Official: Jules Bianchi, unconscious, was evacuated by ambulance (update 1)
The Japanese Grand Prix was halted by a red flag following the accident of Jules Bianchi. The French driver was evacuated unconscious.
As Adrian Sutil’s single-seater was stationary after hitting the wall, a tow truck intervened at the scene of the accident, off the track to clear the Sauber. Moments later, Jules Bianchi’s Marussia crashed at the same location, leading to the neutralization of the race, the intervention of the safety and medical cars, and eventually the definitive stop of the race.
After long minutes, the first official statement arrived from the FIA spokesperson: « Jules Bianchi is unconscious and has just been evacuated by ambulance to the hospital. Indeed, although a helicopter was initially considered, the weather conditions made its use impossible. »
Photos taken from the stands opposite the site of Jules Bianchi’s accident show that the Marussia came to a stop near the recovery vehicle attending to Adrian Sutil’s crashed car. The German spoke to the German press: « The situation with Jules Bianchi is critical. The most important thing is that he is in good hands. I was standing next to him. I don’t want to give more details. »
Update at 1:00 p.m.: Jules Bianchi’s father, Philippe Bianchi, told France 3 that his son was currently undergoing surgery for a hematoma in the head at Tsu hospital, and no news should be expected for the next 24 hours.
The evolution of the situation can be followed here.
