Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo says Jules Bianchi had been "chosen" to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

The Italian, who left Ferrari last September as the part of its restructuring, was speaking to Sky Sport Italia in the wake of the French youngster's passing.

"Jules was one of us," he said of the 25-year-old who had tested for the Italian team and was part of its driver programme. "He belonged to the Ferrari family and we had chosen him for the future and after our collaboration with Raikkonen. He was a top guy, reserved, fast, educated and very attached to Ferrari. He had a bright future ahead of him.

"He was always at Maranello," he revealed. "Every day he came to the factory to grow and nurture his dream of driving for Ferrari. Our idea was that, after Marussia, he should go to another team to grow and be ready for the big leap. That is what we planned some years ago. But unfortunately fate took him away.

"A fateful turn of events took him away and leaves us with a huge void," he added. "I am close to Jules' family, who have shown immense courage over the past months in such difficult times, as well as to all his friends at Ferrari. We've lost a super guy, whom everybody will remember with great affection."