Jules Bianchi’s funeral is being held in his hometown of Nice, France, as tributes to the Formula 1 driver continue to be paid.

Family, friends and fellow drivers are attending the service at Nice’s cathedral while his fans gathered outside.

Jules Bianchi, 25, died on July 17 from result of head injuries in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

His car number, 17, is being retired from F1 in his honor.

Jules Bianchi had been in a coma since crashing his Marussia car into a recovery vehicle at a rain-hit race last October.

He is the first F1 driver to die from injuries sustained in a grand prix since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

Tributes are expected to be paid at Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.

A number of Formula 1 colleagues travelled to Nice to pay their respects on July 21. Large posters of Jules Bianchi were draped outside the cathedral entrance.

Announcing his death on July 18, Jules Bianchi’s family said: “Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end.”

The Marussia team, now known as Manor, said Jules Bianchi had left an “indelible mark on all our lives”.