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Remembering Jules Bianchi - 1989-2015
Thread starter R.J. O'Connell
R.J. O'Connell
It is with the utmost sadness and grief that we must relay the news of the passing of Jules Bianchi, the former Marussia F1 Team driver and test driver for Scuderia Ferrari, at the age of 25.
The announcement was made by the family of Jules Bianchi at 02:45 local time in Nice, France, where Bianchi had spent the last nine months in a coma after a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix in October left the French driver with severe head injuries.
The statement, in full:
A Statement from the Bianchi Family
02.45hrs France │ 01.45hrs UK
It is with deep sadness that the parents of Jules Bianchi, Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Mélanie, wish to make it known that Jules passed away last night at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) in Nice, (France) where he was admitted following the accident of 5th October 2014 at Suzuka Circuit during the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix.
"Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end," said the Bianchi family. "The pain we feel is immense and indescribable. We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice's CHU who looked after him with love and dedication. We also thank the staff of the General Medical Center in the Mie Prefecture (Japan) who looked after Jules immediately after the accident, as well as all the other doctors who have been involved with his care over the past months.
"Furthermore, we thank Jules' colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times. Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.
"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of Jules."
The grand-nephew of 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Lucien Bianchi, Jules Bianchi's racing career began with immediate success in the ladder to Formula 1. In his first single-seater season, Bianchi became the Formula Renault 2.0 champion of France. Two years later, he dominated the Formula 3 Euro Series, cementing his place as a driver to watch in the years to come. In 2010, he became the centerpiece of the newly-created Ferrari Driver Academy, an organization established by Scuderia Ferrari to promote and develop young drivers seeking to reach Formula 1.
Through hardship and adversity that included a back injury and bad luck in two seasons in the GP2 Series from 2010-11, to a narrow and bitter loss in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship in 2012, Bianchi made it to Formula 1 in 2013 thanks to an eleventh-hour deal for Marussia, immediately elevating the backmarker team's on-track form, and capturing the imagination of the racing world in doing so.
There was no greater example of this than in the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. In a race filled with attrition, Bianchi used every ounce of his driving ability to beat the odds, powering through as the front-runners ahead of him continuously faltered, and despite a time penalty incurred during the race, he would hold on to finish ninth, capturing the first two World Championship points of his career, and the first for his Marussia team after four dismal campaigns.
Bianchi appeared in 34 Formula 1 Grands Prix from 2013 to 2014, all with the Marussia team. On the eve of that fateful race in Suzuka, he had signed a contract to race for Sauber F1 Team from the 2015 season.
There is a great and frightening void left in the world of motorsport today, one which will never be filled. Fans have lost a favorite driver. Fellow drivers have lost a dear friend. And most importantly, and indeed most heartbreaking of all, a family has lost a beloved son and a brother.
Last edited by a moderator: Jul 18, 2015
Reactions: David O'Reilly, Phil Davies, Sam Hill and 3 others
vladimirjeger
Reactions: Dux
Staff Emeritus | Motorsport Engineer
Absolutely tragic news. It's safe to say this is one of the worst days in Formula 1 since May 1994. Jules was such a talent.
Reactions: CC
camopi
Repose en paix, Jules !!!
Reactions: Youssef Karam and Chark
Pi_2R_0
I kept hope alive about his recovery. But this morning was horrible for fans and particularly for his family. The Formula 1 community lost a - future - great driver. Maybe, he would have been the contender and the successor of Kimi.
RIP Jules.
I elected to post my commentary to my personal motorsport blog due to the length.
This hurts. A lot. It hurt me to type this report out last night.
https://amotorsportsblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/a-loss-too-great/
Reactions: Youssef Karam, Keith_G, camopi and 1 other person
Torcano
It's kinda amazing to put it in perspective that these F1 drivers achieve so much at such a young age, I mean Jules was the same age as me and he got so much work done that it's incredible to say the least... Just the sheer dedication and willpower, let aside the amount of talent it requires to be in that field should be immense. That's why it always hits hard when someone of such caliber passes away at such a young age I think. RIP Jules and my sincere condolences to his family.
beachamor
that is awfull young man cut down in his prime ,my heart goes out to his family
R.J. O'Connell said:
A very wonderful tribute for Jules !
F_B
That's very tragic and sad, i still had the hope that he can recover somehow.
I was 14 when Ratzenberger and Senna died and saw it live on tv at that time and I wished that I never would see someone die in a F1 race, but you cannot make everything 100% safe. But his accident was very very tragic and unlikely...
A sad day.
Nestoche
Very sad news indeed. What a young talented F1 driver. My prayers to his family. Godspeed Jules.
Sennalex
When I heard Jules Bianchi's death in F1 news, I was shocked. When the FOM showed the picture on lap 46/53, it was written "Bianchi" and I saw Sutil's Sauber instead of Bianchi's Marussia. So I did not understand anything. And 1 day after the GP, I understood that Bianchi spun at the same as Sutil but with a higher speed. I think that Jules Bianchi had enough experience to become world champion.
airutonpurosuto8912
R.I.P. Jules Bianchi. #RIPJules
Reactions: Chark
R.I.P Jules
Deathrund
Kev Williams
R.I.P. Jules Bianchi
f.1.
I've been a fan of F1 as long as I knew how to walk. I was born a month after Senna's death so I never experienced what it is to lose a driver because of an accident so this a completely new experience. Today the names of Cevert, Williamson, Pryce, Clark, and Rindt came to mind; and yet its strange to add the name Bianchi to that list. It seemed like yesterday that he started racing in Marussia and testing with Ferrari but now thats all gone. Even though it would be next to impossible for Jules to come back after such an accident, there was still a glim of hope in me. I apologize if this sounds broken but words fail to describe how I feel today. Jules seems like a talented, humble young man and someone who made it to F1 without having to pay his way up, just sheer talent, something that we rarely have today. Jules to me you're a champion and may you shine bright wherever you are. RIP Jules
Reactions: David O'Reilly
Worst luck for me:
1 - Jules injured at the same hour of my birthday last year
2 - I was born in 2:35 A.M. and Jules passed away at 2:45 A.M.
#RIPJules
JamesU
R.I.P Jules.
The Arj Guy
Tri Nguyen said:
For me..............my birthday is on 18th july
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