Formula One drivers past and present were among the mourners today at the funeral of French racing driver Anthoine Hubert, who died in a high-speed crash at the age of 22.
Alain Prost, who won four world championships between 1985 and 1993, joined the son of Michael Schumacher, current F1 driver Charles Leclerc and governing body president Jean Todt at the service in Chartres Cathedral today.
Hubert’s mother Nathalie, his father Francois, his girlfriend Julie and other relatives watched as the coffin was carried inside the 12th-century church 50 miles from Paris.
Inside the cathedral, driver’s helmets were laid out in the nave along with flowers, French flags and pictures of Hubert, who died in Belgium on August 31.
Pallbearers carry the coffin of Anthoine Hubert into Chartres Cathedral, 50 miles from Paris, today as mourners say their last goodbyes to the French Formula Two driver
Pallbearers carry the late 22-year-old F2 driver who was killed on August 31, 2019 in a crash on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit
French Formula One legend Alain Prost (pictured), who won four drivers’ world championships between 1985 and 1993, was among the mourners today
Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert (pictured earlier this year) was killed after a 160mph collision at the Belgian Grand Prix on August 31
Hubert’s mother Nathalie Hubert arrives to lay her son to rest today
Late French racing driver Anthoine Hubert’s girlfriend Julie Lajoux (pictured left) carries a French flag next to Anthoine’s mother
Ferrari driver Leclerc dedicated his maiden Grand Prix win to Hubert and had ‘RIP TONIO’ emblazoned on his helmet at the Italian race last weekend, when he won again.
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton had the message ‘Racing for Anthoine’ on his Mercedes in Italy.
Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly, another French competitor in Formula One, was also at the funeral today.
FIA chief Todt expressed his ‘heartbreaking sadness for the tragic passing of Anthoine Hubert’ after the crash on August 31.
Formula Two driver Hubert was killed after a 160mph collision at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The 22-year-old was hit by Ecuadorian-American driver Juan Manuel Correa after he had already gone off into the barriers at the Spa-Francorchamps track.
German racing driver Mick Schumacher, a Formula Two driver and the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, arrives at the cathedral today
Drivers’ helmets are laid on chairs in Chartres Cathedral ahead of the funeral ceremony on Tuesday. One of the seats is reserved for current F1 driver Charles Leclerc
Jean Todt (centre), the president of governing body FIA, arrives at the medieval church for the funeral of French driver Anthoine Hubert today
Hubert’s mother Nathalie (far right), his brother Victhor (second right), his girlfriend Julie (centre) and his father Francois (left) watch as the coffin is carried inside
Flowers, a French flag and portraits of Anthoine Hubert are laid out in the cathedral ahead of his funeral ceremony today
Correa broke both of his legs and injured his spinal cord and was transported to hospital in London last week following an operation in Liege.
Hubert graduated to Formula Two, a proving ground for Formula One hopefuls, this season after clinching the GP3 championship last year.
Driving for Arden, he won two races this year in Monaco and at his home Grand Prix in France and was eighth in the overall standings.
Hubert’s death was the first driver fatality at a Formula One race weekend since Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed at Imola in 1994.
French F1 driver Jules Bianchi died in July 2015, nine months after a head-on collision with a track-side crane at the rain-soaked Japanese GP at Suzuka.
French former drivers, Alain Prost, right, Jean Alesi, centre, and German F2 driver Mick Schumacher, left, arrive for the funeral ceremony today
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who dedicated his maiden Grand Prix triumph to Hubert, arrives at the funeral today
Clergymen wait at the entrance of the 12th-century cathedral as pallbearers carry Hubert’s coffin inside
FIA chief Jean Todt at the funeral today. After the crash he voiced his ‘heartbreaking sadness for the tragic passing of Anthoine Hubert’
The tragedy served as a stark reminder of the risks of the sport.
‘It has shocked all of us,’ Leclerc said. ‘Especially the new generation, we haven’t known that – or actually the generation that is in Formula One like Seb (Sebastian Vettel), it’s a much safer sport than a long time ago.
‘Once you are going into the car, you are trying to be in your zone, trying to think of what you need to do, and you need to race as hard as you can to finish as high as you can.
‘I’ve always been aware that there was some risk, but sometimes it’s obviously a shock when something like this happened.’
Vettel said he would rather see Formula One become boring if it could bring back Hubert as he called on the series to continue to improve safety.
‘It shows that there are still things – even if people think it’s too safe and boring – we can do better, we must improve, we must work on,’ he said.
Victor, brother of the late French racing driver Anthoine Hubert kisses his helmet at the end of the funeral ceremony in the Cathedral of Notre Dame
French police patrol on motorcycles as a French flag emblazoned with a picture of a celebrating Hubert in the background
Toro Rosso’s French driver Pierre Gasly arrives to attend the funeral today