Race report:
Lewis Hamilton won a disrupted, wet and ultimately aborted Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, leading home team-mate Nico Rosberg to extend his world championship lead by a further seven points.
Despite Mercedes recording yet another one-two, the mood in the pitlane was a sombre one, as the race was called off on lap 46 with Jules Bianchi taken to hospital after a race-ending crash involving the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil.
The race’s conclusion was initially triggered by a sudden downpour under which Sutil spun his Sauber into the wall at the Dunlop Curve. Yellow flags waved, but no safety car was called as the recovery crane began to remove the German’s car. Although not shown on TV, Bianchi appeared to have arrived on the scene, spinning sideways into the crane.
Bianchi was not heard to have responded to his team over the radio, with an ambulance deployed to the scene of the accident. The FIA later confirmed that the Frenchman was unconscious and that his ambulance was given a police escort to a nearby hospital.
Two hours earlier, the race got off to a disrupted start, with only two laps behind the safety car before the red flag flew for the first time, with poor visibility, aquaplaning and Marcus Ericsson even spinning his Caterham under caution. After a 15 minute delay with the cars sat in the pitlane, the race was restarted, again under the safety car.
But Fernando Alonso only lasted four corners into the second restart before his power unit cut out, causing him his second retirement in three races.
Eight safety car laps followed before racing got underway, with cars heading straight for the pits over the next four laps to switch to intermediates. Jenson Button pulled a masterstroke during this time, as he usually does in such weather, pitting as the safety car came in, and jumping everyone bar the two Mercedes to run third when the order settled down.
Once on intermediates, Rosberg led Hamilton and Button, followed by the two Williams’ and the two Red Bulls. However, Valterri Bottas and Felipe Massa were clearly struggling with a sub-optimal rain set up, losing their places to the Red Bulls over the next four laps.
The race then settled down, with Hamilton ever so slowly closing Rosberg down. On lap 29, the Brit finally made a move stick, sweeping around the outside into turn one to take the lead.
A second round of pitstops followed, with the two Red Bulls pitting earlier and therefore jumping Button, who fell to fifth. All three then began to close down Rosberg, but the difference between those on wets and those on intermediates never became apparent due to the race’s final interruption.
Sutil’s crash, followed by the undisclosed severity of Bianchi’s, initially led to the deployment of the safety car, before red flags flew and the race was called off with the remaining cars lined up in the pitlane.
Hamilton therefore took the win, ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo and Button. The Williams’ were next up, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India, Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso and the other Force India of Sergio Perez.
Another outstanding drive for Hamilton in wet conditions now leaves the Brit ten points clear in the world championship with four races to run.
However, an appreciation of the winner’s wet weather driving and any joy at a race victory has now been put on hold, as the F1 community awaits news of Bianchi’s condition.
Race results:
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team |
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 3 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull |
| 5 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren |
| 6 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams |
| 7 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India |
| 9 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India |
| 11 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso |
| 12 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari |
| 13 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren |
| 15 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus |
| 16 | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus |
| 17 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham |
| 18 | 4 | Max Chilton | Marussia |
| 19 | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham |
| 20 | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia |
| 21 | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber |
