Jules Bianchi | |
|---|---|
 Bianchi in 2012 | |
| Born | Jules Lucien André Bianchi 3 August 1989 Nice, France |
| Died | 17 July 2015 (aged 25) Nice, France |
| Cause of death | Injuries sustained at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix |
| Relatives |
|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 2013–2014 |
| Teams | Marussia |
| Engines | Cosworth, Ferrari |
| Car number | 17 (retired in honour) |
| Entries | 34 (34 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 2 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2013 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2014 Japanese Grand Prix |
| Previous series | |
| 2009, 2012 2010–2011 2009–2011 2009 2008–2009 2007 2007 | Formula Renault 3.5 GP2 Series GP2 Asia Series British F3 F3 Euro Series French Formula Renault Formula Renault Eurocup |
| Championship titles | |
| 2009 2007 | F3 Euro Series French Formula Renault |
| Awards | |
| 2013 | Autosport Rookie of the Year |
Jules Lucien André Bianchi (French pronunciation: [ʒyl bjɑ̃ki]; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 2013 to 2014.
Bianchi was the grandson of endurance racing driver Mauro Bianchi and the great-nephew of Formula One driver Lucien. Graduating from karting to junior formulae in 2007, Bianchi won his first championship at the 2007 French Formula Renault 2.0 Championship with SG Formula. After winning the 2008 Masters of Formula 3, Bianchi won the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2009 with ART. He then progressed to the GP2 Series, finishing third in both 2010 and 2011. Bianchi then finished runner-up to Robin Frijns in the 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2009 to 2014, Bianchi was a test driver for Ferrari in 2011 and a reserve driver for Force India in 2012. Bianchi signed for Marussia in 2013 alongside Max Chilton, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Retaining his seat for 2014, Bianchi scored his first championship points at the Monaco Grand Prix—finishing ninth after starting 21st on the grid—earning widespread acclaim from drivers and pundits.[a]
During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Bianchi lost control of his Marussia MR03 in very wet conditions and collided with a recovery vehicle, suffering a diffuse axonal injury. He underwent emergency surgery and was placed into an induced coma, remaining comatose until his death nine months later. The number 17 was retired from Formula One in his honour by the FIA. As of the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.
- ^ Straw, Edd; Noble, Jonathan (25 May 2014). "Jules Bianchi says Marussia's first F1 points not luck". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Dudko, James (25 May 2014). "Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2014: Final Results and Analysis of Top Drivers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Ben (26 May 2014). "Fernando Alonso 'very proud' of Jules Bianchi after first F1 points". Autosport. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ McNish, Allan (28 May 2014). "Points in Monaco are like a win for Marussia says Allan McNish". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
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