Jules Bianchi
Jules Lucien André Bianchi (French pronunciation: [ʒyl bjɑ̃ki]; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French motor racing driver who drove for the Marussia F1 Team in Formula One.
Bianchi at the 2012 Nürburgring World Series race | |
| Born | Jules Lucien André Bianchi 3 August 1989 Nice, France |
|---|---|
| Died | 17 July 2015 (aged 25) Nice, France |
| 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 |
| Related to |
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| Previous series | |
| 2010–11 2009–10–2011 2009, 2012 2009 2008–09 2007 2007 | GP2 Series GP2 Asia Series Formula Renault 3.5 Series British Formula 3 Formula 3 Euro Series French Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 |
| Championship titles | |
| 2009 2007 | Formula 3 Euro Series French Formula Renault 2.0 |
| Awards | |
| 2013 | Autosport Rookie of the Year |
Bianchi had previously raced in Formula Renault 3.5, GP2 and Formula Three and was a Ferrari Driver Academy member. He entered Formula One as a practice driver in 2012 for Sahara Force India. In 2013, he made his debut driving for Marussia, finishing 15th in his opening race in Australia and ended the season in 19th position without having scored any points. His best result that year was 13th at the Malaysian Grand Prix. In October 2013, the team confirmed that he would drive for the team the following season. In the 2014 season, he scored both his and the Marussia team's first points in Formula One at the Monaco Grand Prix.
On 5 October 2014, during the Japanese Grand Prix, Bianchi lost control of his Marussia 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, and remained comatose until his death on 17 July 2015. Bianchi's death was the first to result from an on-track incident in Formula One in over 20 years, after Ayrton Senna's fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. As of 2024, it is also the most recent fatal accident to have occurred in Formula One.