It was October 5th, 2014, just two days after the now three-time world champion Max Verstappen made his F1 debut, when the motorsport world was shaken by the tragic accident of Jules Bianchi at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

On that particular race day, heavy rain made the track dangerous but no one could have anticipated the tragedy that was about to happen.

Later on, as visibility worsened, officials decided to stop the race. At the time, the Frenchman was driving through a double-waved yellow zone, when he lost control and aquaplaned off at Turn 7. He then crashed into a recovery vehicle that was helping another driver, Adrian Sutil.

Bianchi sustained a diffuse axonal injury, a type of brain injury that occurs when the head undergoes rapid acceleration or deceleration. According to the FIA's investigation, he collided with the recovery crane at a speed of 126 kph (78 mph), resulting in an impact force measured at 254g.

After the accident, he was quickly airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for a serious brain injury. Despite his brave fight for life, the injuries were too severe.

On July 17, 2015, after months in a coma, Bianchi passed away. He became the first Formula 1 driver to die from race-related injuries since Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident at the Imola Circuit in 1994.

Bianchi’s death shocked the motorsport community, leading to an outpouring of grief from fans and follow drivers. In response, the FIA took important steps to improve safety in Formula 1, like a well known halo, which has saved many lifes over the years, including Romain Grosjean’s in his fireball crash in Bahrain 2020 or Lewis Hamilton’s in Monza 2021, in a crash with Max Verstappen.

In response to the accident, also the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) system was introduced to ensure that drivers slow down appropriately under yellow or red flags, helping to prevent tragedies like this in the future.

Bianchi's godson, Charles Leclerc, ultimately took to the track for Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1, making his debut as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement in 2019. As he races, Leclerc honors Jules Bianchi's legacy, keeping the memory of the beloved driver alive in the sport.