Formula 1: Three years later – Remembering Jules Bianchi

Three years ago today, Jules Bianchi passed away from injuries he sustained in a crash in the Japanese Grand Prix in the 2014 Formula 1 season.

It has been three years since the passing of the late Jules Bianchi, the Formula 1 driver who succumbed to injuries he sustained after being involved in a nasty accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, which took place on Sunday, October 5, 2014.

The race at the 18-turn, 3.608-mile (5.807-kilometer) Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Mie, Japan was scheduled to last for 53 laps. However, on lap 42 of the rain-soaked race, which featured limited visibility and a wet track surface as a result of heavy rain from Typhoon Phanfone, Sauber’s Adrian Sutil spun out.

The following lap, Bianchi, who was 25 years old and driving for Marussia at the time, lost control of his car right around where Sutil’s spun occurred. Bianchi’s car collided with a tractor crane that was in position to help remove Sutil’s car. The race was officially ended on lap 46 after the results were counted back by two laps.

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As a result of this collision, Bianchi suffered severe head injuries, including a diffuse axonal injury (DAI), which is a brain injury. While he did not pass away until more than nine months after the crash, he never woke up after the accident. He underwent emergency surgery and was placed into an induced coma following the collision.

The car number of the Nice, France native, 17, was retired in his honor. He became the first Formula 1 driver to die as a result of a crash since the great Ayrton Senna was killed in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Bianchi, who was 25 years old when he passed away, was widely regarded as a future Scuderia Ferrari driver. He test drove for the team in the 2011 season, and he was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. He also test drove for Sahara Force India in the 2012 season before landing his first and only full-time ride with Marussia in the 2013 season.

The highlight of Bianchi’s Formula 1 career took place on Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the famed Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. After starting the Monaco Grand Prix, the signature event on the Formula 1 schedule, in 17th place on the grid, he went on to cross the finish line in a career-high eighth.

A five-second penalty was issued to Bianchi as a result of the fact that he served a penalty under a safety car period, but he was still officially scored in ninth place in the race to score two points. This race is the only race in which he scored points during his Formula 1 career. He passed away having competed in 34 Formula 1 races over his two seasons in the sport.

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Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends, family and fans of Jules Bianchi as they remember him three years after following his passing.