There might be anger. But that’s not the case. This Wednesday, Philippe Bianchi, the father of Jules, the former Formula 1 driver who died in 2015 after long months of coma and his accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, indicated that he had been the victim the day before of a theft where his son’s old kart was stolen. He tells us of his incomprehension and his distress.
How did you find out about the burglary? ?
PHILIPPE BIANCHI. I discovered it Tuesday morning. The real estate agency that has been renting the garage to me for six years told me it was open. It was targeted. They took around ten machines. In particular Jules’ go-kart that he was driving before his accident. They also took his toolbox.
How did you react ?
It’s a misunderstanding because these machines don’t really have any value. Maybe 3,000 or 4,000 euros. Today, there are more modern and efficient ones on the market. I don’t see the point in stealing that. Because they are unusable. If that were the case, he would quickly be spotted.
So why this flight ?
Either it was an order, but I don’t really believe it. Either they are people who don’t know what they took. As this won’t help anyone, I still have hope that we can get them back.
What do these machines mean to you? ?
I’m not the first burglar who is poorly insured. The financial value, we don’t care, that’s not the problem. But the sentimental value is not quantifiable. It was the only thing that connected me to Jules. It hurts. These are irreplaceable things like his go-kart at the age of 5 given to him by his uncle.
With the 10th edition of the Jules-Bianchi karting marathon, the memory of your son remains intact…
It’s true and it’s very touching to see that no one forgets it. Yet Jules was not Formula 1 world champion. We didn’t give him time. But he remains present. It touches me deep in my heart.
And on a personal level, ten years later, how are you ?
We made a pact with Jules not to give up. I was always the first to tell him. So now I apply this to myself. Jules is still inside me. He’s still there. The pain is there every day. I miss him and we hold on. In November, we collected 50,000 euros for his association. I think Jules would be proud of everything we’ve done.
Ten years later, how do you judge the level of safety in Formula 1? ?
There has been progress with the introduction of the protective halo, the protective helmet or the safety car. But when I saw what happened with Pierre Gasly in 2022 (the driver almost hit a recovery crane that was operating on the track), at the same Japanese Grand Prix where Jules had his accident, I really lost my temper. We don’t have the right. This is an insult to Jules.
Are you still angry ?
My kid will never be returned to me. Now, if I wanted to rebuild myself, I had to make peace with it and stop being angry. So she passed. And then, I think there is something next and I tell myself that I would find Jules at that time. That’s what helps me keep going.
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