Jules Bianchi crash halts Japanese GP; Lewis Hamilton wins abbreviated race

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won a wet Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to complete a hat-trick of victories and extend his championship lead over Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg to 10 points with four races remaining.

Rosberg finished second in a race that needed two starts behind the safety car and ended before the full distance due to a crash that saw Marussia’s French driver Jules Bianchi rushed to hospital.

“The driver is not conscious and has been sent to the hospital by the ambulance because the helicopter cannot fly in these conditions. Further updates will follow but for the moment we cannot say anything. I will keep you updated as fast as I can,” FIA head of communications Matteo Bonciani told reporters.

No further details were available and there was no immediate comment from Bianchi’s Marussia team.

The accident occurred at the same point of the track, the Dunlop Curve, where Adrian Sutil had aquaplaned off a lap earlier and involved a rescue tractor that was recovering the stricken Sauber.

Sutil, who was not hurt in his accident, said Bianchi’s accident was very similar to his.

“It was more or less the same crash, just the outcome was a bit different,” he told Sky television.

“The car (tractor) came out to rescue my car and then it all happened.”

UPDATE:

Frenchman Jules Bianchi underwent emergency surgery on Sunday after crashing in slippery conditions near the end of an incident-packed Japanese Grand Prix.

Formula One’s governing International Motoring Federation (FIA) said the 25-year-old had been rushed to hospital after suffering a “severe head injury” and had gone into surgery.

Bianchi was taken to hospital by ambulance, still unconscious, after colliding with a recovery vehicle which was attempting to lift Adrian Sutil’s Sauber away from danger after the German himself had skidded into a wall on lap 42 at Suzuka.

The FIA said that Bianchi would continue to be monitored in intensive care following his operation.

“The driver was removed from the car, taken to the circuit medical centre and then by ambulance to Mie General Hospital,” FIA press officer Matteo Bonciani said in a statement.

“The CT scan shows that he has suffered a severe head injury and he is currently undergoing surgery. Following this he will be moved to intensive care where he will be monitored.”

The FIA added: “A recovery vehicle was despatched in order to lift (Sutil’s) car and take it to a place of safety behind the guardrail. While this was being done the driver of car 17, Jules Bianchi, lost control of his car, travelled across the run-off area and hit the back of the tractor.

“Once the marshals reported that the driver was injured, medical teams were despatched and the Safety Car was deployed. These were followed by an extrication team and an ambulance.”

“Jules is seriously injured,” Bianchi’s father Philippe told France 3 television. “He is undergoing surgery for a head injury and we will need to wait 24 hours to know any more on his condition.”

Sutil witnessed Bianchi’s shunt after going out himself.

“I had a spin and ended up in the wall,” he said. “I stood up and they tried to rescue the car. Jules was in the same area and lost the car. Hopefully he is in good hands.”

“It’s obviously a real anti-climax to hear that one of our fellow colleagues is seriously injured so that’s really the main worry,” Mercedes’ race winner Lewis Hamilton told the BBC.

“You could see some commotion and the car was really badly damaged on the right. We just hope he’s OK.”

“I’m not thinking about the race, I’m thinking about my colleague,” said the Briton’s second placed teammate Nico Rosberg.

“I’ve been given some information and it seems very, very serious. I’m hoping for the best.”

Germany’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who announced on Saturday he was leaving Red Bull Racing at the end of the season, finished third.

The win was Hamilton’s eighth of the season and first at Suzuka, with his only other win in Japan coming at the Fuji circuit with McLaren in 2007.

Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE