LEWIS HAMILTON says he is in dreamland after he matched his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna's victory tally with an exhibition drive in Japan.

Hamilton appeared to have his work cut out after he qualified behind pole-sitter Nico Rosberg for yesterday's race at a sun-drenched Suzuka.

But despite starting on the dirtier side of the track, Hamilton blasted out of his blocks, and when he drew level with Rosberg heading into the long, sweeping, opening right-hander there was only going to be one winner.

Hamilton muscled his way past Rosberg, who ran out of room, fell off the track, and slipped back to fourth. There was nothing wrong with Hamilton's move and it summed up a season which the Briton, despite his setback in Singapore seven days ago, has utterly dominated.

While Rosberg battled back to finish second, he trails Hamilton by 48 points in the championship with only 125 left to race for.

Hamilton, it seems, is destined to join Senna, who won all three on his world titles here in Japan, Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda in the pantheon of all-time Formula One greats with a hat-trick of championship triumphs.

And, after equalling Senna's tally of 41 career victories, the Briton said: "I am so happy right now and for me to come to a race where I use to love watching Ayrton drive and to match his wins - I can't really describe - it does not feel real at the moment.

"This has been a circuit that I have struggled at through all the years that I have come here. When you go through the corners here it is flowing, it's like sailing. I wish I could share the feeling with you.

"Knowing that this would be the race that I would equal Ayrton, who won here and had quite an interesting time here, made for quite an emotional day. I am not a teary guy, so I am just full of joy, happiness and light."

Hamilton's Mercedes team were left scratching their heads after their off-colour performance in Singapore.

But the Silver Arrows, who have dominated Formula One for the best part of two seasons, returned to their emphatic best in Suzuka and sealed their eighth one-two of the campaign.

Hamilton led every lap in Suzuka and it is now not beyond the realms of possibility that he could clinch his third world championship with races to spare.

Rosberg looks like a beaten man. He did well to pass the Williams of Valtteri Bottas at the chicane and jump ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who completed the podium places, at the final round of pit stops. But the German, winner of just three races this year in comparison to Hamilton's eight, knows this may have been his last opportunity.

Rosberg said: "Lewis got a better start. It was good battle into turn one, he had the inside and he made it stick. That was the end of it there. Fourth would not have been acceptable and second was the best possible outcome after that.

"It is definitely going the wrong way. I had to win today but it did not work out."

It did not work out for struggling McLaren either. Fernando Alonso, who finished 11th, aimed several public swipes at Honda with a number of derogatory radio messages, while Jenson Button - who had not previously finished outside the top 10 - crossed the line in 16th.

Alonso tweeted afterwards: "When we are fighting in group is difficult, we all want to win, and sometimes transmit the team radios, but it should be private chats. No one should have any doubt that I have 3 years with McLaren and my career in F1 will end with this team, hopefully winning everything."

McLaren's Ron Dennis, who overcame a virus to face a bloodthirsty media on Sunday, also insists both drivers will be racing for him next season - but his once great team has become something of a pantomime.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Ferrari with Valtteri Bottas fifth for Williams. Nico Hulkenberg crossed the line in sixth for Force India. Romain Grosjean, whose Lotus team are to appear at the High Court on Monday over an unpaid tax bill, was seventh with his team-mate Pastor Maldonado eighth. The Toro Rosso duo of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz completed the points-paying positions.

GOLF: Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee produced a flawless final round to claim victory at the Porsche European Open in Germany ahead of Englishman Graeme Storm.

Overnight leader Jaidee posted four birdies in his bogey-free round of 67 yesterday to finish on 17 under, one shot ahead of Storm, and secure his seventh European Tour title.

Jaidee had Storm level with him until the 17th, when the latter found the water with his tee shot, leading to his sole bogey of the day.

Overtaking Colin Montgomerie as the competition's oldest winner, the 45-year-old Jaidee then sealed his triumph with a fine six-foot putt on the 18th.

Sweden's Pelle Edberg was third, two shots behind Storm, Scott Hend of Australia was fourth and Wales' Jamie Donaldson and England's Ross Fisher were among four players tied for fifth.

TENNIS: Great Britain's Johanna Konta moved into the second round of the Wuhan Open yesterday with victory over 13th seed Andrea Petkovic.

Konta, who had already come through two qualifying matches, saw off her German opponent 6-4, 7-5 in the first round to set up a meeting with Belarus' Victoria Azarenka.

Petkovic is world No.17, and 63rd-ranked Konta said: "When you're playing against players of that calibre it's a given that it's always going to be a tough fight.

"I just feel very fortunate that I got to play such a good match against her.

"It wasn't easy out there. It was very tough conditions; it was very hot."

Konta's compatriot Heather Watson, the world No.59, is due to face Serbia's Jelena Jankovic in the first round today.