GP: Japan
Date: 5 October 2014
Winner: Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
It was a terrible day, with rain pouring down in Suzuka and the track conditions were dreadful.
On lap 43, Adrian Sutil crashed at the Dunlop corner in his Sauber, which brought out the yellow flags.
A mobile recovery crane was in the run-off area, trying to move the stricken car. And then along came Jules Bianchi, who lost control of his Marussia and crashed heavily into the recovery vehicle.
It was the beginning of the end for Jules.
He was taken to hospital in Yokaichi and underwent surgery to deal with a cerebral haematoma. He was put into an induced coma, where he remained for nine months, having been transferred to a hospital in Nice, the city where he was born on 3 August 1989.
He died on 17 July 2025, the first Formula 1 fatality since Ayrton Senna at Imola on 1 May 1994.
The circumstances surrounding Bianchi's crash were the topic of much controversy, but the race direction was cleared of any wrongdoing, even though it was the subject of heated discussion for many years.
It was another regrettable death that once again, too late, brought about improvements to the safety regulations.
Jules was a golden boy, with delicate features and a gentle nature. He was taken on by the Ferrari Driver Academy and served as a mentor to a very young Charles Leclerc.
A few months before Suzuka, he finished an impressive ninth in Monaco and that had sparked talk of him racing for Ferrari.
His radiant smile and sometimes slightly melancholic look, were extinguished far too soon.
The memories are still strong, the sorrow, endless.
In 2025 Pirelli will hit the 500 F1® Grands Prix mark during the season.
Legacy of Speed series looks back at the fifty most significant Grands Prix from Pirelli's time on the F1 World Championship trail.
