(CNN) The brightly colored crash helmet still sits on the lounge table -- his driver's suit hangs in the kitchen.

It has been a year since Formula One driver Jules Bianchi died in an accident watched by millions across the world -- a year that has brought unimaginable pain to the Bianchi family.

"Every day, every time I see his photography, I cry," his father Philippe Bianchi tells CNN's Amanda Davies.

Sunday July 17 marks the anniversary when Jules succumbed to the horrendous injuries he suffered after a high-speed crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

Phillipe has not watched the crash again -- he does not want to relive that moment. "To lose a child is not normal. For all the parents who lose children it's difficult," he says. "It's difficult for me. It's difficult for his mother. It's difficult for all."

Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi French driver Jules Bianchi poses for a photograph during Formula One winter testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on February 28, 2014. The world of F1 was shaken by the death of the popular driver on July 17, 2015, after he suffered a serious head injury during a crash nine months earlier at the Japanese Grand Prix on October 5, 2014. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi Bianchi receives urgent medical treatment after crashing during the Japanese GP at the Suzuka Circuit. The crash was seen by millions of F1 fans watching around the world. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi Family and friends of Bianchi, including fellow F1 drivers, stand by his coffin after his funeral at the Cathedrale Sainte Reparate in Nice on July 21, 2015 in southeastern France. Bianchi died in a hospital in his hometown of Nice from head injuries he sustained in the October 5, 2014 crash. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi A man pays his respects below a poster showing Bianchi, after the driver's funeral ceremony at the Cathedrale Sainte Reparate in Nice on July 21, 2015, in southeastern France. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi Fernando Alonso of Spain comforts Bianchi's father Philippe after the family and F1 drivers observed a minute's silence before the Hungarian GP at the Hungaroring on July 26, 2015 in Budapest, Hungary. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi The Bianchi family and fellow drivers observe a minute's silence as they form a huddle around their helmets, including the late Bianchi's, before the start of the Hungarian GP at the Hungaroring on July 26, 2015 in Budapest, Hungary. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi A Bianchi tribute is displayed by a fan at Japan's Suzuka Circuit on September 24, 2015 in Suzuka, Japan. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi Bianchi drives during the Japanese GP at the Suzuka Circuit on the day of the accident that caused his fatal injuries, October 5, 2014, in Suzuka, Japan. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Remembering F1 driver Jules Bianchi Bianchi puts on his helmet in the pits during the first practice session ahead of the German GP at the Hockenheimring in Hockenheim, Germany on July 18, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 9

Senna

It was on October 5 2014 that Bianchi sustained a "diffuse axonal injury" after crashing into a recovery vehicle on the 43rd lap at Suzuka -- a potentially devastating type of brain injury which causes widespread tearing of nerve fibers across the whole of the brain, according to the UK brain injury charity, Headway.

He was rushed to hospital by road -- the torrential rain making it too treacherous to travel by helicopter.

Within an hour, Philippe was on the airplane to Japan.

Not since Ayrton Senna's untimely death at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 had the sport lost a driver -- the Brazilian three-time world champion losing his life just 24 hours after Austrian Roland Ratzenberger had died during qualifying at Imola.

Portrait of Jules Bianchi.

Philippe knew almost immediately after watching the crash that something had gone badly wrong.

He had watched Jules career off the track at turn seven, slamming straight into a recovery vehicle as it attended another car.

A phone call from Japan urged him to get on the airplane as soon as possible -- the prognosis was not good.

Last conversation

Just 24 hours earlier he had sent Jules his customary pre-race message.

"I am with you -- tomorrow I am with you in your car," Philippe said.

Bianchi did not respond. It was the first time he had not responded.

"Perhaps he knew that he had a problem ..."

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Philippe was taken to Yokkaichi's Mie General Hospital, less 10 miles away from the Suzuka circuit upon landing, where he met with doctors.

He recalls a frantic and hectic scene with his son on life support as doctors explained the severity of Jules' condition.

For weeks Philippe and Jules' mother Christine remained in Japan sitting by their son's bedside.

It was in November that he was brought out of his artificial coma and transported home to France where he passed away. He was 25.

"He was a very, very beautiful son," Philippe said. "He was a good man, a good friend. I know this because friends speak with me and say how special he was."

Talent

Jules had been signed up by Ferrari in its young drivers program before being loaned out to gain experience.

Jules Bianchi's helmet.

In 2011, he became a test and reserve driver for Ferrari before performing a similar role at Force India in 2012.

It was in 2013 that he moved to Marussia where he produced a number of impressive drives -- including a ninth-place finish at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix.

Legal fight

Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi Formula One drivers -- including Pastor Maldonado and Felipe Massa (seen here) -- attend the funeral of racer Jules Bianchi, who was honored in a service at the Cathedrale Sainte Reparate in Nice on July 21. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi A large crowd gathered to pay tribute to the Marussia driver, who died following the effects of head injuries sustained in a crash in rainy conditions at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi World champion Lewis Hamilton was one of many drivers who attended the funeral of their popular racing peer. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg pauses at the main entrance to the cathedral where tributes had been lain below a portrait of Jules Bianchi in his Marussia racing suit. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi Sebastian Vettel (right) helped carry Bianchi's coffin. Here he hugs Philippe Bianchi, the father of Jules Bianchi. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: F1 stars pay tribute to Jules Bianchi Bianchi began his F1 career in 2011 as a Ferrari test driver. The Frenchman's career-best result was ninth at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. He was also a popular figure in F1's close community. Hide Caption 6 of 6

At his home in Nice, where the sun shines through and the beautiful color of the Mediterranean glistens, Philippe sits trying to hold back the tears.

In the midst of a legal wrangle with the sport's authorities over his son's death and a personal battle to cope with his loss, he remains ensconced in grief.

Now, he wants answers as to why his son died -- and why more wasn't done to protect him.

In the days after the crash, Marussia said it was "shocked and angered" by claims Bianchi had not reduced his speed and that the team had actively encouraged him not to do so.

According to the official 396-page report, Bianchi lost control of his Marussia before crashing into the 6.8-tonne recovery tractor just 2.61 seconds later at a speed of 78 mph.

The findings angered Philippe who rejected the accusations that his son was responsible for the crash, and the Bianchi family feels more should have been done to prevent Jules' death.

"I have lost the single-most important thing in my life and have nothing to lose," Philippe says of the decision to take legal action against the FIA, F1 and Marussia, which is now the Manor team.

"I want the memory of Jules to be right. It's not possible for me and his mother to see people that say it was Jules' responsibility."

The FIA, the Formula One Group and Manor did not immediately all failed to respond to CNN's request for a comment.

Tributes were laid next to the Manor Marussia garage before the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix.

Legacy

To protect his son's legacy, the family set up the Jules Bianchi Foundation in April to support young kart racing drivers and help develop them into F1 drivers.

The loss of his son, and indeed his uncle who was killed in an accident at Le Mans in 1969, has not deterred Philippe's involvement in motorsport.

Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda was critically burnt in a near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring 40 years ago. Nonetheless, he believes "too much safety will destroy the sport."

Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Now 67, the Austrian had championed the importance of safety in the build up to that fateful 1976 German Grand Prix. But, though he called for his fellow drivers to boycott it, the race at the famous Nurburgring circuit went ahead. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Close to death after inhaling toxic gas and suffering severe burns, Lauda returned to racing just six weeks after the accident -- though he was left with permanent scarring. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Today, he works as the non-executive chairman at the Mercedes F1 team and collected the 2016 Laureus Award for a lifetime of sporting achievement. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – The former champion is not the only one to address the safety situation in motorsport. Alluding to the "halo" design considered for implementation next year, Nico Hulkenberg told CNN: "For me single seated racing in F1 has always been open, and I would like to see it open in the future." Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Daniil Kvyat has also weighed into the debate, telling CNN: "It's an important part of my job that this is that this sport is dangerous, and we have to maintain it as such." Above, Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez crashes out in dramatic fashion at the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Spanish driver Fernando Alonso suffered a bad crash at the Australian Grand Prix this year. Alonso missed the following race in Bahrain due to fractured ribs. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Tragically, Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman died last year as a result of injuries suffered in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Niki Lauda: 'Too much safety will destroy F1' Lauda warns against "too much safety" – Ayrton Senna, considered by many to be the greatest F1 driver of all time, is another to have lost his life on the racetrack. The triple world champion died following at crash at the Imola Circuit in 1994 Hide Caption 9 of 9

Even when Jules was in hospital, Philippe kept going back to the track and encouraging the next generation.

Looking back now, would he have ever told his own son that becoming a driver in Formula One was too dangerous?

"Impossible," he says. "When he was born, he was born to be a professional driver.

"Perhaps today I think that some people prefer to have the life of Jules -- 25 years old when he died but a beautiful life," he says.

"It is better than to live until 80 and to not have a beautiful life."