UPDATE:
Jules Bianchi has been taken to hospital after being left unconscious following an accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Just one lap after Adrian Sutil had gone off the track at Turn 7, Bianchi crashed at the same place and his Marussia car hit the recovery vehicle. The incident was not caught on the TV world feed but soon after the safety car was deployed along with the medical car to the scene of the accident.
The FIA confirmed Bianchi was unconscious and taken to hospital by ambulance soon after the race, although further details about his condition are not known at this time.
What no one is expecting is a runaway winner today. If we get a race at all it’s likely that the safety car is going to be used extensively, given the encroaching typhoon. Everyone involved is hoping that the weather stays away long enough for us to get a race in, but, quite frankly, the idea of liveblogging an actual typhoon sounds like a lot of fun to me!
START
Marcus Ericsson has already spun out into the gravel, just coming through the final corner. Looks like his race is over. Replays suggest he just lost it coming round the curve. Oh dear, such a good qualifying for Ericsson yesterday and it looks like it’s all come to nought.
“Make sure Rosberg doesn’t do any dramatic stops as I can’t see him!” complains Hamilton after coming very close to the back of his team-mate.
he medical car has parked up by Sutil’s Sauber. I thought I saw Sutil get out of the car so let’s hope that’s just a precaution.
There’s complete confusion out there currently, there’s not a train of cars behind the safety car but a lot of cars travelling around the circuit slowly.
Hamilton is still on the intermediates.
The medical team have pulled a stretcher out of the medical car. Sutil appears to be standing behind the fence.
There’s also a Marussia down there as well, Jules Bianchi’s car appears to have gone off at the same point.
Note – Vergne qualified P11, Maldonado P17; both dropped 10 grid places for engine change