Lewis Hamilton secured a third successive win to move 10 points clear in the drivers’ standings at a Japanese Grand Prix that was overshadowed by a crash that left Marussia driver Jules Bianchi unconsious.
The leader did not take the chequered flag as the race was red-flagged for a second time in the afternoon following two separate crashes on the same corner.
Hamilton had started behind pole sitter Nico Rosberg on the grid but passed his Mercedes team-mate and rival to open up a 10-point gap in their battle for the title.
Having already been stopped due to the weather brought on by nearby Typhoon Phanfone, the race was cut short by nine laps as the Marussia of Bianchi went off at the same site as Adrian Sutil’s Sauber – which was being recovered by marshals and machinery at the time.
Hamilton had pulled away from Rosberg after managing to find a way past his German rival and remained clear as the race ended prematurely.
Rosberg took second place, with compatriot Sebastian Vettel taking third for Red Bull on the weekend he announced he would be leaving the team ahead of next season.
Daniel Ricciardo will be leading the team in Vettel’s absence and he took fourth place ahead of the McLaren of Jenson Button.
The Williams pair of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa took sixth and seventh respectively, with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez’s Force India’s both in the points – either side of ninth placed Jean-Eric Vergne, who had started from 19th after an engine change.
