Race Notes - Hamilton wins Japanese GP

Lewis Hamilton bounced back this weekend to win the Japanese GP at Suzuka 18.9 seconds over his Mercedes GP team mate Nico Rosberg in second place and 20.8 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari in third place.

The victory is Hamilton's eighth of the season and now ties his hero Ayrton Senna's with 41 career wins.

Kimi Raikkonen (33.7s) in the second Ferrari finished in fourth, followed by Valtteri Bottas (36.7s) in the Williams-Mercedes in fifth, Nico Hulkenberg (55.5s) in the Force India-Mercedes in sixth, Romain Grosjean (1m12.2s) in the Lotus-Mercedes in seventh, his team mate Pastor Maldonado (1m13.5s) in eighth, Max Verstappen (1m35.3s) in the Toro Rosso-Renault in ninth, and his team mate Carlos Sainz (1 lap) in tenth.

Before the start the weather was looking fine, but at a warm 27 degrees air temperature, with Rosberg and Hamilton lining up their Mercedes GP cars once again back on the front row after stumbling last weekend in Singapore.

Bottas and Vettel will line up on the second row, their team mates Massa and Raikkonen are on the third row, Ricciardo and Grosjean on the fourth row and Perez and Sainz rounding out the top ten on the grid.

Pirelli is providing the white side-walled medium compound and orange side-walled hard compound tyre to choose from, and with limited running on friday due to rain there is concern how many laps the tyres will last - most teams expecting to run a two stop strategy.

There is speculation that Rosberg is feeling ill before the start with a sore neck and a headache.

Kvyat will start from the pit lane following repairs to his Red Bull after his accident yesterday at the end of the qualifying session.

Verstappen and Hulkenberg both have three grid place penalties and will start 17th and 13th respectively.

At the appointed time the grid cleared and the field drove around the circuit on the formation lap, coming around to the grid. The lights went out and the Japanese GP started with Rosberg and Hamilton running side-by-side in the first corner. Rosberg drops a wheel and falls behind Vettel and Bottas in fourth. Perez goes wide after making contact with Sainz, and Ricciardo and Massa touch and both have punctures and limp back to the pits. Perez also stops for fresh tyres.

By lap 2 Hamilton leads by 2.2 seconds ahead of Vettel, Bottas, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Maldonado, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Sainz.

Massa changes tyres and gets a new front wing.

On lap 3 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m39.630 seconds.

On lap 5 Sainz battles and gets by on the outside of turn 1, while Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m39.140s.

Rosberg on the tail of Bottas in third place asks the team if he can turn up the engine.

On lap 6 Ericsson passes Alonso for tenth place, telling the team, "It is like driving on ice - they pass me on the straight like GP2."

Mercedes GP tells Rosberg that his engine temperatures are high, and that he should hold back for five laps.

On lap 9 Kvyat pits for hard compound tyres, and runs in 18th. Alonso and Verstappen also both pit.

At lap 10 Hamilton leads Vettel by 6.0 seconds, followed by Bottas (11.2s), Rosberg (12.9s), Raikkonen (14.9s), Grosjean (19.1s), Maldonado (20.9s), Sainz (25.7s), Ericsson (39.4s) and Hulkenberg in tenth place.

On lap 11 Ericsson has a spin but continues. Hulkenberg, Nasr and Button all pit.

Bottas pits from third place the next lap and rejoins in seventh place. Grosjean and Maldonado pit as well.

On lap 13 Hulkenberg passes Ericsson for eighth place - Grosjean follows along and passes Ericsson as well.

On lap 14 Vettel stops from second place and rejoins on medium tyres in third ahead of Bottas. Raikkonen and Sainz pit as well.

Raikkonen pits the next lap.

On lap 15 Rosberg up to second place pits as well. Kvyat and Verstappen chase down Alonso in 11th place.

On lap 16 leader Hamilton pits and stays on another set of medium compound tyres. Sainz sets fastest lap at 1m38.686s.

On lap 18 Rosberg dives down the braking of the chicane and passes Bottas for third place. Meanwhile Verstappen chasing Kvyat goes wide at 130R but continues. Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m38.486s, then again at 1m37.961s the next lap.

At lap 20 Hamilton leads Vettel by 10.5 seconds, followed by Rosberg (12.7s), Bottas (17.1s), Raikkonen (17.9s), Hulkenberg (26.9s), Grosjean (30.6s), Maldonado (33.5s), Sainz (36.7s) and Alonso (55.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 21 Kvyat pits, switching to medium tyres. Raikkonen closes on Bottas in fourth.

On lap 24 Kvyat tells the that he has no brakes in turn 11". Perez passes Nasr on the outside of the first corner for 14th place. Ricciardo runs wide at 130R but continues.

On lap 26 Verstappen passes Alonso on the outside of the first corner for tenth place.

On lap 28 Sainz pits - while entering the pits he hit the bollard and damaged his front wing, and the team changed the nose as well during the stop. Alonso pits as well.

On lap 29 Raikkonen pits, Rosberg pits for hard tyres. Bottas pits as well.

Hamilton complains to the team that he has a big vibration from his tyres.

On lap 31 Vettel pits and stays on hard compound tyres. After rejoining Rosberg passes Vettel for second place into the first corner.

Raikkonen passes Grosjean for fourth.

On lap 32 Hamilton pits and switches to hard tyres, rejoining still in the lead. Bottas passes Grosjean at the hairpin for fifth place.

On lap 33 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m36.145s, but complains to the team that "the car is getting very hot."

Grosjean pits the next lap for another set of hard tyres. Sainz is chasing down Perez in ninth place.

At lap 35 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 9.5 seconds, followed by Vettel (12.6s), Raikkonen (26.1s), Bottas (30.0s), Maldonado (44.8s), Hulkenberg (50.9s), Grosjean (63.7s), Perez (72.8s) and Sainz (73.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 35 Kvyat pits for the third time for hard tyres. Mercedes tells Hamilton, "everything looks under control". Will Stevens is under investigation for speeding in the pits. Massa pits as well.

On lap 37 Maldonado and Perez both pit.

On lap 39 a line of cars are backing up with Ericsson in 12th being chased by Perez, Kvyat, Button, Ricciardo and Nasr.

Kvyat gets past Button at 130R for 14th place. Vettel is closing back up on Rosberg and runs 1.7 seconds behind.

On lap 44 Kvyat tells the team that he is losing the brakes again. Stevens spins at 130R, but continues. Verstappen passes Sainz into the chicane for ninth place.

At lap 45 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 15.4 seconds, followed by Vettel (17.2s), Raikkonen (28.5s), Bottas (32.1s), Hulkenberg (53.5s), Grosjean (67.0s), Maldonado (71.5s), Verstappen (85.9s) and Sainz (87.9s) in tenth place.

On lap 50 Perez passes Ericsson at 130R for 12th place, while Kvyat and Riccardo chase the Sauber.

The next lap Kvyat takes Ericsson at the chicane for 13th place. Hamilton continues to hold his lead over his team mate Rosberg by 16.8 secons.

On lap 51 Kvyat passes Ericsson for 13th place. Nasr retires his Sauber.

Hamilton crosses the chequered flag and wins over Rosberg and Vettel.