It was announced in the early hours of Saturday 18 July 2015 that Formula 1 Ex-Marussia driver Jules Bianchi had succumbed to his injuries, after a nine month battle in intensive care.
The French driver lost control of his car at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka back on October 5 2014, running off track and colliding with a tractor crane recovering a retired car.
Medics tended to Bianchi at the scene and he was taken to hospital where he was treated for severe head injuries. He was later transferred to his local hospital in Nice, France, where his family waited daily for his recovery.
After nine months of waiting, the Bianchi family revealed on Facebook that at 2.45am (France) Saturday 18 July 2015, their 25-year-old son had lost his battle.
“Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end,” said the Bianchi family in their statement. “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.”
A Statement from the Bianchi Family Nice, France Saturday 18 July 2015 02.45hrs France │ 01.45hrs UK It is… http://t.co/YsNqNO4IK7
— Jules_Bianchi (@Jules_Bianchi) July 18, 2015
The family also expressed their gratitude to the colleagues and fans that had been with Bianchi throughout his career and offered support during the past months.
“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.
“Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.”
The family have requested privacy during the coming weeks as they come to terms with the loss of Jules.
