Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo has finished fourth at the Japan Formula One Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton won, but the results were overshadowed by a serious crash involving Frenchman Jules Bianchi.

Bianchi was rushed to hospital unconscious after a shunt which brought the rain-hit race on Sunday to premature halt to undergo emergency surgery for a serious head injury.

“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.”

Formula One’s governing FIA said in a statement that Bianchi had “suffered a severe head injury” and would be monitored from the intensive care unit following his operation.

Hamilton ducked superbly inside fierce rival Nico Rosberg on the 29th lap and stormed away to win at Suzuka for the first time and increase his advantage over the German to 10 points with four rounds left this season.

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel finished third for Red Bull.

“I had a lot more pace that Nico and it’s not a very easy circuit to follow on,” Hamilton told reporters.

“But fortunately I was able to get quite close, particularly in the last corner. I was confident with the balance of the car and stuck it out.

“After that I was attacking, attacking and then I could take different lines and manage it differently. Obviously it didn’t finish the way I would have hoped and my prayers are with Jules and his family.”

Ricciardo started from sixth on the grid and made good progress to finish behind teammate Vettel, picking up 12 points to put him on 193 – 73 behind Hamilton.