Philippe Bianchi Appeals for Stolen Karts of Late Son Jules

Philippe Bianchi, the father of the late Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi, has issued an emotional appeal to the karting community after thieves stole several karts from the family's storage, including the one his son raced in his final karting competition. The burglary occurred on Monday at a facility owned by the family in France, where Jules began his racing career as a child.

In a post on social media directed at his "karting family," Philippe Bianchi described the loss of nine JB17 Forever chassis, the KZ 125 ART GP model that marked Jules' last karting outing before transitioning to single-seater racing, and mini karts belonging to his grandsons. "Last night we were burgled, and the unscrupulous thieves made off with nine JB17 Forever chassis," he wrote. "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 the most. If you see any JB17 karts in circulation, please let me know. Thank you in advance."

The theft has deeply affected the Bianchi family, who view the items as irreplaceable links to Jules' early days in motorsport. Jules Bianchi started...