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Bianchi's father "less optimistic" about recovery

Jules Bianchi's father Philippe says he is now more pessimistic about the chances of his son recovering from the injuries he suffered at the Japanese Grand Prix last year.

Basile Davoine

Edited: Jul 14, 2015, 11:42 AM

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Max Chilton, Marussia F1 Team MR03 carries a message of support for Jules Bianchi

Williams FW36 engine cover with message of support for Jules Bianchi (FRA)

A message of support from the circuit for Jules Bianchi

Ferrari F14-T engine cover with a message of support for Jules Bianchi

Massimo Rivola, Ferrari Sporting Director; Fernando Alonso, Ferrari; Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari Team Principal; Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari and members of the Ferrari and Marussia F1 Team show their support for Jules Bianchi

The Marussia F1 Team MR03 of Jules Bianchi, Marussia F1 Team

The Marussia F1 Team MR03 of Max Chilton, Marussia F1 Team carries the #JB17 hashtag as a message of support for Jules Bianchi

The Marussia F1 Team MR03 of Jules Bianchi, carries messages of support, with the hashtags #ForzaJules and #JB17

The former Marussia driver remains in a coma in a Nice hospital nine months after his accident at Suzuka.

His family remain at his bedside but, in an interview with France Info on Monday, Philippe Bianchi said he was not encouraged by the current situation.

"It's unbearable, it's a daily torture," Philippe Bianchi said. "We sometimes feel like we're going crazy, because for me, it certainly is more terrible than if he had died.

"For we're not able to help him more than we can."

No significant progress

Recovering from an accident like Bianchi's normally requires significant improvement within the first six months, something that has not happened in this case.

And although Philippe reveals that his son has been able to grasp the hand of people standing next to him, he is unsure if it is a conscious behaviour or just a reflex.

"Time goes by and I am now less optimistic than I may have been two or three months after the crash, when we could hope for a better evolution," he explained.

He added: "At some point, you need to be well-grounded and realise how serious the situation is."

Fearing after-effects

While emerging from his coma may be a miracle in itself for Bianchi, his father says that could open up fresh complications.

"If he finds himself with huge disabilities, we're pretty sure it's not at all what Jules would want," he said.

"We had talked about it. He told us that if he were to have an accident similar to Michael Schumacher's, if he were even just not to be able to drive anymore, it would be very hard for him to accept it. Because it was his life."

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