Lewis Hamilton's drive to victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix looked effortless, easy even. It was the kind of performance we've grown used to from Sebastian Vettel in recent times. As with Vettel's comfortable wins, it's all too easy to dismiss it as a walk in the park. After all, with the gift of the best car, anyone could turn up and cruise to victory, right?
Not a bit of it. Unlike in Melbourne, where Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg had a clean run to victory without having to worry about Hamilton, this was a straight fight between the two at the front. And it was a fight that Hamilton utterly dominated. From pole position, he assumed the lead, stretching his advantage to over two seconds on the opening lap. He never looked back.
Rosberg endured two alarming moments in the first half-minute of the grand prix. At the start, Vettel squeezed him towards the pitwall, legitimately given the space remaining between them when Rosberg started to cede ground.