F1 star Jules Bianchi's recovery from horror crash 'stagnant'
FORMULA One star Jules Bianchi's recovery from a horror crash which left him fighting for his life is "stagnant", his father has said.
Jules Bianchi crashed at the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2014
Philippe Bianchi said his son, who was put into an artificial coma after the high speed smash at a rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix last October, had failed to show any significant improvement.
The situation is stagnant, Jules' neurological progress is not what we would like
He said: "The situation is stagnant, Jules' neurological progress is not what we would like."
He started showing signs of recovery a month after the incident, when he was taken out of the coma and repatriated from Japan to a hospital in Nice, in his native France.
The F1 driver is still recovering from his head injuries in Nice.
The French driving sensation was part of team Marussia
The horrific crash left the young driver with head injuries
Last year's crash happened when Bianchi's car hit a recovery vehicle that had been attending an earlier crash.
He underwent surgery soon after and was then moved to intensive care.
The race was red-flagged and then declared over after 44 laps.
The 25-year-old entered Formula One as a test driver in 2011
Speaking last month, the 25-year-old's father sounded a more upbeat message over his son's health.
He said in April: "The only thing we can say is that he's fiercely fighting as he always did, before and after the accident."
"From a medical point of view, his condition is stable.
"All his organs are working without assistance. But for now, it remains unconscious, in a coma."
In the wake of the tragedy, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) recommended that race start times be brought forward to avoid driving in the dark.
Bianchi is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, three-time World Champion in the GT category