Suzuka, Japan - As Lewis Hamilton savours back-to-back Japanese victories and the sweetness of matching Ayrton Senna's 41 race wins, his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg faces two long weeks of soul-searching.
Rosberg knows he blew a golden opportunity to close the gap on world champion Hamilton in the Formula One title race on Sunday after failing to turn pole position into 25 points for the second year running at Suzuka.
Hamilton lunged past Rosberg into Turn 1 in an explosive start and roared away as the German finished second behind his nemesis, who now boasts a 48-point lead with five races left.
And this was the buzz in the paddock as the crews packed up for the move to Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix:
“AYR” APPARENT
For once the swagger and the bling image melted away as Lewis Hamilton seemed genuinely awe-struck at matching boyhood hero Ayrton Senna's tally of 41 race wins in Japan. Tears welled up in his eyes on the podium, before he spoke of his joy at drawing level with the Brazilian great. Indeed, the manner of Hamilton's victory was almost Senna-like in its dominance.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE
While Hamilton was roaring to his eighth victory in 14 races this season, spare a thought for his team-mate Nico Rosberg, who failed to consolidate pole position at Suzuka for the second year in a row. Bullied at the start by Hamilton, how a deflated Rosberg reacts in Russia in two weeks is likely to determine the outcome of this year's title race. It would be very brave to bet against Hamilton now.
OH BEHAVE, FERNANDO!
Fernando Alonso tore strips off McLaren engineers in an astonishing rant during the Japanese Grand Prix, yelling on team radio that his car's lack of power was “embarrassing” and like a “GP2 engine”. McLaren boss Ron Dennis took a dim view of Alonso's tantrum and promised to have words with the Spaniard. Alonso's sudden vagueness over his future with McLaren despite being in the first year of a three-year contract also raised eyebrows.
POT NOODLES AND A SANDWICH
One of the strangest sights in Japan was cash-strapped Lotus locked out of its paddock hospitality unit in Suzuka waiting for freight, including engines, because of a row over unpaid bills. Driver Romain Grosjean was forced to chat in the rain to reporters huddled under umbrellas, while mechanics had to make do with pot noodles and sandwiches from the staff canteen instead of their usual posh catering.
RED BULL LOSES FIZZ
Red Bull's F1 future has also been plunged into doubt after team principal Christian Horner revealed that owner Dietrich Mateschitz had become “disillusioned” with the sport. The Austrian energy drink giant's threat to walk away from the sport looks more than a hollow one with diminishing return on investment said to be to blame. With Red Bull yet to secure a competitive engine for next year after its impending split from Renault, the team's future appears to hinge on striking a deal with Ferrari to supply its power units.