Jules Bianchi family launch legal action over driver's fatal crash

The family of Jules Bianchi are to launch legal action against Formula One Group, the sport's governing body and the late driver's former Marussia team.

Bianchi passed away in July 2015 as a result of severe head injuries suffered in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix nine months earlier.

Lawyers acting for the 25-year-old's father, Philippe Bianchi, have accused those involved of contributing to the Frenchman's death through errors leading to his fatal accident.

A report looking into the tragic incident found that Bianchi did not slow down sufficiently in the rain-affected race, but his family are now challenging that verdict in the hope that it will be overturned.

In a statement, Philippe Bianchi said: "We seek justice for Jules, and want to establish the truth about the decisions that led to our son's crash. As a family, we have so many unanswered questions and feel that Jules' accident and death could have been avoided if a series of mistakes had not been made."

Letters have been sent to Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Group, the FIA and Marussia - now Manor - by London-based litigation firm Stewarts Law.