Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 has a ‘tough road ahead’ of itself after the passing of Former Marussia driver Jules Bianchi.
Bianchi suffered severe injuries after crashing into a recovery vehicle that was recovering Adrian Sutil’s Sauber at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix and passed away on Friday, having never regained consciousness.
Hamilton who was along many past and present Formula 1 drivers at Bianchi’s funeral on Tuesday, says the Frenchman’s death is a reminder of the dangers the sport poses and that he will carry Bianchi in his thoughts for the remainder of his career.
“Saying goodbye to Jules was incredibly hard for everyone,” said Hamilton.
“For myself, I wished I had known him better. But from what I knew of him, he was a kind heart with a great spirit and a bright future.
“Now our sport embarks on a tough road ahead. We have been shown once more the dangers of our sport, that these should be respected and that we drivers commit ourselves to the chance that those dangers are there when we step into the car.
“We have made great progress for safety thus far and I know that the FIA will continue to make steps forward to improve even further.
“I will be carrying Jules with me in my prayers and thoughts, not only this race [in Hungary] but for the rest of my driving days. I know he’d want us to race hard as he did, and so I will.”
Images courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas
