Jules Bianchi’s father has admitted the family is having to consider the idea of the unconscious F1 driver’s death.
Eight months after the Frenchman’s horror crash at Suzuka, Bianchi is on the sport’s mind this weekend as it recalls his points-scoring and Manor-saving feats of Monaco a year ago.
Jules lies in a hospital bed just half an hour from Monaco, in his native Nice, having never woken up since crashing into a recovery vehicle in Japan last October.
Now, his grandfather Mauro Bianchi admits: "Is he coming back? How will he be? That is what hurts us the most."
Bianchi’s father Philippe says the family is even having to face the idea that Jules could die.
"Every day the phone is by our side," he told the French broadcaster Canal Plus on Thursday.
"When we get up, we think of Jules’ life but we think also of his death.
"We have to think about death because we are in a situation where we know a lot of things can happen.
"In neurological terms, I’m not sure he is able to do much now. It’s terrible. Jules’ neurological progress is not what we would like it to be," Mr Bianchi added.