FIA to retire Bianchi's number 17

Car number 17 will no longer be available in Formula One, with the FIA retiring the number in tribute to Jules Bianchi.

The FIA has confirmed that car number 17 will be retired as a mark of a respect for Jules Bianchi, who died on Friday.

Bianchi suffered a serious head injury in October last year after colliding with a recovery vehicle at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old, whose funeral is to take place in Nice on Tuesday, underwent surgery and remained in intensive care, but a family statement over the weekend confirmed he had passed away.

Each driver is allowed to select a number for their car, and Formula One governing body the FIA has decided to remove number 17 in tribute to Bianchi.

"Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile announced the car number 17 will be retired from the FIA Formula One World Championship in honour of Jules Bianchi," an FIA statement read.

"As F1 car numbers are now personally chosen by each driver, the FIA believes it to be an appropriate gesture to retire Jules Bianchi's number 17. As a result, this number can no longer be used for a car competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship."

Bianchi was tipped by many for a bright future in F1 and Ferrari's former president, Luca Di Montezemolo, said the Frenchman had been earmarked for a future role with the Italian constructor to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

"Jules was one of us, part of the Ferrari family," he told Sky Sport Italia. "And he was the driver we had chosen for the future, once the collaboration with Kimi Raikkonen had finished."