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 Bianchi had been in a coma since the accident at Suzuka last
October. He passed away at a hospital in Nice, near his parents'
home in the south of France.
"Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his
battle came to an end," said the Bianchi family.
"The pain we feel is immense and indescribable."
Bianchi was the first driver since Brazilian triple world champion
Ayrton Senna, at Italy's Imola circuit in May 1994, to die from
injuries sustained during a grand prix weekend.
"We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle,"
his Manor F1 team Tweeted. "It was a privilege to have him race for
our team."
The Frenchman suffered severe head injuries when, in wet conditions
and fading light, his Marussia slammed into a recovery tractor while
it was attempting to remove Adrian Sutil's crashed Sauber.
Television images of the Oct. 5 accident, which were not publicly
broadcast but have since been posted on the internet, showed the
Marussia's roll hoop had been entirely ripped off in the massive
impact.
The race was stopped and the unconscious driver was extracted from
the wrecked car and taken by road ambulance to the nearby hospital.
Bianchi, who was also contracted to Ferrari and was considered to
have a bright future in the sport, was initially treated in the Mie
General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi.
His parents and siblings flew out from France and were a constant
presence at his bedside, hoping against hope for a miracle.
'HEARTS AND MINDS'
An International Automobile Federation (FIA) report said in December
that the Frenchman had not slowed sufficiently under warning flags
before crashing.
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The report found that Bianchi's car hit the tractor at 126 kph and
said medical services were not at fault in their handling of the
aftermath.
His family praised medical staff in Nice and Mie Prefecture for
their care over the last nine months and asked for privacy as they
sought to come to terms with the loss.
"Listening to and reading the many messages made us realize just how
much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all
over the world," the statement said.
"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this
difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of
Jules."
Bianchi's father, Philippe, had told French radio earlier this month
that he was "less optimistic" of a recovery. In May he said they had
been preparing for the worst.
"It's hard to get up in the morning while telling yourself that
you're not sure whether your son is going to live and every day is
like that," he said.
(Reporting by Peter Rutherford and Alan Baldwin.; Editing by Nick
Mulvenney)
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