "I looked up, I was coming across the line expecting to do another lap and all of a sudden I looked for a split second and I saw the flag.

"I lifted for a second and I saw there was no one on the wall, so then I just kept going. 'I did lose a second or so. I asked the team, they said no, so I just kept going."

Under FIA rules, the race was subsequently classified after 54 laps, rather than the scheduled 56-lap race.

The ruling states:  "Should for any reason the end-of-race signal be given before the leading car completes the scheduled number of laps, or the prescribed time has been completed, the race will be deemed to have finished when the leading car last crossed the line before the signal was given." 

At this stage it remains unclear why the checkered flag was waved prematurely; although it is worth noting that there were several erroneous blue flags – which warns a driver that he is about to be lapped – throughout Sunday's race.