Ten years have passed since the sporting world lost Jules Bianchi, the French Formula 1 driver who died on 17 July 2015 at the age of 25. Bianchi, driving for Marussia, suffered a severe crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and spent nine months in a coma before succumbing to his injuries.
Bianchi was considered a future Ferrari driver, having impressed over two seasons with Marussia. He famously scored his first points at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing ninth after starting 21st on the grid. He was also the godfather of current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
His death marked Formula 1's first fatality since Ayrton Senna in 1994, ending a 21-year period without a driver death in the sport. Bianchi's former teammate Max Chilton recalled the emotional aftermath, saying he dedicated his first Indy Lights victory to Bianchi, feeling as though Jules was watching over him.
Chilton and Bianchi had been teammates since the age of 12 in karting and later at Marussia. Chilton described Bianchi as "the greatest young driver of that time" and noted that their on-track performances were closely matched over 34 races. The Marussia team entered administration after the 2014 season and did not complete the year.
Bianchi's accident occurred on a wet track at Suzuka when his car slid off and hit a recovery truck. Chilton has never watched footage of the crash and remembers their last interaction during the driver parade before the race, sharing a smile. He said he had not prepared himself for the seriousness of the accident.
