ESPN looks at the main talking points, the best overtakes and the most shocking moments of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Shock: The amount of drivers complaining about blue flags wasn't exactly a shock, but the volume of messages perhaps was -- highlighting the fact a clarification over the rule is needed. It's fair to expect backmarkers to move out of the way but some of the radio complaints were coming two or three corners earlier than the lapped traffic should have been expected to bail out, especially on a circuit as tight and twisty as Suzuka.
Shocker: Lewis Hamilton needed a perfect race after an imperfect weekend -- he didn't have one. A slow start off the line meant he was always in damage limitation mode from the beginning and third represented another big blow to his hopes of a title fightback. He now goes to Austin 33 points behind his teammate with just four races to go.
Overtake of the Race: Nico Hulkenberg's lovely move around the outside of Valtteri Bottas at the final chicane, coupled with the excellent radio message: "See you later!", has to claim this. Sebastian Vettel passing Daniel Ricciardo through 130R early in the race also deserves plaudits.
Driver of the Day: This one has to be Max Verstappen, holding off a charging Hamilton late in the race for a well-earned second position.
If Verstappen was driver of the race, Nico Rosberg has to claim driver of the weekend -- dominating practice, taking pole and then turning in a commanding drive for the race victory. If he had one hand on the championship trophy after Malaysia, he now has one hand and a couple of fingers on it leaving Suzuka.