Jules Bianchi died last night due to head injuries sustained in a crash at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, his family announced in a statement this morning.
Bianchi had been in a coma since October after he collided with a mobile crane, leaving him with severe head injuries.
The family statement said “Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end.
“The pain we feel is immense and indescribable.
“We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice’s CHU who looked after him with love and dedication.
“We also thank the staff of the General Medical Center in the Mie Prefecture [Japan] who looked after Jules immediately after the accident, as well as all the other doctors who have been involved with his care over the past months.
“Furthermore, we thank Jules’ colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times.”
Bianchi became part of the then Marussia team (now Manor F1) in 2013, taking part in 34 grand prix events.
He accrued Manor’s first ever world championship points with a ninth place finish in last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Manor said on twitter this morning: “We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle. It was a privilege to have him race for our team.”
The 25-year-old died at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in his hometown of Nice, where he had received treatment since the accident.
Bianchi was driving in wet, gloomy conditions when the accident occurred, with officials stating that the loss of grip on the track may have contributed to the severity of the crash.
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