Lewis Hamilton’s championship challenge is now out of his hands after yet another horror start saw him slip even further behind Nico Rosberg in the title race.

Rosberg sauntered to his ninth victory of the season in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix and while Hamilton recovered to finish third, the Briton is now 33 points behind his Mercedes team-mate.

Indeed Hamilton could win each of the four remaining races and still come up short in the championship.

Max Verstappen crossed the line in second, despite a late lunge from Hamilton at the chicane on the penultimate lap.

Meanwhile, Mercedes wrapped up their third consecutive Constructors’ Championship after taking an unassailable points lead over Red Bull.