Jul.20 (GMM) The late Jules Bianchi was destined for a future race seat at Ferrari.
That is the claim of the Maranello team’s former boss Stefano Domenicali, as the F1 world mourns the talented 25-year-old Frenchman’s tragic death.
Bianchi, who was 25 when his Marussia struck a recovery vehicle in Japan last year, died in his native Nice last Friday following a nine month coma.
“Jules was always at Maranello to grow and cultivate his dream of driving for Ferrari,” said Italian Domenicali, who was team boss at the fabled team while Bianchi was the cream of Ferrari’s driver development academy.
“Our idea was that, after Marussia, he would go to another team to grow and become ready for the big jump (to Ferrari). This is what we planned a few years ago, but unfortunately fate has taken it away,” he told Sky Italia.
Domenicali continued: “These have been very sad months. Jules was the first driver of the Ferrari academy, and over the years I was always met by a smiling Jules, always positive. We were convinced that a great future was waiting for him.
“He deserved a different fate,” he concluded.