Marussia F1 driver JULES BIANCHI is "fighting for life after suffering severe head injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix," according to Emily Benammar of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The 25-year-old Frenchman underwent brain surgery after he "collided with a recovery vehicle at the Suzuka circuit which had been dispatched to clear the car" of ADRIAN SUTIL, who had "also crashed out of the race a few laps before." Bianchi was unconscious but able to breathe on his own "when he was taken from the track medical centre to Mie General Hospital, less than 10 miles away, where he remains in intensive care." Bianchi's father, PHILIPPE, said, "Jules is seriously injured. We will need to wait 24 hours to know any more on his condition." The accident caused the race, which was won by Mercedes' LEWIS HAMILTON, to be "stopped six laps before the scheduled end." Following "muted celebrations on the podium," Hamilton said, "Next to this, the race result doesn't seem significant at all." Hamilton's teammate NICO ROSBERG, who finished second, said, "I am not thinking about the race ... my thoughts are with my colleague. They have given us some information and it seems very, very serious" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/6). The AP reported Bianchi's parents are "traveling to Japan
to see their son, who is in intensive care with a severe head injury
after a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix." Hospital officials "declined to comment on Bianchi's condition Monday"
and the Marussia team released a statement saying it will "respect, and
be guided by, the wishes of the Bianchi family" with regard to the
release of information. It is "unclear" when Bianchi's parents, Philippe and CHRISTINE, are due to arrive in Japan (AP, 10/6).
SPORTS FIGURES TWEET SUPPORT: MUNDO DEPORTIVO reported the "world of sports" has been filled with "messages of support on social media," with the hashtag #ForzaJules becoming a trending topic. Below are several tweets from various athletes and organizations (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 10/6).
