Lewis Hamilton wins Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel

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Lewis Hamilton wins Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka
The Brit took the lead on lap one and led all the way to the finish
Hamilton extended his lead in drivers' standings to 48 points
Nico Rosberg finishes second and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel third
Hamilton matches Ayrton Senna's tally of 41 race victories in F1

Published: 01:49 EST, 27 September 2015 | Updated: 04:29 EST, 28 September 2015

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The ease in which Lewis Hamilton muscled Nico Rosberg out of his path demonstrated his clear superiority over his team-mate. The first lap summed up the season.

Pole-sitter Rosberg was forced off the track and out of the title race via a slight nudge at turn two from Hamilton, who dominated this Japanese Grand Prix from start to finish. The Brit produced a drive Ayrton Senna would have been proud of at Suzuka and has now matched his idol’s tally of 41 race wins.

More importantly, he moves 48 points clear of his Mercedes counterpart in the standings with just five races remaining. It would take a monumental shift in fortune to deny Hamilton a second successive crown.

World championship leader Lewis Hamilton won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Sunday

Hamilton celebrates from on top of his car after his victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday

This old-fashioned circuit is submerged a fun park; the ‘Rocky Coaster’ rises over a go-kart track while a large Ferris Wheel dwarfs both. But, much like the season, Sunday's action was anything but a rollercoaster ride with Hamilton eventually clear of his rivals by 19 seconds.

Rosberg can take solace from the fact he managed to make his way up from fourth to second, but Mercedes’ clear dominance over the rest of the field should see him finish no lower. Sebastian Vettel battled hard in his Ferrari to finish third.

‘I can't really describe it [matching Senna]; it doesn't feel real at the moment,’ Hamilton said, as he proved the slump in Singapore was just a one-off.

‘It was definitely important for us to strike back here. It’s remarkable what the team has done, the car was beautiful to drive today.’

The Brit punches with air with delight at getting back to winning ways following his Singapore retirement

Hamilton holds aloft his trophy on the podium with Nico Rosberg (left) and Sebastian Vettel (right)

Hamilton sprays champagne (left) and juggles his trophy (right) after victory at Suzuka on Sunday

The reigning world champion has a drink of champagne from his winner's trophy at the Japanese Grand Prix

If the British public were struggling to wake up for the 6am start on these shores then the first lap was the ideal alarm.

Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa collided almost immediately and both had to amble round with punctures, while Sergio Perez found himself in the gravel soon after. Hamilton and Rosberg were side-by-side, and the German was lucky to avoid an accident after being pushed to the outside. It seemed we might be in for a repeat of a Mercedes rivalry.

But Rosberg slumped back behind Vettel and Valtteri Bottas and he was quickly facing a completely different day. Viewers may have dozed off again as Hamilton stormed into a comfortable lead.

Hamilton complained of vibrations and occasionally had to cool down his engine but reliability was in truth his only real nemesis.

Both Rosberg (front right) and Hamilton (front left) pointed their cars towards each other on the grid

Hamilton (left) took the inside line into turn one and with it the lead of the race from Rosberg (right)

Vettel came home in third in his Ferrari after struggling to match the pace of the two Mercedes'

Vettel had held a three-second lead over Rosberg halfway through this race but Ferrari were not sporting as much pace here. A slow pit-stop saw the Mercedes man eventually make his move and he wasn’t to be caught.

Cash-strapped Lotus, who couldn’t even access their hospitality suite this weekend and will visit High Court this week for a third time over unpaid bills, credibly finished with Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado in seventh and eighth place.

McLaren meanwhile endured another disastrous afternoon, with Fernando Alonso finishing 11th and Jenson Button down in 12th.

Hamilton though is in a class of his own and should clinch his third title to join Senna, Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda in the pantheon of all-time greats, with races to spare. Surely no one can catch him now.