Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has reasserted his Formula One supremacy as he comfortably won the Japanese Grand Prix to secure his eighth victory of the season on Sunday.
An imperious Hamilton was 18.9 seconds quicker than his Mercedes team mate and nearest title challenger Nico Rosberg, who fought back from fourth to finish second after being squeezed wide by the Briton on turn two.
Four-time world champion Sebastian, who won the previous race in Singapore last weekend, failed to sustain momentum as Hamilton levelled his idol Ayrton Senna with his 41st victory at Suzuka.
Reflecting on his triumph, Hamilton said that matching Senna's record was fantastic, insisting that they failed to take their A game to Singapore and that it was important to come back here, the Guardian reported.
Mercedes shrugged off signs of fallibility as Hamilton has taken 48-point lead over Rosberg in the championship with five races to go, with Ferrari's Vettel falling 59 points adrift.
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth ahead of Williams' Valtteri Bottas.