Lewis Hamilton completed a storming Sao Paulo GP weekend by taking victory in the main event on Sunday, surging from 10th place on the grid and overcoming a very stout defence from title rival Max Verstappen to seal the win.
Verstappen took the lead in Brazil as he beat Valtteri Bottas to the first corner and Sergio Perez would soon follow him through, as Hamilton quickly rose to fourth in the opening laps to set us up nicely for an epic fight once again between this year's title protagonists.
Indeed, it wasn't long before Hamilton was by his teammate and then the Red Bull of Perez, leaving him and title rival Verstappen to battle it out for victory.
Hamilton, boosted by a fresh internal combustion engine in the back of his Mercedes and motivated by his disqualification from Friday's qualifying session over a DRS infringement, was in rapid form but Max was never going to make it easy for him to take the lead, with both sets of pit-stops seeing the Dutchman remain in front of Lewis.
Clearly, the reigning champ would have to overtake his challenger on the track and he made his first concerted effort on lap 48 heading into turn 4, one that would prove unsuccessful.
Verstappen braked late into the corner and the pair both ran wide. Mercedes were up in arms but the stewards decided that Max had done nothing wrong, though it was certainly a staunch defence of his position to say the very least.
The Mercedes of Hamilton, though, had proven untouchable pretty much all weekend and he was not to be denied, with him eventually getting the job done into the same corner eleven laps later.
Hamilton, then, has reduced the gap in the Drivers' standings to 14 points with this victory as we head to the Middle East for the final three races, starting with the Qatar Grand Prix next Sunday.
