Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has cruised to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix to take another major step towards his fifth Formula One world title.

Hamilton was helped by a rash overtaking move by Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel, who collided with Max Verstappen while trying to overtake the Dutch driver.

The accident on the eighth lap, after Vettel had moved from eighth on the grid to fourth, spun the Ferrari driver off the track, putting him back to 19th, before he eventually finished sixth.

Hamilton was untroubled from pole position and took the chequered flag at the end of the 53 laps on the Suzuka circuit ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas.

It is a second consecutive Japanese GP for the 33-year-old Briton, who now has a lead of 67 points over Vettel with four races of the season remaining.

Verstappen finished third and Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo was fourth behind his Red Bull teammate, after starting 15th on the grid.