Race

Lap 1

Good start from Rosberg, who moves immediately across to cover off Hamilton into Turn 1. Another woeful start from Ricciardo, who has slipped way down the order.

Somehow there's no contact between the two Red Bulls. Vettel has also had a terrible start. He's in eighth ahead of his team-mate.

Lap 2

Rosberg completes the first lap. Grosjean fends off a move from Perez around the outside of Turn 1.

Lap 3

DRS enabled. Rosberg is over a second clear of Hamilton already, so he's out of DRS range for the time being.

Alonso under a bit of pressure from two Red Bulls behind him. Alonso and Vettel could get a little tasty, couldn't it.

Bottas tells Williams he has "small rear graining" already. We've seen the soft tyre really struggling this weekend. Pirelli suggested three-stopping may be the way forward this afternoon.

Lap 4

Ricciardo gets close to Vettel coming into Turn 1 and has a look down the inside but decides against a move.

Fastest lap from Hamilton, a 1:15.610. No real incidents of note so far in Interlagos.

Lap 5

Ricciardo still can't get close enough to Vettel, who is struggling to get close enough to Alonso to make a pass.

The gap remaining solidly at 1.2s out in front. Barely anything to choose between the Mercs.

First pit of the day from Maldonado. Rosberg is told to move brake bias forwards.

Lap 6

Massa pits from third. He takes on the medium compound. Perez pits from 17th.

Seeing a replay of the start, it seems Vettel lost two places at Turn 4 on the first lap - the very place he very nearly lost the 2012 world championship here.

Lap 7

Bottas and Button pit, as does Vettel. It's going to start getting busy down there. Williams just release Bottas in time to get out ahead of Button.

All three switch to mediums. Massa stayed ahead of all three of those guys, by the way - he originally pitted from third.

Lap 8

Hamilton takes the lead of the race as Rosberg pits. Nice tidy stop from Mercedes. He was leading by around 1.2s so let's see what the championship leader can do on his in lap.

Alonso, Magnussen and Ricciardo all pit for medium rubber.

"You know what to do, push push," Bonnington tells Hamilton. Otherwise known as Hammertime.

Massa will get a five-second stop/go penalty for speeding in the pit lane to serve at his next stop. unfortunate for the local hero.

Lap 9

Hamilton in from the lead, this could be quite tight but he emerges just behind Rosberg. The race leader stuck in a lot of traffic. Hamilton told he is doing a long stint on these tyres.

Hulkenberg leading the race on the medium tyre. Kvyat also on the medium tyre.

Lap 10

Hulkenberg completes a lap in the lead of the race.

Rosberg and Hamilton dispatch Grosjean as the Brit gets up close to his team-mate. This is like Austin all over again.

Vergne pits from third.

If you're wondering if our timing screens are broken, Hulkenberg and Kvyat yet to pit and are on the medium tyres. Hence their positions at the top.

Lap 11

Rosberg sets a fastest lap now he's got some cleaner air. The new benchmark for Hamilton a 1:15.300. The gap just over half a second however.

Alonso still holding firm in front of the two Red Bulls.

Big boos from the grandstand as Massa's penalty is announced. The Brazilian not a happy man on the radio.

Lap 12

Hamilton told he needs to do some management on his rear tyres as it's currently over temperature. If he's doing a longer stint he'll need to be careful of going too flat out.

Rosberg has passed Kvyat for second. The Toro Rosso now holding up Hamilton.

Lap 13

Hamilton gets a nice slip stream down the start/finish straight and eases past Kvyat. Crucially, however, Rosberg has opened up nearly two seconds on his team-mate.

Looks like Kvyat had a big lock-up just behind Hamilton after he'd been passed. A bit of a hair-raising moment for Hamilton.

Rosberg now reeling in Hulkenberg for the lead of the race.

Lap 14

Rosberg makes it look easy as he sweeps past Hulkenberg into the lead at Turn 1. Hulkenberg will have another Mercedes all over his gearbox pretty soon with Hamilton not far down the ride.

Lap 15

Bottas dispatches Grosjean for sixth with ease.

Hamilton still not past Hulkenberg and he's telling Mercedes about feeling vibration from the front of his car. He's all over the back of that Force India but Rosberg is using this advantage to stretch out the gap.

Lap 16

Hamilton dispatches Hulkenberg at the first corner, where they collided in 2012 when the German had a shot at victory. No such drama this time as Hulkenberg gives the championship leader ample room.

Just over two seconds now the gap out in front.

Vettel told he can drop back a bit from Alonso to save his tyres.

Lap 17

Big cheers for Massa as he flies past Kvyat for third.

Hulkenberg pits. Alonso moves past Sutil for 10th.

Lap 18

Rosberg's lead currently 2.4s.

Kvyat still yet to pit. Hamilton reports a blister on his tyres, as Rosberg reports he is struggling with oversteer. Blisters on the medium tyre will be a concern for Hamilton and Mercedes. Two-stop races looking a bit unlikely at the moment.

Lap 19

Bottas has some strips on his tyres too and he's got Button for company behind him. The 2009 world champion just seven tenths behind the Williams.

Despite his own struggles, Hamilton has taken two tenths out of Rosberg and goes purple through the first sector. Rosberg then responds with a purple middle sector.

Lap 20

Rosberg sets a fastest lap, a 1:15.203 to re-establish a 2.4s lead. Button has dropped back to a second behind Bottas but his tyres look a lot healthier.

The gap between Hamilton and Massa is five seconds and starting to get bigger and bigger now the Mercedes are in clear air.

Lap 21

Slow-mo replays show some heavy wear on that right front on Hamilton's car but he's just done a personal best lap, just 0.007s off Rosberg's fastest lap. That was the gap between them in qualifying for Singapore.

The tarmac temperature currently up to 53 degrees Celsius. Massive, massive blister on Rosberg's car too. Degradation becoming a real worry for some drivers right now.

Lap 22

Hamilton now does a fastest lap, a 1:15.120. Despite visible tyre issues nobody seems to be struggling horribly at the moment. Let's see how long that lasts.

Lap 23

Magnussen gets alongside Grosjean coming down the pit straight for sixth, the Lotus is yet to pit and it looks like he's starting to struggle with tyres. Alonso now right behind the Lotus.

Lap 24

Grosjean defends aggressively in seventh, blocking off the Ferrari driver through Turn 1. Alonso refusing to take no for an answer and passes him into Descida do Lago. Vettel follows suit and breezes past Grosjean, his tyres really giving up out there - his grip has gone completely.

Grosjean pits eventually, as does Vettel, surprisingly. Is that to try and undercut Alonso.

Williams calls Massa into the pits for the end of this lap.

Hamilton sets another fastest lap, a 1:15.024. The gap now just over 1.2 seconds as replays show Rosberg locking up again. His front right tyre looks really bad here. Don't forget Pirelli had to change tyre compounds after criticism from drivers about its original medium-hard compound.

Lap 25

Massa waits for five seconds for that penalty, neat stop after that and he emerges but he'll surely have lost track position because of that. I tell you what, Button now looking very handy for a podium indeed there behind Bottas.

Hamilton has cut the lead to a second flat.

Lap 26

Rosberg pits from the lead of the race. Bottas follows.

Lap 27

Real issue for Bottas at Williams! Looks like there was an issue with his seatbelt or something in his cockpit as a mechanic works furiously on something in there. Button now in a great position for a podium! Have both Williams just been taken out of contention here?

Lap 28

Hamilton stays out and sets another fastest lap, a 1:14.303 - that's hugely fast and how will this play out in his attempts to undercut Rosberg at the next pit stop.

Button pits from third.

Hamilton spins off the circuit! He comes to a stop in the run-off area and carries on but that will surely call for a pit stop. Rosberg told he can cool off his own pushing. Advantage Rosberg. That cost Hamilton around seven seconds.

Lap 29

Huge mistake from Hamilton as he looked like he would be comfortably ahead of Rosberg at the rate he was at. How big will that moment be in the context of the championship? Hamilton rejoins comfortably second.

Alonso pits from fourth.

Lap 30

"Don't worry Lewis, all is not lost mate. Keep cracking on," Bonnington tells Hamilton. He's now 7.4 seconds behind Rosberg but the pace he was showing at the end of that stint was frightening.

Perez gets a five-second stop/go penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

If anyone had any doubts Hamilton would rest on his laurels in second, think again. That spin a direct result of him pushing like mad on gripless tyres.

Lap 31

Worth noting, Massa held track position ahead of Button but only just - that is now the battle for the final spot on the podium. The timing screen currently says there's 0.0s between them!

Vettel has done very well himself, jumping Magnussen and Alonso. That's worked a treat for the outgoing world champion.

Lap 32

Hamilton has taken the gap down to 5.8s. It's coming down ever so slowly.

"Just be aware your team-mate is pushing quite hard," comes the message to Rosberg from race engineer Tony Ross. How much will Austin be weighing on Rosberg's mind now? Being hunted down by his Mercedes team-mate again. Let's see how Rosberg responds.

Lap 33

Raikkonen six seconds down on Hamilton but is yet to pit for a second time. Same story for Hulkenberg. Very impressive drive so far from Hulkenberg so far, however - back to the Hulkenberg we saw at the beginning of the year.

Yet again Hamilton better on his fuel consumption than Rosberg, a trend throughout 2014.

Lap 34

Still some clouds lingering over the circuit here but doesn't seem likely we'll get any rain yet. The gap out in front now just 5.7s.

Alonso starting to come under pressure from Ricciardo.

Hamilton tells Mercedes that, next time he gets told to push like hell, his tyres will only last for one lap. A reference to that earlier spin.

Lap 35

Rosberg holding firm on that lead out in front so far. Grosjean, Kvyat, Hulkenberg and Sutil the only drivers yet to use the softs so they could be quite handy at the end of the race

Lap 36

Disaster for Raikkonen at the pit stop as his front right tyre doesn't go on quickly! Looks like a front jack failure from Ferrari and all of his hard work in the middle stint undone.

Lap 37

Hulkenberg pits from third to release Massa, to large cheers from the crowd. Massa seems to have shaken off Button quite nicely.

Vettel gets past Kvyat at Turn 1 but they get very close to touching as the Russian, who replaces Vettel next year, twitches to the left before yielding.

Lap 38

Hamilton has the gap down to 4.7s.

Lap 39

I tell you what, Hamilton really flying out there. He takes another four tenths off Rosberg's lead. But the key question is whether Rosberg is managing the pace out there.

Kvyat finally pits.

Here's the incident which cost Raikkonen at his last stop:

Lap 40

"Yeah, front left rear brake is gone. I'll just cruise back to the pits."

Ricciardo crawling around the circuit and his race might be over here.

Looking at the last stints, Sutil did 33 laps on the medium tyre. Raikkonen 27. So they can be made to last.

Ricciardo is getting passed by everyone out there as he limps back into the pit lane. He's looked a bit off colour all weekend but eventually it's the car which lets him down.

Lap 41

Ricciardo stops in the box as Red Bull looks over the car. They'll see if they can fix it and send him on his way, looks like a very long stop.

"Pretty sure it's done," says Ricciardo. Don't think he's in much mood to get back out there.

Out in front, meanwhile, Hamilton is on full attack mode. The gap now 3.4s. Replays show Rosberg having a big lock up in the middle stint.

Lap 42

It's down again, now to 3.1s. Rosberg surely will be aware of this. Hamilton starting to turn the screws - but that earlier mistake will surely be lingering in the back of his mind.

Hulkenberg gets right behind Bottas in the DRS zone coming through Turn 1 and forces the Williams off the track as he takes eighth! That puts Bottas out of shape and he fights to hold off Raikkonen behind and the 2007 world champion gets by further down the road!

Late move from Hulkenberg, very late on the brakes. No contact though, I think that's fair enough from Hulkenberg. Great driving.

Lap 43

Hamilton is flying. The gap now down to 2.9s.

Bottas returns to the pit lane, lots of work going on at the back of his Williams. He emerges 15th so it's all gone wrong for Bottas this afternoon.

Lap 44

Sutil has bolted on a set of soft tyres - the rest of the field all on mediums.

Lap 45

Alonso has a go at Magnussen around the outside of Turn 1. He takes a wider line to try and get a better run on Magnussen. The Dane defends stoutly but Alonso patiently waits and Magnussen runs a little wide at Descida do Lago and Alonso claims the position. Nice job from Alonso.

Lap 46

Massa is told he needs six more laps out of his tyres on this stint. He's currently seven seconds ahead of Button so he looks good for a popular podium.

Hamilton now 2.5s behind Rosberg but will have to lap Bottas first in a similarly-powered Williams.

Lap 47

The gap is now down to 1.8 seconds in front! Hamilton absolutely on it.

Lap 48

Kvyat eases past Perez at Descida do Lago. Nice move, that one. Perez struggling a lot compared to team-mate Hulkenberg.

Magnussen pits.

Lap 49

Nice response from Rosberg, who sets a personal best time, to extend the gap to over two seconds. But looks like Hamilton may have been caught up behind Grosjean a little bit. We're in for an absolutely brilliant finale here, aren't we.

Vettel pits for the third time in this race. Perez also pitting for fresh rubber.

Lap 50

Rosberg can now clearly see Hamilton in his mirrors, Mercedes say he is also pushing like mad. The gap has stopped coming down quite as quickly but Hamilton still chipping away at it.

Williams performing a bit of a bluff in the garage. Running out into the garage, prompting McLaren to do the same, before returning to the garage.

Rosberg pits from the lead.

Lap 51

Rosberg screeches away. How long will it be before Hamilton comes in? It was at this stage at the last stint he set the fastest lap of the race.

Massa now pits from third. Looks like he stopped in the wrong bay momentarily - costing him a bit of time! Sluggish stop for Massa too.

Lap 52

Hamilton pits from the lead. Don't imagine he'll get out ahead of Rosberg but it's all about this final medium-tyre stint. By comparison, Hamilton's stop was two tenths faster than Rosberg's.

Hamilton emerges just behind Rosberg. The gap looks a lot smaller between those two - game on!

Seeing a replay and I was right. Massa pulling into Button's pit box. McLaren's mechanics waving him on passionately as he did so. Similar colours at McLaren and Williams. Massa's face might be the colour red at the moment, but he's still third.

Lap 53

Hamilton just half a second behind Rosberg. Another massive moment in the championship. Remember Rosberg spoke about learning what went wrong in Austin. He needs to show that he's not going to roll over - the mental battle so important this year.

Lap 54

Well then, great response from Rosberg as a fastest lap of 1:13.961 opens up two more tenths on Hamilton. This one is far from a given, I tell you that. Rosberg has been supreme this weekend.

Massa eases past Hulkenberg for third, to cheers from the home crowd. That's a pass for position there, with Hulkenberg yet to pit again.

Lap 55

"Just think about that right rear Lewis. Temperature getting quite hot," is the message to Hamilton. He's clearly pushing like mad. The advantage for Rosberg will be that Hamilton's tyres will be suffering more currently, and it's all down to him to make a move work. Rosberg just needs to string the laps together. This one could be about which Mercedes driver cracks first.

Lap 56

Another fastest lap from Rosberg keeps the gap at seven tenths. That last lap a 113.937. Hamilton still in DRS range and it looks like there is a cluster of backmarkers up ahead.

Lap 57

Hamilton takes a tenth out of Rosberg on that lap. Those backmarkers right in front of Rosberg so they may well have a baring on this race.

Hulkenberg still needs an option tyre stint, Raikkonen does not need too. That means the Force India could be a factor at the end of the race for some places.

Lap 58

This is gripping stuff. Absolutely riveting. Hamilton's last lap just 0.002s quicker than Rosberg, there's literally nothing to choose from between them. This could all come down to one moment.

Lap 59

These backmarkers of course mean Rosberg gets the advantage of DRS to counteract that of Hamilton's. He gets a much better run through Turn 2, Rosberg looking a bit untidy and Hamilton is now right up behind Rosberg's gearbox!

Lap 60

With such negative news around F1 at the moment, this is exactly what the sport needs. Heartstopping battle, this one. The gap still half a second. Fascinating comparing the two lines they are taking through the first sequence of corners - that could be where a move happens later.

Lap 61

The pair dispatch some backmarkers and that allows Rosberg to open up two more tenths on Hamilton. The gap is 0.7s as we enter the final ten laps.

Kvyat and Grosjean pit for their third stops. Hulkenberg finally pits from fourth.

Button has a go at Raikkonen around the outside of Turn 1 but Raikkonen is having none of it. Button has another go at the next corner and Raikkonen keeps fighting. Vettel fancies a go and picks up the scraps in the middle sector! Wonderful stuff, Raikkonen struggling with those tyres.

Lap 62

Excellent work from Button. Still life in the old dog yet, isn't there. Rosberg sets a fastest lap, a 1:13.737, amazingly 0.001s quicker than Hamilton's. Those two men absolutely on it.

Lap 63

Hamilton responds with a fastest lap of his own now, a 1:13.555, as Rosberg does his own personal best. He's running out of laps to make something happen, however.

Lap 64

Rosberg opens up four tenths on Hamilton. Are the Briton's tyres starting to get away from him? He's nearly slipped out of DRS range.

It just doesn't feel like we've seen the last of this battle yet....

Lap 65

Raikkonen now holding up Alonso. With those men on different strategies, interesting we haven't heard a message for Alonso to move over... Alonso on his way out of Ferrari, remember.

Very interesting and Alonso must be fuming at the moment. Alonso has a look at Descida do Lago but decides against a move.

Lap 66

Yellow flags out with Grosjean stopped on the side of the circuit.

Hamilton now half a second behind Rosberg, he's cut the gap down once again. They get through the yellow flags as the smokey Lotus is wheeled off the circuit.

Lap 67

Still no team orders at Ferrari. Alonso still having a look.

Hamilton has a little lock-up coming through Turn 1 but it's the Ferraris currently battling for position, Raikkonen not budging an inch! This is fantastic stuff and confirmation Alonso is leaving Ferrari, as if we needed it.

Lap 68

Five laps left and if Raikkonen can claim this position it will be huge. Raikkonen forces wide again as he tries to pass at the same place. Alonso all over the back of Raikkonen, who is now only focused on keeping Alonso behind. This is excellent.

Lots of pride at stake as well for Raikkonen after a really forgettable year at Ferrari, being overshadowed so much by his team-mate.

Lap 69

Alonso eventually eases by on the DRS. Alonso's tyres 17 laps younger than Raikkonen's.

Three laps to go and Hamilton still half a second off Rosberg. The German holding firm currently. That Raikkonen battle costing Alonso any chance of getting involved with Vettel for fifth up ahead.

Lap 70

Start of the penultimate lap. Rosberg seems to be comfortable out there. Does Hamilton have anything extra he can call on? I can't see how this one is going to happen at the moment.

Lap 71

At the start of the final lap Hamilton is eight tenths behind Rosberg. Looks like the German's got it...

Hamilton can't get close enough through the middle sector and Rosberg wins a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix. Excellent drive from the German.

But now all eyes turn to Massa - he's rounding the final corners and the grandstands erupt as he crosses in third in front of his home fans. Well done that man.

"Thanks a lot guys, great job," says a calm Rosberg.

Hamilton pulls up alongside Rosberg and puts his thumbs up at his team-mate. Bonnington tells Hamilton he's "sorry about that stop," presumably about that spin. Seems like Hamilton thought he should have come in rather than do a lap - a decision which ultimately cost him the victory.

Massa lapping up the adoration of the fans in parc ferme.

Not much being said between Hamilton and Rosberg. They're waiting for Massa, who is all smiles as he comes in to be weighed.

He laughs with Rosberg and Hamilton as he tells them about pulling into the wrong pit box.


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