Manor boss John Booth pays tribute to 'shining talent' Jules Bianchi
Manor F1 team boss John Booth has paid tribute to his former driver Jules Bianchi, who passed away on Saturday.
Bianchi drove for the former Marussia team in 2013 and 2014, and was already well known to Manor when he was a competitor in his Euro F3 days.
In a statement, Booth said: "Words cannot describe the enormous sadness within our team this morning, as we come to terms with losing Jules. He has left an indelible mark on all our lives, and will forever be part of everything we have achieved, and everything we will strive for going forward.
"Jules was a shining talent. He was destined for great things in our sport; success he so richly deserved. He was also a magnificent human being, making a lasting impression on countless people all over the world. They recognized, as did we, that at the same time as being a fiercely motivated racer, he was also an extremely warm, humble and intensely likeable person, who lit up our garage and our lives.
"We are incredibly grateful that we were able to provide Jules with the opportunity to show the world what he could do in a Formula 1 car. We knew we had a very special driver on our hands from the first time he drove our car in preseason testing in 2013. It has been an honor to be able to consider him our race driver, our teammate, and of course our friend.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the wonderful Bianchi family, who have remained so strong for Jules throughout the past nine months. In turn, Jules was an absolute credit to them.
"Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has supported Jules since his accident in Japan last October. Your kindness has been such a source of comfort to his family and to us, his team. We will rely on your continued support over the coming days and months as we race on for Jules."
