FormulaRapida.net starts its particular review of Jules Bianchi’s life in the first article of #BianchiMemories, where we’re going to remember the best moments in his career. Today’s article talks about his debut in an open-wheel car.
A debut in a single-seater that started at age of 17 in a national series that doesn’t exist anymore, the France Formula Renault 2.0. Bianchi won the championship at his first attempt with 5 victories, 5 pole positions, 10 fastest laps and 11 podiums that makes him win the championship easily, without any retirements and a 5th place in Magny Cours as the worst result.
The driver from Nice was the last champion of the series before his unification with Belgium & Iberan Formula Renault 2.0, creating the Formula Renault 2.0 Western European Cup.
Bianchi raced for SG Formula squad where he was the team mate of drivers like Charles Pic – former Formula 1 driver, or Nelson Panciatici -24 hours of Le Mans driver. In this list of important names there are Tristan Vautier –IndyCar driver, Jon Lancaster –GP2 race winner, Kévin Estre –McLaren endurance driver, Alexander Sims –GP3 race winner, Nicolas Marroc -24hours of Le Mans driver, and the Belgian Maxime Martin – BMW driver at DTM.
Being a part of SG Formula meant doing some Eurocup races, one of the most competitive championships in the world. The Frenchman did 3 rounds as a wild card in Nürburgring, Hungaroring and Catalunya, where he finished on ninth place in a 37 drivers field. It was the first weekend that he raced in the French and the Eurocup championship in the same weekend.
That ninth place of Jules at Catalunya was worthy of merit if we know that he started from sixth place, then down to fourteen at the start, and then comeback to ninth at the end of the race to say goodbye to a car that he wasn’t going to drive ever again.
Here you have the only video that we found of him at France Formula Renault 2.0:
Then at the off-season, Bianchi tested for ART Grand Prix in Formula 3 which caused his introduction at the team of his manager, Nicolas Todt, where he had as a team mate, again, the British Jon Lancaster. Bianchi’s 2008 season will be reported soon.