Stunned reaction in the motorsport world: Thieves have stolen important mementos belonging to Jules Bianchi – a close friend appeals to the perpetrators’ conscience
A break-in at Philippe Bianchi’s house has caused shockwaves in the motorsport world.
The father of Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015, announced that several karts had been stolen. The stolen items are objects of great emotional value, including the kart that Jules Bianchi last used before he began his career in formula racing. The incident occurred at the beginning of the week.
The perpetrators made off with a total of nine karts. The Bianchi family strongly condemned the act. In a statement, they said the theft was an attack on an “intimate part of the driver’s memory.”
Jules Bianchi died in July 2015 as a result of a serious accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. For his loved ones, the material loss weighs far less heavily than the emotional pain. The crime “reopens a huge wound,” according to the family. They described the theft as a “symbolic, intimate, and deeply painful violation” and emphasized that Jules’ memory must be “protected.” The family now hopes that the stolen memorabilia will reappear.
Appeal to the perpetrators: “You stole from the wrong life”
Dominique Guillien, a mechanic and close friend of the Bianchi family, also commented on the incident and addressed emotional words directly to the perpetrators. He urged them to come to their senses and return the karts.
“You didn’t knock on the wrong door, you knocked on the wrong life,” Guillien said. “What you took is not just equipment. It has almost no commercial value, for one obvious reason: you will never be able to use it. It is identified, traceable, and unusable on a kart track.”
Guillien emphasized that the stolen goods are primarily the legacy of a respected personality. “Above all, it belonged to Jules Bianchi. A man, a driver, a child of karting. A name that is known, respected, and still carried in the hearts of all motorsport fans. Jules left such a strong mark that even a five-year-old child knows his story, his courage, and his humanity.”
Stolen goods are practically unsaleable
From a purely technical and logistical point of view, it will be difficult for the thieves to profit from their crime. “Baby karts can only be driven on very few tracks with special permits,” Guillien continued. “Their monetary value is low, but the moral weight of this theft is immense. The day you try to use them, you will be immediately recognized and exposed.”
The mechanic appealed urgently to the burglars’ conscience: “By stealing this equipment, you have not only taken objects. You have reopened a wound. You have stolen a memory. You have caused Jules’ parents and loved ones further pain.“
Finally, he offered the perpetrators a chance to make amends. ”Being a thief is already a fall from grace. To persist in it would be a choice. There is still time to set things right. Leave this equipment in a place where it can be returned to the family. Make this gesture. For them. For yourselves. Some things cannot be bought, cannot be resold, and should never be stolen.”
