It seems the more things change in Formula One, the more they stay the same.

The much-vaunted changes to Formula One cars, introduced partly to fight Sebastian Vettel’s four-year stranglehold on the sport, may have anointed a new dominant class: those with Mercedes engines.

Rather than chasing the tails of the Red Bulls, the pack must now hunt the Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Force India teams with the dominant power units.

Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo was the sole Renault powered engine in a top four dominated by Mercedes, with five cares with Mercedes engines finishing in the top seven.

And it could have been worse if pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton’s engine had not given way and Williams’ Felipe Massa wasn’t rear-ended on the first corner of the race.

Winner Nico Rosberg’s speed was so impressive that the German was never threatened after snatching the lead from his teammate Hamilton from the very start of the race.

From McLaren driver Jenson Button’s point of view, the race was over when Rosberg hit the front.

“It was a bit of a procession, there’s no getting away from that,” he said.

“There was one car who was overtaking and that was (Valtteri) Bottas. I think the Williams is obviously working really well.”

The Finnish Williams driver recovered from the loss of a tyre to place sixth, while modesty probably prevented the Briton from talking up his own team.

McLaren take an unlikely constructor’s championship lead to Malaysia off the back of their third and fourth placed finishes.

“We haven’t (led) because we’re the quickest but as a team we did an amazing job. Kevin (Magnussen) drove a stormer of a race,” he said.

Not that Button – with his Mercedes engine – was overly concerned by the divide.

“I’m looking forward to the next race, I think Formula One is in a great place.”