NICE, France — The funeral for Formula One driver Jules Bianchi is being held in his French hometown on Tuesday, as tributes continue to mount for the racer who died of head injuries from a crash during last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Bianchi’s No. 17 is being retired from Formula One and tributes are expected at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. He died Friday, having been in a coma for nine months.
The 25-year-old competed in 34 races during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, scoring the first ever championship points for the Manor-Marussia team by finishing ninth at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
He was the first driver to die of injuries sustained in an F1 race since three-time world champion Ayrton Senna was killed at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.