F1 driver Jules Bianchi passes away at 25
French Formula One driver, Jules Bianchi passed away in a southern France hospital this past Friday. Bianchi was in coma for 9 months after suffering from serious head injuries during the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014. His Manor F1 team tweeted, "We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle. It was a privilege to have him race for our team."
Jules Bianchi was a French Formula One racer who entered Formula One as a test driver in 2011. He drove for Marussia for the first time in 2013 and finished 15th in his first race in Australia. In the 2014 season of Formula One at the Monaco Grand Prix, he scored both his and the Marussia's first points.
F1 driver Jules Bianchi suffered from serious head injuries during the Japanese Grand Prix. The race was marred by heavy rains and poor visibility which led to his accident. Bianchi's car had spun off and collided with a vehicle which was working to remove the damaged car of Adrian Sutil. He was immediately taken to the hospital and put in an intensive care unit.
FIA spokesman Bonciani Matteo told the media that Jules Bianchi was critical and would be undergoing a surgery for his head surgeries at a Japanese hospital. Bianchi's parents had flown to Japan while his girlfriend was praying for him from France. Bianchi's team Marussia issued a statement thanking the fans for their support and asked them to be patient.
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) had set up an accident panel to look into the Jules Bianchi crash. The panel was to be headed by Peter Wright, the president of FIA's safety commission. The panel would carry out a full review of the accident and propose new measures to reinforce safety at circuits to the FIA president.
Jules Bianchi's father was expecting a 'miracle' to take place to save his son's life. Bianchi had continued battling death for the 8th month since meeting with the accident. His father said, "Seeing him fighting gives a lot of hope to his loved ones. While there is life, there is hope, even though after a while you are hoping for a miracle."
Jules Bianchi was removed from life-support system in a hospital in Nice, France as he was stable but still critical. Bianchi had developed a 'diffuse axonal injury' which commonly affects the person's respiration and alertness, due to the accident. The doctors and F1 fans were still unsure if Jules will ever recover fully from the accident despite his minor improvements.
Bianchi's death became the first death of a Formula One driver to be killed as a result of an accident during a Grand Prix since Ayrton Senna's death in 1994.
