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FORMULA ONE

Nico Rosberg wins Japanese Grand Prix

Rosberg extended his championship lead to 33 points with victory in Japan while Lewis Hamilton had to fight back to third place.

Mercedes' drivers Nico Rosberg of Germany and Lewis Hamilton of Britain attend an awarding ceremony after the race
Mercedes' drivers Nico Rosberg of Germany and Lewis Hamilton of Britain attend an awarding ceremony after the race REUTERS/Toru Hanai
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Nico Rosberg’s victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, added more pressure on Lewis Hamilton as the German closes in on a first Formula One world title.

Rosberg claimed his first Suzuka win from pole as Hamilton fought back after a horror start. But Hamilton had to settle for third behind Max Verstappen despite putting pressure on the Red Bull in the closing laps.

Rosberg stretched his lead over his Mercedes rival to 33 points with just four races left this season.

"Woooooooh!" cried Rosberg over team radio after his ninth victory of 2016 and his fourth in the last five races.

"It's 33 points, but I'm not focused on that. There's still a long way to go so I'm just keeping my head down."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen challenged world champion Hamilton in the final few laps to take second place, five seconds back, after his runner-up finish in Malaysia last weekend.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen came home fourth and fifth after both drivers turned the air blue over the radio, complaining about backmarkers.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who inherited victory in Sepang after Hamilton's engine caught fire, took sixth ahead of the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.

Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas finished ninth and 10th on a one-stop strategy.

Hamilton, who has now failed to win since Hockenheim at the end of July, almost fought back to take second as the Briton tried to duck around Verstappen coming into the chicane on the last lap.

But the Dutch teenager blocked off the inside, forcing the Mercedes to lock up and slip onto an escape road.

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