Intro:

Mourners gather for the funeral of Formula One Manor-Marussia driver Jules Bianchi on Tuesday (21st July) in Nice, France.

Script:

The world of motorsport gathered in Nice today for the funeral of F1 driver Jules Bianchi.

The 25 year-old Frenchman died on Friday after having spent 9 months in a coma following a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, where his car hit a recovery vehicle in wet conditions.

He suffered serious head injuries and was treated in intensive care in Japan before being transferred to a hospital in Nice in November.

Many of Bianchi's Formula 1 colleagues, including Nico Rosberg and world champion Lewis Hamilton, joined his family and friends at the funeral service in Nice.

And legions of fans gathered outside to pay tribute to the Manor driver.

His car number, 17, is being retired from F1 in his honour.

He is the first F1 driver to die from injuries sustained in a grand prix since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.