Jules Bianchi. AFP FILE PHOTO
NICE, France— The family of Jules Bianchi says the French Formula One driver has died from head injuries sustained in a crash at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The news was posted on Bianchi’s official Twitter feed early Saturday morning French time and later confirmed by the Manor F1 team.
Bianchi, 25, had been in a coma since the Oct. 5 accident, in which he collided at high speed with a mobile crane which was being used to pick up another crashed car.
READ: Horror footage of Formula One racer’s crash emerges
The family statement said “Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end. The pain we feel is immense and indescribable.”
Bianchi competed in 34 races over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, scoring the first ever championship points for Manor — then known as Marussia — by finishing fifth at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Manor team tweeted: “We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle. It was a privilege to have him race for our team.”
Bianchi died at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in his hometown of Nice, where he had been since his emergency treatment in Japan in the days after the accident.
“We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice’s CHU who looked after him with love and dedication,” the family statement said. “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.
“Furthermore, 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.”
Bianchi’s accident prompted F1 to alter its safety regulations and more quickly stop racing under caution-flag conditions.
The family statement was issued by his parents Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Melanie.