Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone pays tribute to the late Jules Bianchi by claiming the sport must do everything “not to let this ever happen again”.

Having fought in a coma for nine months, the Nice-born racer died aged 25 on Friday night from the severe head injuries he sustained during last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Bianchi’s Marussia went off track in wet conditions at Suzuka and hit the tractor crane that had been sent out a lap earlier to recover the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil on the outside of Turn 7.

“It was so sad to hear the news about Jules,” said Ecclestone. “We are now going to miss a very talented driver and a really nice person.

“We must not let this ever happen again.”

The 84-year-old thus shares the views of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, with the organisation vowing to “never relent in improving safety” following Bianchi’s death.

The Frenchman became the first casualty in the sport for over two decades; since the fateful 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend claimed the lives of both Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.

Jules Bianchi: 1989 - 2015

F1 drivers pay tribute to Bianchi after death at 25

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Sainz exposes lingering flaws in Pirelli’s rain tyre range

Carlos Sainz insists Pirelli still has considerable work to do on its intermediate tyre which…

2 hours ago

Vasseur relieved after Ferrari reset: ‘They left my room joking'

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur admits to feeling relieved after his sit-down in Brazil with…

4 hours ago

Schumacher's first crown, but not his finest hour

On this day in 1994, Michael Schumacher clinched at the season finale Australian Grand Prix…

5 hours ago

Hadjar ‘sad’ to see 2026 end with plenty still ‘in the tank’

Red Bull's Isack Hadjar is not quite ready to call time on his 2026 campaign.…

6 hours ago

Brundle: Stroll is ‘at his wit’s end’ over Aston Martin crisis

Aston Martin F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll is reportedly “at wit’s end”, according to Sky…

8 hours ago

Wolff: Mercedes were not ‘complete losers’ during title drought years

Toto Wolff has no intention of rewriting Mercedes’ recent history now that the team is…

9 hours ago