Formula One: Hamilton's reputation repaired but not his title challenge

His win has surpassed the 300-point on the season and now sits 33 points ahead of Mercedes teammate Hamilton with four races remaining.

"The start went really well", Rosberg said.

His remarks are a reference to the fact Mercedes tied up a third consecutive constructors' championship title in Japan, following Nico Rosberg's win and Hamilton's third place.

"I fought hard at the end and did everything I could".

Mercedes lodged a protest against Red Bull's Max Verstappen after an aggressive move that prevented Lewis Hamilton from snatching second place at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

He said: "You see sportsmen get on a crest of a wave and it is all going Nico's way while Lewis has had quite a few tough races now". I made a mistake.

"I think in any sport you see sportsmen.they get on a crest of a wave and everything falls right for them", he is quoted as saying by F1i.

From the outside some observers interpreted Hamilton's exchanges with the media as proof he was losing focus, but behind the Mercedes garage walls Rosberg saw his teammate in a different light.

But Wolff believes Hamilton, who has endured a tumultuous week on and off track with his retirement from the lead in Malaysia, poor start in Japan and falling out with certain parts of the media this weekend, is at his best when he is up against it. Rosberg won the opening four grands prix before Hamilton clinched six out of a possible seven race wins until the tide turned once more, Rosberg winning four times in his last five starts. The team gave me a really strong strategy, along with a vehicle that felt very balanced so I was able to enjoy a successful race.

Hamilton had closed in on Verstappen but, trying an ambitious overtake around the outside of 130R, was forced to pull out of the corner and thus blow his chances of sealing a crucial extra three points.

"Lewis is always a fighter", said Rosberg.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth and fifth after both turned the air blue over radio, complaining about back markers.

As the race wore on Hamilton kept reducing the gap on Verstappen, and there was even a near-overtaking manoeuvre in the penultimate lap, but Verstappen held firm and it was Rosberg who was grinning from ear to ear, as he increased the lead at the top to 33 points. "I'm happy with clawing it back and getting some points, it's good".