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 said the 25-year-old had been rushed to hospital on Sunday 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 that was attempting to lift Adrian Sutil’s Sauber away from danger after the German 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.
Bianchi’s father Philippe told France 3 television his son was seriously injured.
“He is undergoing surgery for a head injury and we will need to wait 24 hours to know any more on his condition.”
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton won Sunday’s race, which had been threatened by a typhoon and began behind the safety car with drivers complaining over team radios that they were unable to see through the spray.
Starting in second behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, Hamilton had radioed: “Tell Nico not to do anything dramatic cos I can’t see him.”
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.”
The safety car and medical car were sent out and the race brought to a premature halt, giving Hamilton his eighth victory of the season, although the Briton’s celebrations were muted as news of Bianchi’s accident filtered through.
“We’re all very concerned about our colleague, Bianchi,” Hamilton said.
“I don’t really know what to say. Obviously (the race) didn’t finish the way we would have hoped but really, my prayers are with him and his family.”
Formula One has been relatively free of bad crashes in recent years following safety-improving measures that were implemented in the wake of the last fatality to hit the sport – that of Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
