The world of motorsport, and Formula One especially, has been robbed of a compelling talent in Jules Bianchi, who undeniably had the potential to become a world champion.
For the first time since the death of three-times champion Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994, F1 is mourning the loss of a driver to have succumbed to his injuries sustained during a grand prix event.
For a sport in which death and glory were once uneasy bedfellows, 21 years may appear an inordinate amount of time, but in truth, it is a death that has come far too soon for F1.
During those two decades, motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, has made inexorable strides in safety, but it has to be acknowledged that no matter the measures taken, not every eventuality can be accounted for.
Such is the case with 25-year-old Frenchman Bianchi, who suffered a diffuse axonal brain injury in the wake of colliding with a recovery vehicle during last October's Japanese Grand Prix.
Bianchi underwent emergency surgery at the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi in the immediate aftermath, but never regained consciousness.
Without doubt, the F1 world is a far poorer place without Bianchi's presence.
Shortly before the fatal crash, Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon had described Bianchi as "not only an exceptional Formula One driver, but also an exceptional human being", adding that "everybody loves him".
Such words are a fitting epitaph.
Bianchi was certainly an engaging character, as he was cool, calm, modest, occasionally quiet off track, but incredibly astute and intuitive on it.
Racing was in Bianchi's blood as grandfather Mauro successfully took part in F3 and endurance events, particularly in Alpine-Renault, the latter ensuring he was one of the great figures in the sport in the 1960s.
Then there was uncle Lucien, who won Le Mans in 1968, the year he was also third in the Monaco Grand Prix, the only time he finished on the podium in 17 grands prix.
It was Le Mans, though, where Lucien lost his life a year later as the Alfa Romeo he was driving struck a pole during a test, bursting into flames upon impact.
Bianchi was an early developer as he sat behind the wheel of his first kart aged three, and was racing just two years later.
The fact father Philippe once managed the Brignoles karting track where Bianchi made his debut naturally played a key role in his development.
In 2006, and with his talent obvious, Bianchi was signed up by Nicolas Todt, son of FIA president Jean.
A year later and Bianchi was racing cars, proving an immediate sensation as he won the French Formula Renault 2.0 series
Moving up a level to the Formula 3 Euro Series a year later, Bianchi finished third overall with two victories to his name, as well as a win in the renowned Masters event at Zolder.
With experience under his belt, the title in the same series followed in 2009 courtesy of nine wins with ART Grand Prix. Current Williams driver Valtteri Bottas was one of his team-mates.
Most importantly, though, Bianchi had done enough to catch the eye of Ferrari, becoming the first to sign up to their driver academy.
The next step up the ladder was GP2, with Bianchi third overall in the drivers' standings in both 2010 and 2011.
It was enough, though, to earn him the test driver role with Force India in 2012, impressing in the nine practice sessions in which he was allowed to participate that year.
Come the start of 2013 it appeared as if Bianchi would take up a race seat with the team alongside Paul Di Resta, only to be overlooked for the more experienced Adrian Sutil.
Such disappointment, however, was short-lived when Marussia took on Bianchi after the sponsorship package agreed with initial signing Luiz Razia failed to materialise.
Driving inferior machinery compared to the majority of the grid, Bianchi proved himself time and again, with his highlight coming in May 2014.
In Marussia's fifth season and 83rd grand prix in F1, Bianchi finally conjured the marque's maiden top-10 finish with ninth position in, of all places, Monaco.
Displaying speed and skill, Bianchi had been touted as a Ferrari driver of the future, with the suggestion it could have been as early as 2015 in the possibility of F1 teams running three cars.
Certainly, Bianchi was viewed as a star at both Marussia and Ferrari, forming a close bond at the latter with Fernando Alonso.
As a fitness fanatic, the duo often trained together at Maranello, with Bianchi even running in his first half-marathon in Toulon in September.
Given such dedication to himself and his sport, if a role at Ferrari had presented itself, who knows what could have been achieved?
Bianchi is survived by not only father Philippe, but also mother Christine, brother Tom and sister Melanie.
Source: PA
