Jules Bianchi transported to hospital after crash with track vehicle
Early reports state the driver hit a recovery vehicle near the end of the Japanese GP.
Photo by: WRI2
Jules Bianchi has been seriously hurt in an incident that brought Sunday's rain-affected Japanese grand prix to a sombre close.
Adrian Sutil crashed on the wet Suzuka circuit, which brought out a recovery vehicle.
Sutil told reporters Marussia driver Bianchi, a 25-year-old Frenchman and the leading Ferrari 'academy' talent, then crashed sideways into the vehicle.
Photographs circulating on Twitter show heavy damage to Bianchi's car as medical staff went to work.
The FIA made the call to stop the race, which had earlier been interrupted with the safety car amid the difficult conditions, and Bianchi was initially taken by ambulance to the medical centre.
It was believed he would be taken by helicopter to hospital, but FIA spokesman Matteo Bonciani said it could not fly "in these conditions".
"The driver is not conscious," Bonciani said, revealing that Bianchi was instead transported by ambulance with a police escort.
They have given us some information and it seems very, very serious.
Nico Rosberg
"Further updates will follow," he added, "but at the moment we cannot say anything. I will keep you updated as fast as I can."
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg said: "They have given us some information and it seems very, very serious."
Bianchi's damaged chassis was returned to an FIA garage after the race, and the British broadcaster Sky elected to film it only from a distance.
Fans and drivers are reaching out to the Marussia driver both in television interviews and on Twitter. Images from the scene show a destoryed Marussia car and emergency workers frantically working to extricate the driver.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Track limits at Austin: where is the line?
Guy Martin still wants to race after huge shunt at Ulster
Beyond the limit: Experiencing the Ulster Grand Prix
Rosberg and Vettel F1 comebacks not an option for Mercedes
How the 'fastest woman in the world' has been defying the odds in Extreme E
How Rosberg helped Hamilton match Fangio
Sainz: All my best 2025 F1 seat options are "still open"
Leclerc: Sainz simply doing a better job in recent F1 races
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What’s going on in the F1 2025 driver market?
Ricciardo says new RB F1 chassis brings "peace of mind"
Sainz: All my best 2025 F1 seat options are "still open"
Norris: McLaren can win races in F1 2024 if it gets everything right
What’s going on in the F1 2025 driver market?
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments