Philippe Bianchi, father of former Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi, has made an emotional plea to the international karting community via social media. A burglary has resulted in the theft of nine karts, including the last kart Jules ever drove.
The theft has deeply affected the family, as Bianchi senior made clear in a Facebook post. Along with several JB17 Forever chassis, the thieves also took Jules’ KZ 125 ART GP kart and some mini-karts belonging to his grandsons.
“Dear friends, tonight I reach out to my kart family,” Philippe Bianchi wrote. “Last night, we were broken into, and heartless thieves took nine JB17 Forever chassis. Even worse, they stole Jules’ last kart, along with my grandsons’ mini-karts. Beyond the material value, it’s the emotional and sentimental value that hits us hard.”
Philippe Bianchi is urging everyone in the karting world to stay vigilant and contact him if any of the stolen karts surface. “If anyone sees a JB17 kart out there, please let me know. Thank you in advance.”
Jules Bianchi passed away in 2015 due to injuries from his crash during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Since then, his family has been dedicated to keeping his legacy alive in motorsport. The theft of his last kart is seen by many in the karting and racing community as an especially disrespectful act.
