Burglary at the Bianchi family home: former Ferrari F1 driver Jules Bianchi's last go-kart stolen

The news caused a stir in the world of motorsport and karting. On Tuesday evening, Philippe Bianchi, father of Jules Bianchi, announced that he had been the victim of a burglary. The theft goes far beyond mere material loss, touching on the intimacy, history and memory of a driver who passed away too soon.

A theft with serious sentimental consequences

In a message addressed to the "karting family", Philippe Bianchi explains that the burglars stole nine JB17 Forever chassis, but above all the last kart driven by Jules Bianchi. This was a KZ 125 ART GP kart, a highly symbolic machine in the French driver's career. In addition to these thefts, there are also the mini-karts belonging to his grandsons. While the financial value of this equipment is significant, Philippe Bianchi insists above all on the emotional impact of this act. "Apart from the value of the machines, it's the sentimental value that hurts us", he writes, summing up in a few words the shock felt by an entire family.

Jules' last kart, a powerful symbol

Karting played a central role in Jules Bianchi's career. Long before Formula 1, it was on the kart track that he forged his talent, seriousness and determination. The stolen kart is not just another object: it represents the end of a chapter, a direct link with his final years in the karting discipline. The JB17 Forever chassis, conceived as a tribute, and this last kart are now unique items, steeped in history. Their disappearance is felt as a real wound by the family, but also by part of the karting community, which is very attached to the driver's memory.

Jules Bianchi, a career engraved in motorsport memory

A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Jules Bianchi has long been considered one of the most promising French drivers of his generation. After making his Formula 1 debut with Marussia, he put in some outstanding performances, notably at Monaco in 2014, where he scored the first points in his team's history. His accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, followed by his death in 2015, had a profound effect on Formula 1 and motorsport as a whole. Since then, his name has remained associated with Ferrari.

A call for solidarity from the world of karting

Philippe Bianchi has issued a clear appeal in response to this burglary. Anyone spotting JB17 karts in circulation is invited to come forward and contact the family or the Jules Bianchi Association. In a milieu as restricted as that of top-level karting, these machines are recognizable and difficult to sell discreetly.