Mercedes driver lewis Hamilton pulled off an aggressive passing move on teammate Nico Rosberg and went on to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, moving a step closer to claiming his second straight Formula One title.
Hamilton, who had his first retirement of the season at last weekend’s Singapore GP, capitalized on a strong start and surged ahead of Rosberg at the first corner. He led the rest of the way, crossing the finish line a comfortable 18.9 seconds ahead. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was third, 1.8 seconds behind Rosberg, who started from pole.
With five races left, Hamilton has a 48-point lead over Rosberg. Hamilton claimed his eighth win of season. It was his 41st career win, tying him with his childhood hero Ayrton Senna.
“I’m not a teary guy, but I’m full of joy and happiness today,” Hamilton said.
Rosberg and Hamilton went through the first two bends side by side. Hamilton appeared to give Rosberg little room at the second turn, forcing the German partially off the track.
“It was a pity to do that on the start,” Rosberg said. “We battled around Turns 1 and 2. It got very close on the exit at Turn 2 and I had to back out and that cost me the race.”
With Hamilton comfortably ahead throughout the grand prix, the focus shifted to the tight battle for second place between Rosberg and Vettel.
Ferrari elected to wait until Rosberg pitted before bringing in Vettel, and that proved critical. Even though Vettel’s stop was four tenths of a second faster than Rosberg’s, the Mercedes driver’s lap on fresh rubber was enough to get him just ahead of Vettel, and that’s how it stayed.
Vettel’s Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth followed by Williams’ Valtteri Bottas. The podium positions were exactly the same as last year’s race at Suzuka which was marred by a crash involving Jules Bianchi, who died in July, having never regained consciousness.
lotus pair of Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado finished seventh and eighth, giving the financially strapped team a confidence boost. Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen was ninth ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.
Hulkenberg finishes sixth
Nico Hulkenberg brushed aside a poor qualifying to finish sixth at the Japanese Grand Prix as Sahara Force India maintained its fifth place in the constructors championship table.
Hulkenberg, who started 13th from the grid, made a fantastic start, gaining at least five places by turn two even as Sergio Perez suffered a puncture on the opening lap and ended up finishing 12th.
Force India now have 77 points, 17 more than sixth-placed lotus.