Jules Bianchi father issues plea after karts stolen

The father of Jules Bianchi, Philippe, has shared a post on social media asking people to watch out for JB17 karts on sale after they were stolen from the family.

Bianchi made his F1 debut in 2013 with Marussia and scored the team's first points at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix.

As a Ferrari junior driver, Bianchi was tipped for a future position with the Italian team before his life was tragically cut short.

Bianchi suffered significant injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix in treacherous conditions and died nine months later.

Over 11 years after his passing, Bianchi is still fondly remembered by the F1 and wider racing community.

However, in a painful post shared by his father, Phillippe has revealed that several karts were stolen from the family.

This includes one of Bianchi's final karts before he made his step up to single-seater racing.

“Dear friends, tonight I am addressing my karting family,” Philippe Bianchi wrote. 

“Last night we were burgled and the unscrupulous thieves made off with nine JB17 Forever chassis. 

“Even worse, they stole Jules' last kart, a KZ 125 ART GP model, as well as my grandsons' mini karts. 

“Apart from the value of the machines, it is the sentimental value that hurts us. If you see any JB17 karts in circulation, please let me know. Thank you in advance.”