Formula One Driver Jules Bianchi, Dead At 25

Image via Facebook

Nine months after crashing at the Japanese Grand Prix, Formula One driver Jules Bianchi has died from his injuries. The family of Bianchi, who was just 25 years old, released a statement via Facebook:

In a May interview with Canal Plus television, Bianchi’s father classified his son’s conditions as “stagnant,” and has previously said the situation was “daily torture” for the family. Bianchi had been in a coma since October 2014, when his car careened into a crane that was removing a car from the track at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Image via MotorSport.com

The crane was removing the car of Adrian Sulti, who had crashed in the previous lap. Wet conditions on the track played a role in both accidents, and the race was called nine laps early as medics on scene tended to Bianchi. He was treated in Japan for several months, but after showing no improvement, Bianchi was eventually moved to France.

We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle. It was a privilege to have him race for our team. https://t.co/USrDQbG7fZ

— Manor Racing (@ManorRacing) July 18, 2015

It was at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in his home of Nice where Bianchi succumbed to his injuries in the early morning hours of Saturday. The Bianchi family is asking for privacy while they “try to come to terms with the loss of Jules.”