We only needed a few corners on Sunday in order to figure out who would be the winners and losers of this year’s Japanese Grand Prix.

That’s not to say that you could predict the outcome of the race right away, since accidents or malfunctions can happen at any time. But when Nico Rosberg went from first to fourth within seconds of launching off the line, it was more than obvious that if things went as planned, he wasn’t going to top Lewis Hamilton.

Also, so much for Ferrari and Red Bull coming back strong and challenging Mercedes. The reigning champs put on a show, providing spectators with a perfect mix of pace and consistency throughout the race.

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg also stood out by finishing sixth while starting 13th, just like Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen who went from P17 to finishing P9.

Still, there was no denying Mercedes, as Hamilton and Rosberg finished the race 1-2, in that order, followed by the Ferrari duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen 3rd and 4th.

Williams’ Valtteri Bottas came in 5th, Hulkenberg 6th, while both Lotus drivers got in the points at P7 and P8 for Grosjean and Maldonado respectively – which was a much needed result for them at such a crucial time.

Mclaren’s Fernando Alonso tried to fight off the Toro Rossos as best he could but he still couldn’t get his Honda-powered car into the points, finishing P11, with Button 5 places behind him.

10 Random Things We’ve Noticed

– For a second there, I really thought Rosberg wasn’t going to lose his position to Lewis, but he not only lost it, he dropped back to fourth.

– Sticking with the “Rosberg theme”, he did follow up his poor start with a strong performance, passing Bottas on Lap 17 and undercutting Vettel on the second pit stop.

– This was definitely one Grand Prix where Honda should have shined (not on paper, but still), however despite actually being quicker through the speed traps than the Renault-powered cars (yes, all four of them), they still couldn’t get in the points. I wonder how much more of this somebody like Fernando Alonso can take.

– Even though nothing major happened, we did have two cars suffering tire punctures at the start of the race: the Williams of Felipe Massa and the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.

– After a horrible crash during Q3, Daniil Kvyat started the race with a rebuilt car, struggling along the way and only finishing 13th. I really thought Red Bull was going to challenge Ferrari and Williams in Japan.

– Mercedes aside, the star of the race was definitely Nico Hulkenberg who went from P13 to finishing P6 by being consistently fast and intelligent. It’s funny how Force India sort of represents the ultimate mid-pack team. Not quite as good as to challenge for the title, but almost never outside the top 10.

– Welcome back to the land of the living, Lotus! Or should I say Renault? I should. Congrats! Now go ahead and find a suitable replacement for Grosjean.

– Just when we were ready to praise Carlos Sainz some more, he just couldn’t keep his teammate Max Verstappen from overtaking him. Verstappen went from 17th to finishing 9th and drove the wheels off of his Toro Rosso.

– Those two Marussias almost took each other out at one point when Will Stevens spun on the track and Rossi just missed him as he went through the cloud of smoke. Scary stuff.

– Sauber were a complete no-show at Suzuka. Ericsson lost control and time early in the race, while Felipe Nasr had to call it a day before the checkered flag. And to think that they were so impressive at the start of the year.

Suzuka Race Results

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
5. Valtteri Bottas, Williams
6. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India
7. Romain Grosjean, Lotus
8. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus
9. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso
10. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso
11. Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12. Sergio Perez, Force India
13. Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull
14. Marcus Eriksson, Sauber
15. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
16. Jenson Button, McLaren
17. Felipe Massa, Williams
18. Alexander Rossi, Marussia
19. Will Stevens, Marussia