24/05/2016
NEWS STORY
Romain Grosjean is to wear a helmet honouring Jules Bianchi this weekend in Monaco.
Although significantly changing helmet liveries over the course of the season is now against the rules – isn’t everything - the result of Sebastian Vettel changing his on a race-by-race basis, we still get the occasional exception.
This weekend, Romain Grosjean will sport a special livery which pays tribute to countryman Jules Bianchi.
The Frenchman, who had previously won the 2007 French Formula Renault 2.0 and 2009 Formula 3 Euro series, looked destined for great things in F1, and a shoe-in at Ferrari, was critically injured during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, finally succumbing to his injuries in July the following year.
Months earlier in 2014, Monaco was the scene of the youngster's finest hour in F1, as he brought the Marussia home in ninth position, securing the points, and thereby prize money, that would ultimately allow the team to survive.
In recent years, before the livery change ban, other drivers have sported helmets paying tribute to their heroes, Kimi Raikkonen sporting a James Hunt design and Jean-Eric Vergne recalling Francois Cevert.
Fitting therefore that Romain remembers another fallen hero at the scene of arguably his greatest achievement.