Bianchi died from injuries sustained during his horrific crash into a recovery vehicle tractor at the Japanese Grand Prix previous year.
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Jules Bianchi’s family arrived at the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit on Sunday as Formula One prepared for a silent tribute to the late French driver. He had been in a coma since the October 5 accident, in which he collided at high speed with a mobile crane which was being used to pick up another crashed auto.
Ricciardo joined numerous current F1 drivers at Bianchi’s funeral in Nice this week and now admits to having taken safety measures for granted earlier in his career.
They laid the casket to rest in front of the cathedral with Bianchi’s crash helmet on top and linked arms.
The ruling body, the worldwide Motoring Federation (FIA) has also retired number 17, Bianchi s racing number.
The 25-year-old Bianchi, had been fighting for his life under controlled medical conditions in the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire hospital in Nice, southern France.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Manor CEO Graeme Lowdon has paid tribute to Jules Bianchi when speaking in the team’s press conference on Friday afternoon. The Mexican, like Bianchi, was also the product of the Ferrari Driving Academy -the stepping stone for both into F1.
“I have to say that in everything we have done with the family, the warmth and compassion, just everything that they have done, has been incredibly respectful and loving and it’s been enormously helpful and I’m sure not just to me – we don’t have a monopoly on feeling sad about what’s happened. The world has lost a true racer and we have all lost a friend”.
“Jules first of all was a great friend, because I met him when I was racing go karts because we have the same manager, Nicolas [Todt] started to work with Jules”.
“I know he’d want us to race hard, as he did, and so I will. “Now our sport embarks on a tough road ahead”, he added, in a statement from Mercedes. Manoeuvres, overtaking, the way you drive, your thinking, I don’t think it will change”.
A relatively slow but corner-heavy circuit, the narrow Hungaroring presents drivers with a challenge different to most rounds on the F1 calendar, with overtaking particularly tricky.
“On this most hard of weekends for the team, I am very appreciative of their decision to continue with my planned FP1 session”, he said.
Hamilton believes that Formula One remains very unsafe and has argued that wider perceptions are largely wrong.
Alonso’s triumph made him the youngest F1 race victor of all time until he was surpassed by Sebastian Vettel in 2008.
Although delicately poised, the title race remains an internal tussle at Mercedes, with Hamilton leading Rosberg by 17 points.
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“I know Jules would want us to race hard as he did and so I will”, said Hamilton.
