Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFormula 1

F1 drivers pay last respects to Bianchi

A number of F1 drivers and figures have paid their last respects to Jules Bianchi at his funeral in Nice.

Bianchi was laid to rest at the Sainte Reparate Cathedral, with numerous members of the F1 paddock attending the funeral service on Tuesday. Current drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat, Nico Hulkenberg and Marcus Ericsson were present.

Also attending were former world champion Alain Prost and FIA president Jean Todt, alongside Bianchi's former Marussia bosses John Booth and Graeme Lowdon and 2014 team-mate Max Chilton. Other senior F1 figures such as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and McLaren racing director Eric Boullier were also among those in attendance.

Fans could listen to the service via a PA system from outside the cathedral, which was adorned with two large images of Bianchi in his Marussia overalls. Fans had also laid wreaths outside the cathedral.

Bianchi passed away on Friday evening, nine months after sustaining severe head injuries in a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix. It was confirmed by the FIA on Monday his race number - 17 - would be retired from Formula One.

Jules Bianchi: 1989 - 2015

F1 drivers pay tribute to Bianchi after death at 25

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.