Lewis Hamilton wins Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton acknowledges the crowd after he won the Japanese Grand Prix, October 5, 2014. PHOTO/Toru Yamanaka/AFP

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won a wet and sombre Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to extend his Formula One lead over Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg to 10 points with four races remaining.

The race started behind the safety car due to heavy rain and ended without celebration after Anglo-Russian Formula One racing team (Marussia)’s Jules Bianchi was taken to hospital following a crash that left him seriously injured.

Nico Rosberg, who had started on pole position, finished second following a third deployment of the safety car and then red flags being displayed.

Germany’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is leaving Red Bull for Ferrari at the end of the season, took third place with the result based on positions after 44 of the scheduled 53 laps.

The drivers tense faces as they waited to step on the podium told the true story of the afternoon, with Bianchi foremost in their thoughts. No champagne was sprayed, with the top three merely clinking the bottles and taking a quiet swig before placing them back on the floor.

Bianchi was not conscious and was sent to the hospital. “It’s obviously a real anti-climax to hear that one of our fellow colleagues is seriously injured so that’s really the main worry,” said Hamilton, who would otherwise have been delighted with his third win in a row and one of his most impressive performances.

The victory was Hamilton’s eighth of the season but first at Suzuka. His only other win in Japan was at the Fuji circuit with McLaren in 2007.

Source: Reuters