The findings prompted Formula One to alter its rules, allowing a “virtual safety car” in which race stewards can neutralise a race, forcing all cars to proceed slowly into the pit lane.
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The start times of some races were also moved forward to prevent them continuing in dim light conditions.
Bianchi’s family had already lost a member in a crash.
Then there was uncle Lucien, who won Le Mans in 1968, the year he was also third in the Monaco Grand Prix, the only time he finished on the podium in 17 grands prix.
He had been tipped by many to be the next great French champion.
Bianchi’s death sparked an outpouring of emotion from the Formula One world with Lewis Hamilton leading the tributes.
While the heights that his career would have scaled will never be known, Bianchi undoubtedly earned both his place on the Formula 1 grid and the respect of those with which he shared it.
This will go down as Bianchi’s legacy, but the Frenchman’s tragic accident also refocused a sport that was in danger of drifting into complacency after so many years without a fatality – unlike America’s Nascar and IndyCar series, in which racing mishaps have been a little too common in recent years.
The family statement was issued by his parents Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Melanie. “He was waiting for his breakthrough and I’m sure his time would have come had things gone differently”.
“Jules Bianchi was one of the surest hopes for French motorsport,”Deschaux said. Thinking about Jules and his family”.
“If you look back to Monaco 2014, it was one of his best drives and it gave Manor their first ever points in F1”. We here at BTF extend our prayers and wishes to the Bianchi family as well as anyone else that has been impacted by his passing. It has been an honor to be able to consider him our race driver, our team-mate, and of course our friend. In turn, Jules was an absolute credit to them.
FILE – In this October 12, 2014 file photo, drivers link arms to send a message of support to their injured colleague Jules Bianchi, who is fighting for his life following an accident at the Japanese Formula One G…
His growing maturity and standing within F1 was further enhanced at the post-British GP test two months later when, called up to stand in for Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, Bianchi set the overall pace in the F14 T with a time faster than anything the illustrious Finn had managed at the preceding Silverstone race weekend. “Thoughts to those close to him”, he wrote.
Bianchi made his Formula One debut for Marussia, now renamed Manor, at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
“Jules was France’s up-an-coming talent in motor racing”, Alesi told French radio RTL. “Thoughts for his entourage”.
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“Words can not describe the enormous sadness within our team this morning, as we come to terms with losing Jules, ” John Booth, the team principal for the recently renamed Manor, said in a statement.
