Nico Rosberg won his first ever Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit. With this win, Rosberg now has opened up a 33-point lead over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Rosberg was flawless and was never threatened after his near perfect start. The German opened up a five-second gap between him and Verstappen and was in cruise control throughout the race.
With four races to go and 100 points on offer, Hamilton will have to up his game if he has to retain his title this season. A poor start saw Hamilton drop to eighth, but he fought his way back up to third. The result means Mercedes won the Constructors' Championship for the third consecutive year.