[Bradley Downton]

So unfortunately, the day we were all suspecting – but hoping wouldn’t come – came on Friday night, and we lost a very talented driver, and potential future star. But while his death is tragic, and people will rightly mourn – and it’s only natural vast numbers of people will talk about just the accident, and what can be learned – we need to focus on the positives.

I’m not saying that learning from this isn’t important, of course it is, and I’m not saying you can’t be sad or upset, because for a lot of us here it’ll be the first time we’ve experienced the death of a current Formula One driver during our lives, and it’ll be a shock, even for those who have.

But rather than ponder the ‘what ifs’ and ‘should haves’ – as is so often the case in the sport we love – we need to celebrate Bianchi’s life, and remember all the good times he gave us. So if you have pictures, videos, memories, anything at all from Bianchi’s life or career that brings a smile to your face, share it. And let’s remember the good times together, and celebrate the life of Jules Bianchi.

[Keith Collantine]

While on his way to the F3 Euroseries crown, Bianchi popped over to the British championship for two meetings. In the second of those he won both races at the Autodrmo Internacional do Algarve, beating the likes of Daniel Ricciardo (who took the title that weekend) and Valtteri Bottas (another invitational driver). He’s in car 91 in this video:

[Mathers]

Jules Bianchi first came to my attention in 2009 during his Formula 3 Euroseries championship year. He was dominant that year, but from the first race I’d been a fan because I’ve always been a fan of French drivers, and he was driving for the ART Grand Prix team, which were my favourite outside of Formula One. It was after this brilliant season for him that Ferrari chose him for the Driver Academy, and he’d made a fan for life out of me.

I found this on YouTube, and it shows Jules perfectly. It was made in the same year he won the F3 championship, but looking back now it seems the perfect tribute. Reposez en paix Jules.

[Bradley Downton]

I’m going to start with something that not many will likely relate to, but that @willwood did mention in a comment. With Bianchi, I’m always going to remember the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, but probably not for the same reason as some others.

Yes, it was great to see him score his and his teams first points – and ultimately help them to stay in the sport, but I’ll always remember the smile I had on my face writing up the Driver of the Weekend result. Reading through all the comments – to see everyone so happy for him and the team – was just a delight, and something I’ll never forget.

[Enigma]

A chaotic Formula Renault 3.5 race at Silverstone in 2012. It was very wet, and Bianchi drove to victory while many others failed to stay on the track.

[Enigma]

And this one from a GP2 Asia race in Abu Dhabi in 2010 – the first race that I watched Bianchi in. A GP2 Asia race in Abu Dhabi, where he impressed with a recovery drive. On that weekend he was very quick, good at passing and at times over-agressive – which I feel all remained with him all the way through to Suzuka.

I especially enjoyed his unintentional pass he made on someone while defending his position.

(The video is not very well edited)

[andae23]

Definitely remember that day he lost that Formula Renault 3.5 title to Frijns at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was due to be aired live on Eurosport, but there was some tennis match going on as well, which at the time WAS SUSPENDED due to an injury of one of the players, so we were watching an empty tennis court while there was a championship deciding race going on. Anyway, Eurosport were kind enough to show the race ‘as it happened’ an hour late, so thankfully I didn’t miss it.

Now, being a Dutchman, I was rooting for Frijns to win the title. Bianchi had the Ferrari contract and would end up in F1 anyway, so Frijns could benefit a lot more from winning. The pair of them were so close in terms of points that whoever would finish ahead would win the title. Bianchi finds himself right behind Frijns with a couple more laps to go and needs to find a way past if he is going to win the title. Suddenly he throws it down the inside at turn 1 and takes the position!

Frijns is trying to get back at him but Bianchi fends him off through turns 2 and 3. Another car (I think it was Magnussen?) is now looming in Frijns’ rear view mirror, so he realises “if I don’t get the position back from Bianchi it’s all over.” So he attempts a kamikaze move on Bianchi into turn 4, seriously there was no way Frijns was ever going to hold that, and they collide. Bianchi goes off, straight into the gravel trap, DNF, championship decided.

Although Frijns had won, I wasn’t really pleased with the way it had gone down. In my unbiased opinion, Bianchi probably should have been crowned champion that year.

Anyway that’s the one that sticks out in my mind.

[JackySteeg]

Monaco 2014 will always be one of my all time favourite feel-good moments in F1. But my other favourite moment was his only win in the main GP2 series at Silverstone in 2011. The race started off on a wet track, but midway through the race, the track was dry enough for slicks. Jules, in the Lotus-branded ART, switched to slicks a lap later than Christian Vietoris, and was forced to defend his lead with cold tyres on a still-damp track. Vietoris pulled off a pair of superb overtakes, but Bianchi was even better, repassing him immediately both times. That overtake into Club Corner, with the wheels locked and the car squirming from side to side, was the icing on the cake.

[Anonymous]

@jackysteeg I started following GP2 in 2011, and Bianchi was immediately one of my favourites. His rookie teammate Gutierrez had already won in Valencia, Jules was still on 0 wins at his second season. Then this race came, and I remember it so vividly. Such a brilliant battle, Jules came out ahead but Vietoris was just as good. Clean racing, thanks to the drivers and cars. I fell in love with GP2, and I continue watching it today.
I remember watching the previous races, but this is the piece of racing that stands out amongst the rest, and it’s yet to be surpassed.

[Nick]

I think I will remember him most for his points in Monaco, as it was the final indicator for me how wrong I was about him when he first entered my sights.

In 2010 and 2011 he was one of the drivers in GP2 which I considered to be ‘good, but have iffy driving styles’. Being a somewhat fan of Giedo van der Garde, some incidents he had with VdG had my fandom/nationality pushing Jules into the category of ‘crash prone driver’. In 2012 I was following FR3.5 very closely and there he was, a transformed man, he seemed much calmer to me, but as fast. His wins at Silverstone and Paul Richard (especially the latter, as Frijns was nowhere) built up a sort of ‘fear’ in me, the same way I ‘feared’ Vettel halfway through the 2012 F1 season as Alonso fan.

@andae23 did a great job of describing how the final race turned out, though I personally felt (or rather, was accustomed to, as a Schumacher fan) the crash wasn’t a big deal and was rather annoyed by some statements made by Bianchi and especially by Tech1 and Ferrari. In hindsight, the feelings I had for Bianchi at that point in time were very similar to the way I felt about Mika Hakkinen in 1998/1999; a competitor who could beat my favorite driver and thus irked me emotionally, rather than rationally.

During his time in F1, he was one of the few drivers of the ‘new 2010 teams’ I ever felt had a bright future in F1. When he managed to go fastest in multiple cars at the YDT at Magny Cours, I felt he nearly had to be signed by Force India. They didn’t, much to my chagrin, but he proved his worth at Marussia none the less.

Also includes some praise from none other than Alain Prost.

[Author]

Posts