The race was cut short by nine laps as Marussia driver Jules Bianchi dramatically crashed out at the same site as Adrian Sutil's Sauber - which had aquaplaned off the track and was being recovered by marshals and machinery at the time.
Unconscious Bianchi was taken to Mie University hospital, 10 miles away, and the race was stopped on lap 46.
Bianchi is a graduate of the Ferrari academy and former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and team principal Marco Mattiacci went with him to hospital.
But celebrations on the podium were muted after news of Bianchi's condition broke.
'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,' Mercedes' race winner Lewis Hamilton told the BBC.
'You could see some commotion and the car was really badly damaged on the right. We just hope he's OK.'
The tractor was preparing to drag Sutil's Sauber, which had spun off in heavy rain on lap 46 of a dramatic and weather-interrupted race.
As the recovery was taking place, Bianchi also spun off at the same corner and crashed side-on into the tractor.
'It was more or less the same crash, just the outcome was a bit different,' Sutil told Sky television.
'The car (tractor) came out to rescue my car and then it all happened.'
The crash brought out the safety and medical cars and led to the race being red flagged and not re-started with the result declared after 44 of the 53 scheduled laps.
There were no podium celebrations and the champagne was left unsprayed, with the top three drivers merely clinking the bottles and taking a swig.
'I'm not thinking about the race, I'm thinking about my colleague,' said the Briton's second placed team mate Nico Rosberg.
'I've been given some information and it seems very, very serious. I'm hoping for the best.'
Rosberg, who finished second in the race, said afterwards: 'Our thoughts are with my colleague Jules - we wish him all the best but it doesn't look good.'
FIA media delegate Matteo Bonciani confirmed Biachi has been rushed to hospital.
'The driver is unconscious,' Bonciani said.
.jpg "Unconscious Jules Bianchi taken to hospital after crashing into recovery vehicle during Japanese Grand Prix")
'He has been sent to hospital by ambulance because the helicopter cannot go in these conditions. Further updates will follow. For the moment, we cannot say anything.'
The running of the race had been under threat all week as Typhoon Phanfone approached Japan from the Pacific Ocean and the event had already been red-flagged after just two laps after the race began under safety car conditions.
Lewis Hamilton notched up his third straight victory to move 10 points clear of title rival Rosberg.
The Brit pulled off a stunning overtake on his Mercedes team-mate on lap 29 and never looked back, pulling clear to win his eighth grand prix of the season.
The race started behind a safety car as heavy rain took its toll on the track in Japan. After a red flag on lap three and then seven more laps behind the safety car, Rosberg and Hamilton began to pull clear of the rest of the field as the racing properly commenced.
.png "Unconscious Jules Bianchi taken to hospital after crashing into recovery vehicle during Japanese Grand Prix")
Hamilton, who started second on the grid, was on the tail of his championship rival all the way and finally completed his overtake on lap 29.
The rain continued right until the final lap in Japan with some opting to switch back to the full wet tyres in the final stages.
The safety car returned towards the end after both Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi crashed in the same place.
Sebastian Vettel came home in third place for Red Bull to complete the podium ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in fourth. Jenson Button, who at one stage was sitting in third place, finished fifth in Japan.
Source : Mirror , Reuters, DailyMail , Telegraph
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