Valtteri Bottas in tribute to late Jules Bianchi

He was 25. In November 2014 he was transferred to the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Nice, where he remained in a critical condition and unconscious, but closer to his family.

Hamilton believed it was a route F1 may yet take.

“I knew him from an early age in karting and wherever he was, there was never a bad word said about him”, said Stevens ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. I don’t even think I have a mother, a father, my son, my wife or whatever, you don’t think about it. You just think about your job and your work and I don’t think that will change. Outside the track I spent time with him a lot, in Maranello for three years, we did some training camps together, we had some good rides on the bicycle, football matches, playing cards.

Memories will be all around them as they meet, talk, drive and race and they will nearly certainly be upset during the minute s silence planned to be held on Sunday 15 minutes before the start of the race.

Bianchi was touted for great things after progressing through the ranks of the famed Ferrari academy, and Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne joined in the tributes.

People sign a book of condolences below a poster showing late French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi, after the funeral ceremony for Bianchi at the Cathedrale Sainte Reparate in Nice, southeastern France.

Bianchi died on July 17 after suffering devastating brain injuries at last year’s Japanese GP, while driving for the former Banbury-based team, who have now been renamed Manor F1.

More precisely, di Montezemolo revealed Bianchi had already been selected to fill Kimi Raikkonen’s racing seat once it became vacant.

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he is finding it “awkward” to speak about Jules Bianchi’s death.

We also get a few tech insight from Ferrari engineer Toni Cuquerella as the team’s prepare to take on the tight and twisting Hungaroring.

“I remember it like it was yesterday”, said Hamilton. I really enjoy working with the team. “I’m sure he’s looking at us, from whatever place he is. It looks like the logical step for me”.

Nico Hulkenberg: “He’s been my team-mate twice, in 2008 in Formula 3 and 2012 in Formula One [as Force India test driver]”.

His parents, Philippe and Christine and brother Tom arrived in the paddock shortly before midday local time.

“It has been a very emotional week,” Rosberg added. The pain we feel is vast and indescribable. The previous day, at the same venue, Austrian Roland Ratzenberger died in a crash during qualifying. The driver’s death comes as a big shock to the sport so long after Ayrton Senna’s untimely passing over twenty years ago, perhaps raising questions once more about safety measures in place in the sport, with other drivers such as Robert Kubica having had their careers cut short by life-threatening accidents.

Following the accident, a report on investigation stated that Bianchi failed to slow down sufficiently under double yellow flag.