Philippe Bianchi’s made an appeal to the karting community that nobody should ever have to make. The father of late Jules Bianchi has revealed that thieves stole nine karts from the family, including his son’s final kart before his Formula 1 career. That’s the KZ 125 ART GP model Jules drove before making the step to single-seaters, before Ferrari signed him as a junior, before Marussia gave him his F1 debut in 2013. Before Suzuka 2014 changed everything forever.
The theft also included mini karts belonging to Philippe’s grandsons. So alongside losing Jules’ last kart, the family’s watching the next generation’s racing memories get stolen too. Because apparently targeting a family still mourning one of F1’s most devastating tragedies wasn’t heartless enough already, was it?
The Facebook Appeal Nobody Wants To Write
Philippe took to Facebook with a message to “my karting family” explaining what happened. Nine JB17 Forever chassis vanished during the burglary. Among them sat that KZ 125 model, the tangible connection to Jules’ journey from karting prodigy to F1 talent destined for Ferrari‘s race seat.
“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.” – Philippe Bianchi
That’s properly devastating from someone who’s already endured losing his son in the most horrific circumstances. The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka delivered treacherous conditions that should’ve triggered red flags long before they did. Jules aquaplaned off track at Dunlop Corner, colliding with a recovery vehicle attending Adrian Sutil’s earlier crash at the same location. Severe head injuries. Emergency surgery. Induced coma. Nine months of hope that gradually faded until Jules passed away on July 17, 2015, having never regained consciousness.
Formula 1 retired his number 17 in honour. The sport introduced the Halo cockpit protection device partly because of what happened to Jules. Charles Leclerc, Jules’ godson, carries his memory into every race for Ferrari. But Philippe’s family home contained something more personal than tribute helmets or retired numbers. That final kart represented the beginning of everything Jules achieved before motorsport’s most dangerous corner stole his future.
When “Unscrupulous Thieves” Doesn’t Quite Capture It
Philippe’s asked anyone who spots JB17 karts “in circulation” to contact him immediately. Fair request when you’re hoping someone recognises stolen property before it disappears into private collections or gets dismantled for parts. The karting community’s typically close-knit, which offers some hope that these chassis might surface somewhere identifiable.
But here’s the uncomfortable reality. Whoever stole these karts either knew exactly what they were taking or didn’t care enough to check. Nine chassis don’t vanish accidentally. That’s targeted theft from someone familiar with karting equipment, its value, and where to find it. Whether they recognised Jules’ name on that KZ 125 model remains unknown. Perhaps they simply grabbed everything available without considering whose memories they were destroying.
The monetary value matters, obviously. Nine competition karts represent substantial financial loss. But Philippe’s explicitly stating that’s not what hurts most. It’s the sentimental value, the irreplaceable connection to Jules’ early career before F1’s brutal reality intervened. You can replace stolen equipment. You can’t replace memories.
The Monaco Points That Promised Everything
Jules made his F1 debut with Marussia in 2013. The following season delivered his career highlight at Monaco, where he dragged that backmarker machinery into ninth place. Marussia’s first-ever championship points. Proof that Jules belonged at F1’s top level despite racing for a team perpetually struggling at the grid’s rear.
Ferrari had already recognised his talent, signing him to their driver academy. The path seemed clear. Develop at Marussia, demonstrate consistent performance, earn the Ferrari promotion everyone expected. Then Suzuka happened six races after Monaco’s triumph, and motorsport lost someone Charles Leclerc calls his greatest inspiration.
The Halo device that’s since saved Romain Grosjean’s life in Bahrain 2020, protected Zhou Guanyu during his Silverstone 2022 roll, and prevented serious injury to Lewis Hamilton after his Monza 2021 collision with Max Verstappen exists partly because of Jules. Toto Wolff explicitly credited the device for saving Hamilton when Verstappen’s Red Bull landed on his Mercedes. Those innovations matter. But they came too late for someone whose talent deserved decades more racing, not nine months in a coma.
The Karting Community’s Response
Philippe’s appeal has spread across social media as the karting world shares his message. That close-knit community understands the significance of that stolen KZ 125 model far beyond its mechanical components. Jules Bianchi represents what karting graduates can achieve, the dream every young driver chases whilst learning racecraft at local circuits.
Whether these karts resurface remains uncertain. Stolen racing equipment often gets sold quickly through channels that don’t ask uncomfortable questions about provenance. But the visibility Philippe’s appeal has generated creates genuine hope that someone, somewhere might recognise these specific chassis and contact the family.
The theft also took mini karts belonging to Philippe’s grandsons. So Jules’ nephews are learning the same skills their uncle mastered before reaching Formula 1. That generational connection to racing makes this theft even more painful. It’s not just history being stolen. It’s the link between past and future, between what Jules achieved and what the next generation hopes to accomplish.
More Than Metal and Carbon Fibre
Racing memorabilia holds value that transcends monetary calculations. That final kart represents Jules’ journey from promising youngster to Formula 1 talent destined for Ferrari. Every scratch, every adjustment, every lap completed tells part of his story before Suzuka ended everything.
Philippe’s appeal isn’t just about recovering stolen property. It’s about preserving memories that can never be recreated. If you spot JB17 karts appearing anywhere suspicious, contact the family. Because some thefts hurt far beyond what insurance companies calculate.
