Nico Rosberg took a huge leap towards his first world title by claiming his 9th win of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix.
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Nico Rosberg took a huge leap towards his first world title by claiming his 9th win of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Rival and team mate Lewis Hamilton finished third, which was more than enough to ensure a third consecutive constructors championship for Mercedes who are now an unassailable 208 points clear of closest rivals Red Bull.
Rosberg cruised to a comfortable win at the Suzuka circuit to tighten his grip on the title race.
The German started from pole and was never seriously threatened through out the race.
Rosberg eventually crossed the line 4.9 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen while Hamilton recovered from a dreadful start to complete the podium.
Rosberg’s ninth win of the campaign increased his lead over three time world champion Hamilton to 33 points in the overall standings with just four races left.
The 31-year-old becomes only the fifth driver in the history of the sport to win nine races in a season.
The win was also the 15th from 17 races for Mercedes, who have now dominated the sport for the past three years