On July 17, tributes flourished again on social networks. Gone much too soon, eight years ago already, Jules Bianchi continues to live in the hearts of those who loved, met and followed him.
On his way to F1, when he was not crisscrossing the circuits at the wheel of a karting or a single-seater, the driver born in Nice loved sharing a recreation with friends on the Brignolais turnstile which saw him grow up.
“Jules was happy to compete in the Karting Marathon that we organized when I was managing the track”says Philippe Bianchi, the father of the missing champion. “For him, it was an opportunity to ride without pressure, for fun, with his friends, the Leclerc brothers, Norman Nato and company…”
A new start for the race
Contested seven times until 2009, this event like no other will have a new start next month at Le Castellet. See you on September 8, 9 and 10 on the route adjoining the Beausset double right for the 1st Jules Bianchi Marathon.
“The idea came from Charles (Leclerc) “continues Philippe Bianchi. “One day, not very long ago, while talking together, I felt he wanted to see the race reborn. For him, it is synonymous with great childhood memories. His suggestion was timely since I was coming to create an event company with Franck Lagorce”.
The former driver, among other organizers of the Festykart of Saint-Raphaël in 2019, and Jules’ dad will thus seal their association next month in a beautiful way, for the benefit of the JB17 association, that goes without saying.
“A wink”
If the field of action changes, the concept remains the same. “I had imagined it as a nod to the somewhat crazy challenges that my uncle was trying (Lucien Bianchi, victim of a fatal accident at Le Mans in 1969 a few months after winning the 24 Hours, editor’s note) such as the London-Sydney Rally-Marathon. Quite simply, we transpose the distance of the run into hours. The 42.195km becomes 42h, 19min and 50 sec”.
The starting signal will be given on Friday September 8 at 7:41:20 p.m. for an arrival two days later at 2:00 p.m. Open to teams of 5 to 20 pilots – with two weight categories – the great Jules-style recreation will pit around thirty machines (Sodikart 270 cc 4-stroke) against each other. The opportunity to rub shoulders with a few sizes…
Still a few karts available
“Obviously, we have chosen a weekend without a Grand Prix. Between Monza and Singapore, Charles will lead the team of star drivers. His brothers, Lorenzo and Arthur, will also chain the relays. Just like several celebrities (including singer Claudio Capéo) united in a VIP team”.
Advice to amateurs seduced by adventure: do not think too long. Six weeks before D-Day, the karts still available can be counted on the fingers of one hand…
