SAO PAULO: Lewis Hamilton got the better of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg to win a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix that has made sure that the 2016 title race will go down to the final round in Abu Dhabi. Max Verstappen finished on the podium in third spot.

The wet race was stopped twice by red flags and featured five safety car periods as rain fell throughout the afternoon, testing the nerves of the drivers and, at times, the patience of the fans.

Meanwhile, Sahara Force India scored 18 points in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix with Sergio Perez racing to fourth place ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in seventh.

Sergio Perez said, “What a fun but tense race today! It’s a shame to lose a podium place in the last two laps, but Max [Verstappen] just had a different pace: he was the fastest on track and there was nothing I could do to keep him behind. Even though I am a bit disappointed, we can still celebrate a great race and an incredible result, especially considering the conditions we had out there today. Just getting to the finish line on a day like this feels like a victory, and to bring home fourth is a very important result. It was so easy to make mistakes; you risked aquaplaning at any moment – every time I crossed the finish line I had a breath of relief. It’s a big result, not only for me, but also for the team as it brings us important points for the battle for fourth place. A lot can still happen in Abu Dhabi, but we can be happy about this result.”

Nico Hülkenberg said: “That was an intense race and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because I think a possible podium slipped away today. I had great confidence in the car, felt comfortable and I had the pace to push and overtake. There were some scary moments in the race, especially when Kimi crashed in front of me. Some of his debris hit my car and caused a lot of damage. At least I survived that, but then I picked up a puncture from the debris, which was so frustrating because it dropped me down to the back of the field. Without the puncture, who knows where I might have finished? I’m happy and proud of myself and the team. We did a great job, but we were just missing a bit of luck.”