Brazilian GP as it happened

1. Rosberg beats Hamilton by one second
2. Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points in title race
3. Massa 3rd, Button 4th, Vettel 5th, Alonso 6th
4. Raikkonen 7th, Hulkenberg 8th, Magnussen 9th, Bottas 10th
5. Hamilton spins early on
6. Drivers struggle with tyre blistering
7. Massa gets pit lane speeding penalty
8. Ricciardo out with suspension problem, Grosjean out
9. Fifty points remaining at Abu Dhabi finale

See you on 21 November

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So onwards to Abu Dhabi, where the Formula 1 title will be decided. Lewis Hamilton, with an impressive 10 wins under his belt this season, leads team-mate Nico Rosberg by 17 points with a massive 50 left on the table.

A win for Rosberg and second for Hamilton will be enough to give the Briton the title. Which way will it go? Join me in a fortnight to find out. Thanks for your company and contributions and until next time, it's good night from me.

Red Bull

Red Bull: Looking back... 2013 #BrazilGP was @AussieGrit's final race for the Team. Remember these moments? #10SeasonsRacing

The next and final stop on the Formula 1 calendar is Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit where double points will be on offer for the first time in the sport's history.

First practice kicks off at 08:30 GMT on Friday 21 November with live coverage across BBC TV, radio and online throughout the whole weekend.

If you want to catch up on the race, you can re-read this live text commentary, check out the report or wait till the highlights air on BBC One at 20:30 GMT.

Williams

Williams: #Massa is greeted by his family as he returns to the paddock #BrazilGP after his podium.

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I urge you to give today's Gossip column a read as it features a story which suggests Marussia could still race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 23 November as a rescue package is being discussed that would enable the team to take part.

EPA

Fernando Alonso on Twitter: Yuuuuhhuuuu! I hope the race on TV was as exciting as behind the wheel! Happy! #theBestIsYetToCome

AP

Felipe Massa's third place was a hugely popular result for the home fans. It almost went wrong, when the Brazilian was penalised for speeding in the pit-lane, but his strong pace, which he has showed all weekend, was enough to seal third. That's his second podium of the season and fifth in Brazil.

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The teams are busy packing up their freight, which will go straight to Abu Dhabi for the season finale, which takes place in two weeks' time.

Meanwhile, over at Sauber, the drivers and key engineers are in their post-race debrief. There aren't many happy faces in there. Just one race left for the team to avoid ending the season without a single point.

Reuters

Lewis Hamilton can win the title by finishing second to Nico Rosberg in Abu Dhabi on 23 November, even though double points will be on offer.

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You'll be able to watch that interview with Jenson Button, mentioned in the tweet below, on the highlights show, which airs at 20:30 GMT, just after the Strictly Come Dancing results week seven show.

McLaren

McLaren: JB talks shop with @bbcf1's Eddie Jordan, @suziperry & @therealdcf1. Loving the blue trousers, DC. #BrazilGP

Reuters

Lewis Hamilton says the spin "cost me the win", adding: "I was a much quicker up to that point. I went a second quicker on the next lap, thought I was going to pit on that lap, used all my tyres and on the next lap there was nothing left.

"I locked the rear and went wide. No-one's mistake but mine. It was a great race pushing right to the finish, which is what motor racing's all about."

Williams

Williams: A very popular man in Brazil tonight @MassaFelipe19! What a reaction from the crowd! #BrazilGP #F1

Get involved

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Astin Daley: In the end, Ecclestone's double points rule to keep the championship alive to the last race wasn't needed. #MuchAdoAboutNothing

Stig: Really pleased for Nico, great controlled drive, puts the pressure on for Abu Dhabi, can't wait !

Jenna Thackray: Jenson Button deserves a seat at Mclaren after today's drive.... Amazing drive!

Reuters

Both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso say that their Ferrari team did not enforce team orders when they were battling for sixth place. Alonso, who was on fresher tyres having made one more stop, was much quicker, but Raikkonen was able to keep the Spaniard behind for several laps before his defence was eventually broken.

Reuters

BBC

Williams extend their lead to 44 points over Ferrari in the battle for third place in the constructors' championship with a maximum of 86 remaining. Still no points for Sauber while Mercedes have obviously already won the title.

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BBC

So Nico Rosberg cuts the deficit to Lewis Hamilton to 17 points with a maximum of 50 points remaining at the season finale at Abu Dhabi. Daniel Ricciardo will definitely finish third overall, despite not finishing today's race.

Mercedes: "We've set some incredible records this year. The car is just awesome - the best I've ever driven" @LewisHamilton #F1 #BrazilGP

Good effort from Jenson Button who finished a brilliant fourth, matching his result from last year's Brazilian Grand Prix. It's also the sixth year in a row that the 2009 world champion that Button has finished in the top-five in Brazil.

Get involved #bbcf1

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Chris Harvey: Got to think Lewis backed off there, he clearly was quicker. Save the engine, no point doing otherwise.

Ciaran: Not a fan of the double points idea but Abu Dhabi will be a cracker!

Rachel: With his 4 in a row and then 5 in a row, Hamilton has done enough and beaten Rosberg when it mattered. #BringItHome

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Mercedes take their 30th podium finish of 2014, surpassing Ferrari's 2004 record of 29 podium finishes in one year. It's also Nico Rosberg's first podium at Interlagos while Lewis Hamilton has still never won in Brazil in eight starts.

McLaren

McLaren: The boys cheering JB home to a cracking 4th place finish. Great team effort. #BrazilGP

Driver reaction

Reuters

"I am so happy for the race, there were so many mistakes; I had the five-second penalty and I stopped in the wrong garage but the car was terrific," says Felipe Massa, who finished third. "I was so pleased with it today."

Driver reaction

"It was an amazing race, I had a great time," says Lewis Hamilton, who finished second. "I made a big mistake in the middle of the race but otherwise the car was superb and everyone did a great job.

"It was great to race Nico and it is brilliant to see Felipe up here on the podium. There is now everything to play for in the final race in Abu Dhabi."

Driver reaction

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"I am very happy with the whole weekend," says race winner Nico Rosberg, who now trails Lewis Hamilton by 17 points in the drivers' championship. "I was able to attack and control the gap to Lewis in the race. It all worked out so that is great and the support has been excellent."

Felipe Massa gets a great response as he answers his question while it looks like Lewis Hamilton has wandered off the podium. Nelson Piquet calls him back, though, having obviously been told by the voice in his earpiece that he needs to ask Hamilton a proper question about the race.

Remarkable scenes on the podium. Nelson Piquet is the interviewer. He asks Nico Rosberg an excessively long question. Following his answer, he heads over to Lewis Hamilton and asks him where his girlfriend is. When Hamilton replies "at home", Piquet moves on to Felipe Massa. Odd.

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That's Nico Rosberg's first win since July and ends a run of five straight victories for Lewis Hamilton.

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The German national anthem rings out Interlagos ahead of the trophy presentation. There's a superb atmosphere with the crowd making plenty of noise. The biggest cheer, though, is reserved for Felipe Massa. Bring on the champagne, it's party time.

Mercedes on Twitter: What a superbly controlled drive that was from @nico_rosberg - he soaked up some mega pressure there! He's only getting stronger!

The gates to the track have been open, allowing the fans to stream on, bound for the podium where their man Felipe Massa will be accepting the trophy for third place.

Get involved #bbcf1

Vicky Sanderson: Rosberg needed to win here. Fantastic result - and Massa gets a home podium! Think Hamilton threw it away with that spin...

Stuart Dawson: Get in there Nico Rosberg! The fight isn't over yet....

Wasiyullah: That spin at T4 did the damage for Lewis Hamilton, still he fought hard but at the end Rosberg nailed it.

"I did so many mistakes in this race! I made a stop at McLaren!" says Felipe Massa to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in the pre-podium room.

Williams: 'Well done mate, nice podium at home' Rob Smedley to Felipe #BrazilGP

Mercedes: It's another 1-2!! Storming drive from @LewisHamilton to take P2!! He never backed down for a moment! Top job! #F1

Well done to the local boy too - the crowd go nuts for a well deserved home.podium for @MassaFelipe19! bravo! #F1 #MercedesFamily #BrazilGP

Team radio

Lewis Hamilton's race engineer: "Great racing, just sorry about that stop."

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"It is remarkable that Lewis Hamilton has never won here, the place where he won his championship. He will be frustrated with his spin but he will be satisfied going into the final race of the season."

Team radio

Nico Rosberg's race engineer: "Well done Nico, great job out there in difficult conditions."

Brazilian Grand Prix result

1) Nico Rosberg 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Felipe Massa 4) Jenson Button 5) Sebastian Vettel 6) Fernando Alonso 7) Kimi Raikkonen 8) Nico Hulkenberg 9) Kevin Magnussen 10) Valtteri Bottas

11) Daniil Kvyat 12) Pastor Maldonado 13) Jean-Eric Vergne 14) Esteban Gutierrez 15) Sergio Perez 16) Adrian Sutil

DNF: Romain Grosjean, Daniel Ricciardo.

That's the 11th Mercedes one-two of the season, beating McLaren's record which they set in 1988.

Lewis Hamilton gives Nico Rosberg the thumbs up as he passes Nico Rosberg on the slowdown lap.

Round of applause in the Williams garage and the grandstands around Interlagos as Felipe Massa crosses the line to take third. Very strong drive from the Brazililan.

Nico Rosberg cuts Lewis Hamilton's lead to 17 points going to Abu Dhabi, where double points - so 50 for the winner - are available.

Chequered flag

Nico Rosberg wins the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Lap 71

Lewis Hamilton fails to make a pass at Turn One or Turn Four. It looks like the charge is all over.

Lap 70

Good effort from Felipe Massa who is running a very strong third, even after that five-second penalty. Lewis Hamilton is 0.6 seconds behind. One lap to go.

Lap 69

Just the two laps left for Lewis Hamilton find a way through. The gap back out to 0.8 seconds. Nico Rosberg in charge for now.

Mercedes: We honestly cannot call this... what a monumental performance from both our boys. Neither deserves to lose! #F1 #BrazilGP #BrazilNuts

Less than a tenth of a second between their best times! How close can you get?!

Lap 68

Perhaps I was wrong as Lewis Hamilton reduced the gap to 0.5 seconds. Three laps to go.

Lotus on Twitter: We're boycotting the final five laps of this race with @RGrosjean.

Lap 67

Lewis Hamilton has drifted out to 0.9 seconds behind Nico Rosberg, after getting out of shape at Turn One. Only four laps to go. Hamilton looks to have run out of time.

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Lap 66

Great battle between the Ferraris with Fernando Alonso trying to find a way past team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has no plans to give up sixth place without a real fight.

Lap 65

Romain Grosjean has stopped out on track. It looks like the Frenchman will become the second retirement of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who was forced to retire, speaking to BBC Sport: "In the end in was a suspension failure, I thought it was a brake failure as it went when I broke on Turn One.

"It was a bit of a shame but I cannot be greedy, I have had a good run up to now. I would have loved to have been out there but that's how it goes sometimes."

Lap 64

Valtteri Bottas has recovered to 10th, after two poor pit stops, with Nico Hulkenberg ahead in ninth. Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg leads Lewis Hamilton by 0.8 seconds. Seven laps to go.

Lap 63

Nico Rosberg is responding well from the pressure from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton is dropping back. Perhaps he's taken too much out of those tyres.

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David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Hamilton has just done the fastest lap of the Grand Prix but he is still a bit slower in that middle sector."

Lap 62

Lewis Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race, with the gap just under 0.6 seconds to Nico Rosberg. Felipe Massa is 31.7 seconds adrift in third.

Reuters

Get involved #bbcf1

Rebecca Cole: Oh this is giving my stomach knots of epic proportions.

Gareth Jones: Lewis will force Rosberg into a mistake in the last 5 laps.

Sean: Can Rosberg come out on top in a wheel to wheel battle? Yet to be done...

Lap 61

Jenson Button gets past Kimi Raikkonen for was is fourth, as Nico Hulkenberg pits, but the Finn refuses to give the place up and goes side-by-side with the Briton once more.

But Button has the racing line and takes the place and Sebastian Vettel, who has caught the squabbling pair, takes advantage and passes Raikkonen, too. Raikkonen is on 25 lap old tyres, though, so it's no surprise to see him struggling for grip.

Lap 60

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg trading times at the moment, with the gap stabilised at 0.6 seconds. Meanwhile, there's a great battle between Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button over fifth.

Mercedes on Twitter: This is shaping up to be one heck of a finale!!!

Ahhhh we can't handle much more of this!!! #F1 #BrazilGP

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Rosberg went a bit wide there, allowing Hamilton to get back in and continue to put him under pressure. This is fantastic stuff, you feel for both of these guys. Rosberg has been faultless this weekend but is it going to be enough?"

Lap 59

The traffic is doing a good job of getting out of the way of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Eleven laps to go. Gap 0.576 seconds.

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Hamilton's saying: 'I'm coming for you, pal.'"

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

"I'm in the Mercedes garage. There's a lot of fingers being drummed and gum being chewed here."

Lap 58

Lewis Hamilton can't seem to get close enough to Nico Rosberg for the moment, but they're approaching three cars that require lapping.

Team radio

Lewis Hamilton's race engineer: "Just think about protecting that right rear Lewis, it is getting hot."

AP

Lap 57

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton encounter traffic, but it doesn't appear to hinder Rosberg or help Hamilton and we're as you were. The gap is 0.6 seconds.

Lap 56

Here's how they stand with 15 laps to go:

1) Ros 2) Ham 3) Mas 4) Hul 5) Rai 6) But 7) Vet 8) Alo 9) Kvy 10) Mag 11) Gro 12) Bot 13) Mal 14) Ver 15) Gut 16) per 17) Sut DNF: Ric

Lap 55

Lewis Hamilton's progress has been halted as Nico Rosberg responds with the fastest lap of the race. The gap is 0.7 seconds.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Lewis doesn't look as comfortable on these tyres in the middle sector as he did previously."

Lap 54

Felipe Massa passes Nico Hulkenberg for third, thanks to his much fresher tyres and faster car. He's 28 seconds behind the Mercedes, though. Kimi Raikkonen is 3.9 seconds behind, with Jenson Button 1.4 seconds further back.

Reuters

Lotus on Twitter: Which team does @MassaFelipe19 drive for @WilliamsRacing?

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"It's super exciting. My heart dropped when Hamilton spun but we have a race now."

Lap 53

Nico Rosberg leads the Brazilian Grand Prix but his lead a measly 0.8 seconds over Lewis Hamilton.

AP

Get involved

Lukie: The performance of the two Mercedes is outstanding! Hamilton is so focused after his error, can Nico handle him?

My Old RE teacher: What a racer! If Lewis loses the championship because of double points, it will be a true injustice.

Kieron: I'm actually gobsmacked, how has Hamilton done it, absolutely amazing.

Lap 52

Replays show that Felipe Massa drove into the wrong pit and had to be waved on into the right one. That would explain why Jenson Button had managed to close the gap so much.

F1 on Twitter

Formula1.com: Battles everywhere.

Lap 51

Felipe Massa and Jenson Button, who are in a race for third, both pit and rejoin in the same order. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is in, too. It's another good stop from Mercedes - 2.5 seconds - but it won't be enough to jump Nico Rosberg I don't think. No it's not. But the gap has come down. What a finish we have in store. Twenty laps to go.

Lap 50

Lewis Hamilton closes the gap again and is now just 1.9 seconds adrift. Nico Rosberg, the race leader, then pits. It's a decent stop - just 2.7 seconds - and the German is soon on his way. So what will Hamilton do? Will he have just a single lap or stay out for a while in a bid to jump his team-mate?

Lap 49

Sebastian Vettel pits from fifth and rejoins in eighth. Expect a flurry of pit stops, the third of the day for most, shortly.

Williams: Not Valtteri's race today - after two difficult pitstops he is now running in P15 #BrazilGP

Mercedes: Top battles out there around the Interlagos circuit, great stuff! And there's about to be another epic duel we feel... #F1 #BrazilGP

Lap 48

Lewis Hamilton loses a bit of time lapping Romain Grosjean and the gap to Nico Rosberg moves back out to two seconds.

Team radio

Felipe Massa's race engineer: "OK Felipe we need at least six more timed laps on this set of tyres."

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Just looking at the battle for the lead. The gap is less than two seconds and he is now coming into traffic so could that be a benefit for Hamilton?"

Lap 47

The chase continues, the gap now down to 1.9 seconds. Nico Rosberg will have his mirrors full of Lewis Hamilton shortly.

Lap 46

Lewis Hamilton now 2.3 seconds behind Nico Rosberg, the Briton quicker in all three sectors on the last lap.

Get involved #bbcf1

Jeremiah: It is Hammertime now! Hamilton on a mission. Hope he keeps it sound and sane!

Phoebe: As if you need more evidence Hamilton's the superior driver - no one doubted for a moment that he'd cut the gap, or that he'll continue to.

Kgaedi: My hat off for Lewis Hamilton, he's a warrior.

Lap 45

Nico Rosberg leads over Lewis Hamilton is down to 2.7 seconds. Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen cracks under pressure from Fernando Alonso, running wide at Turn Four and losing sixth place.

Lap 44

Valtteri Bottas pits and there's yet more problems for the Finn, as a mechanic struggles to make a front wing adjustment. It's been a day to forget for the Williams driver. He rejoins in 16th.

Lap 43

Lewis Hamilton is now three seconds behind Nico Rosberg. Meanwhile, Felipe Massa is all alone in third. He's 15.8secs behind Hamilton and 6.7 clear of Jenson Button.

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David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"The thing that is going to be fascinating is that Rosberg has been trying to manage his tyres but has Hamilton gambled too much with his tyres? as he tried to make up for the mistake earlier.

" Is Nico being to conservative as he tries to look after his tyres? While for Hamilton it's attack, attack, attack."

Lap 42

Nico Hulkenberg passes Valtteri Bottas for eighth. The Finn is forced off track and when he rejoins, Kimi Raikkonen is there to pounce. It's only a matter of corners before Raikkonen makes it through.

Lap 41

Lewis Hamilton is still flying and now 3.1 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate and race leader Nico Rosberg.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"It is a real shame for Ricciardo. He has already got his visor up and he is not going anywhere. It looks like a suspension failure when he hit the brake."

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Ricciardo had done the most racing laps of anyone else this season."

Lap 40

Daniel Ricciardo is the first retirement of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver failing to finish a race for the first time since round two in Malaysia.

Lap 39

Lewis Hamilton continues his push, the Briton now 4.1 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

It looks like it could be all over for Daniel Ricciardo, who heads to the pits with front brake problems. He was running 12th.

Lap 38

Daniil Kvyat bails out, as he continues to struggle with those tyres. The Russia was sixth in the Toro Rosso. That'll move Kevin Magnussen up a place.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"The racing spirit in Vettel is still very much alive with the overtake. It was a late lunge but a move which takes him up to sixth."

Lap 37

Nico Rosberg asks his team not to tell him the gap to Lewis Hamilton for a few laps. Is that wise? Because Hamilton is closing every lap. The gap now 4.7 seconds. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel passes Daniil Kvyat for sixth.

Get involved

Hobbsy: In F1 there are drivers & there are racers. Nico, Lewis is a racer and he's coming for you!

Phil: Lewis already carving into Nico's lead at almost a second a lap, and Lewis better at tyre management.

Howard: Out of all the F1 teams, Williams' magical ability to throw away races due to the silliest things imaginable is quite special.

Lap 36

The gap between the two Mercedes continues to fall, Lewis Hamilton now 5.1 seconds behind. Still 35 laps to go. We'll have another round of pit stops, too.

Lap 35

Kimi Raikkonen pits from third and it's not going well. The front jack drops down before the mechanic gets the front tyre on. School boy error?

Lap 34

There's a little bit of cloud around, but still no signs of rain. Lewis Hamilton takes another two tenths of a second out of race leader Nico Rosberg. The gap down to 5.5 seconds.

Mercedes on Twitter: Will @nico_rosberg start to manage the gap? Has @LewisHamilton gone too hard too soon? This could get very intersting indeed...

Lap 33

Lewis Hamilton's rear tyres looks very blistered but the Briton continues to push, the gap to Nico Rosberg down to 5.7 seconds.

Lap 32

Lewis Hamilton continues to chase, the gap down to 5.8 seconds, with Kimi Raikkonen 6.2 seconds further back in third.

Lap 31

Here's how they stand:

1) Ros 2) Ham 3) Rai 4) Hul 5) Mas 6) Kvy 7) But 8) Vet 9) Mag 10) Alo 11) Ric 12) Bot 13) Gro 14) Sut 15) Gut 16) Per 17) Ver 18) Mal

Lap 30

Lewis Hamilton is on the march again, he's just taken 1.3 seconds out of race leader Nico Rosberg. That spin hasn't put him off.

Get involved #bbcf1

Jeremy: Can the Brazilian fans put some tacks on the road so Massa can win?

Vicky Sanderson: Hamilton had a spin. Now who is finding the pressure too much to handle?!

Gareth Jones: That was a key moment in the championship.

Lap 29

So Nico Rosberg leads Lewis Hamilton by 7.4 seconds with Kimi Raikkonen third and Nico Hulkenberg fourth. The latter two have not yet stopped. Felipe Massa is fifth, Daniil Kvyat sixth and Jenson Button seventh. After the pit stop nightmare, Valtteri Bottas is down in 12th.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Hamilton has lost six seconds after the spin but it is not the end for Hamilton. He will be so frustrated though, it was a great recovery, in days gone by that would have a been a gravel trap and it would have been game over."

Lap 28

Lewis Hamilton is off! He's pushed too hard! The rear end of that Mercedes steps out, sending him spinning into the run-off at Turn Four. He recovers and pits but rejoins seven seconds behind Nico Rosberg. Still 43 laps to go, though.

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Bottas has problem with his seatbelts in the pits. The crowd are cheering - it hands the initiative back to local hero Massa."

Lap 27

Lewis Hamilton is absolutely flying out there. The Briton clocks a 1:14.303 - that's way quicker than anything we've seen so far today. He's chosen to stay out for another lap. This is the kind of performance which will see him jump Nico Rosberg.

Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas has a shocker of a stop as his team battle to adjust his seatbelt.

Lap 26

Felipe Massa pits, takes his five-second penalty and then switches tyres. He will likely drop behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Jenson Button once they've made their stop. Meanwhile, race leader Nico Rosberg is in, too.

Lap 25

Big lock-up from Nico Rosberg, who is getting chased down by Lewis Hamilton. The German's front-right tyre looks heavily blistered.

Getty Images

Lap 24

Lewis Hamilton sets a new fastest lap of the race, taking a massive half a second out of Nico Rosberg! Half a second! The gap is now just 1.2 seconds. He's almost within DRS overtaking range.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Rosberg will be well aware of what Hamilton is doing. He is like a predator. he will just hunt you down and could pressure you into a mistake."

Lap 23

Romain Grosjean is falling back, first losing a place to Kevin Magnussen and then to Fernando Alonso. He's now seventh and being hustled by the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.

Lap 22

AFP

Lewis Hamilton (pictured) continues to hunt down Nico Rosberg, the gap down to 1.8 seconds. Brace yourself, folks.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"We are in the window where we could see the cars coming in any moment now, so it could be crucial for Vettel. If he can just stay out there now for a bit longer it could be a big advantage for him."

Lap 21

It's another new fastest lap for Lewis Hamilton who is just 2.0 seconds behind race leader Nico Rosberg.

Mercedes: We can't help but enjoy the roar as @MassaFelipe19 makes his way past the grandstand - these fans are simply mega!

Force India

Force India: The crew at work on Nico's car during our earlier stop. #BrazilGP #FeelTheForce

Lap 20

Lewis Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race to cut the gap to Nico Rosberg to just 2.1 seconds, with Felipe Massa 5.8 seconds behind. Jenson Button continues to put pressure on Valtteri Bottas in the fight for fourth.

Team radio

Lewis Hamilton: "I've got a blister on the front right"

Lap 19

Jenson Button is doing a stunning job in fifth place, the McLaren driver heaping the pressure on Williams' Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg stretches his lead over Lewis Hamilton to 2.4 seconds.

Lap 18

Lewis Hamilton is a fraction quicker than Nico Rosberg but he's still 2.3 seconds adrift of the race leader with 53 laps to go.

AFP

Get involved #bbcf1

Scott Coe: So what lap is Lewis going to pass Nico today?

Jeremiah: The Gods of luck are never on Felipe Massa's side!

Lap 17

Nico Hulkenberg pits from third place. Meanwhile, there's a huge cheer from the grandstands as Felipe Massa passes Daniil Kvyat into Turn One for third place. The Brazilian is now 3.6 seconds behind second-placed Lewis Hamilton.

Lap 16

Lewis Hamilton makes short work of Nico Hulkenberg into Turn One to move up to second. He's now 2.3 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Hulkenberg's lap times have dropped away substantially. The overtake was an easy one for Rosberg because Mercedes have the speed advantage over Force India."

Lap 15

Felipe Massa and then Valtteri Bottas pass Romain Grosjean to move up to fifth and sixth respectively.

Lap 14

Nico Rosberg passes Nico Hulkenberg into Turn One to retake the lead of the race. Hulkenberg, who has reported blistering on his tyres and has not yet stopped, doesn't try to defend.

Lap 12

Nico Rosberg has closed to within 0.7 seconds of race leader Nico Hulkenberg with Lewis Hamilton one second further back. Meanwhile, Jenson Button passes Adrian Sutil for eighth place.

Lap 11

So here's how they stand: 1) Hul 2) Ros 3) Kvy 4) Ham 5) Gro 6) Mas 7) Bot 8) Sut 9) But 10) Mag 11) Alo 12) Vet 13) Ric 14) Rai 15) Gut 16) Per 17) Ver 18) Mal

Lap 10

So Nico Hulkenberg leads ahead of Daniil Kvyat, as neither have pitted. Nico Rosberg is third, having set the fastest lap, with Lewis Hamilton fourth and Romain Grosjean fifth. Still 61 laps to go.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Rosberg just managed to stay ahead but he did have the benefit from DRS from Grosjean in front of him. This is great window of opportunity for Hamilton to get past team-mate."

Lap nine

Huge blow for Felipe Massa who has been given a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit-lane. He must take that at his next stop. Meanwhile, race leader Lewis Hamilton pits from the lead. It's a fraction faster than Nico Rosberg! It's going to be so close! But Rosberg has done just about enough and retains the place. They're fighting over fifth as the four cars in front of them habe not pitted. Nico Hulkenberg leads.

Get involved #bbcf1

Neil Richards: You always feel Lewis just keeps him where he wants him, like a puppet on a string.

James Ayres: Come on Lewis Hamilton! Let's get another victory! Onwards to the world championship!

Abdel: Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion once upon a time...

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"What is so impressive about a Grand Prix is that the most important part of a race is when the car is not actually moving and the pitmen and women work so fast to get the car out quickly. There is basically a two second window these days."

Recap

Getty Images

Rosberg got a great start and was unchallenged by Hamilton, but Vettel lost two places.

Lap eight

Race leader Nico Rosberg pits, takes on the medium tyres, and is on his way in just three seconds. Lewis Hamilton moves into the lead, with Esteban Gutierrez second and Kimi Raikkonen third.

Lap seven

Valtteri Bottas and Jenson Button pit together. Good stops from both Williams and McLaren and they rejoin in unison, just behind Felipe Massa. So we're as you were.

Lap six

Felipe Massa is the first of the frontrunners to pit. It's a good stop for the Williams driver, who swaps softs for mediums, but he rejoins in 16th, having been third.

Lap five

Fernando Alonso's Ferrari is all over the place, that car really sliding around. Perhaps we'll see him in for new boots sooner rather than later. The Spaniard is currently seventh, defending from Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel whom he is tied on points with.

Lap four

Good opening few laps from Esteban Gutierrez, who is up to 10th in the Sauber. How dearly the Swiss team would love to score what would be their first points of the season. No change in the gap between the two leaders, with Nico Rosberg heading Lewis Hamilton by 1.2 seconds.

Lap Three

Daniel Ricciardo is putting pressure on his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the battle for eighth. He has a look into Turn One, but he's not quite close enough. Lewis Hamilton keeps the gap at 1.2 seconds as he chases team-mate and race leader Nico Rosberg.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"I think that all of the drivers are anticipating problems with these option tyres, so it will be interesting to see if they can get anywhere near 10 laps before they have to change them."

Lap Two

Nico Rosberg sets about opening up a gap over team-mate Lewis Hamilton and now leads by 1.2 seconds. Felipe Massa is holding on to the Mercedes, in front of his home crowd, just one second adrift.

Lap One

Sebastian Vettel has a shocker, losing a place to Kevin Magnussen and then Fernando Alonso, after running wide. He's now eighth. Nico Rosberg leads by 0.8 seconds from Lewis Hamilton.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"It was great getaway from Nico Rosberg and he didn't even have to battle to take that first place, the two Mercedes have already opened up a gap on the other cars."

Go! Go! Go!

Nico Rosberg nails another perfect start as he sails into the first corner in the lead of the race with Lewis Hamilton tucking into second. Felipe Massa holds onto third, with Valtteri Bottas fourth.

Formation lap

Nico Rosberg leads the field away for the formation lap. It's a short lap here, so they'll be back round in a couple of minutes.

Despite a threat of rain all weekend, it looks like the race will be dry, which is bad news for drivers such as Jenson Button who would have hoped the tricky conditions would help close the gap in performance to the likes of Mercedes and Williams. Pirelli say a three-stop strategy is the quickest, but they expect most teams to try a two-stopper in order to avoid getting caught up in traffic.

BBC

Both Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen and Jean-Eric Vergne have got a bit lost this weekend, exploring the escape roads behind the barriers after running off track.

Kimi Raikkonen famously did the same thing in 2012 at Juncao. I chuckle every time I watch the video, which you can watch here.

Vote result

The results are in, folks, and 86.3% of you believe F1 bosses should be doing more to help Marussia and Caterham survive. Just 13.7% of you think they are doing enough. Thanks for voting.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"Sebastian Vettel knows he will move to Ferrari having been beaten by Daniel Ricciardo in 2014 in both qualifying and race results, and he has admitted this weekend that 'Daniel has done a better job'. But he salvaged some honour with sixth place in Brazil, three places and 0.137secs in front of the Australian. Vettel is hoping to move up at least one place, ahead of Jenson Button. 'I would hope we could beat the McLaren,' he said. 'I was very close with Jenson in qualifying so that should be possible but it's difficult predict. The first few cars are quite a bit quicker than us but then it's fairly close between us, Ferrari and McLaren.'"

Sauber's Adrian Sutil is starting from the pit-lane, because the team had to make a technical change on the car. He was set to line up 13th. The team need points badly, so this is far from ideal.

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"The track temperature has gone up to 53C."

BBC Radio 5 live

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who leads the driver's championship by 24 points, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "I am happier in second than I probably ever have been and probably because it is so close. I like the challenge too, there is nothing better than racing to the limit.

"Nico has been quite quick all weekend and generally I have been chasing but I have been improving and I know I am very strong in the race. I know it will be hard to overtake but you never know what will happen."

BBC Radio 5 live

Mercedes Nico Rosberg, who starts on pole, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "I need a bit of help from my dear team mate let's hope he gives me that."

When asked if was concerned about a clean race he replied: "It is not a worry or a concern, it is going to be exciting, I have had some good luck with my starts recently so I hope that will continue today."

The drivers have assembled at the front of the grid, which is the new procedure for the national anthems. Just nine minutes to go until the start. Don't forget that you can listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 live via the 'Live Coverage' tab at the top of the page.

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Fernando Alonso has the all-time record for most podium finishes at a single circuit without ever winning there with eight trips to the rostrum at Interlagos. The Spaniard starts seventh.

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It's been a bad season for Kimi Raikkonen. He's down in 12th in the drivers' standings having scored just 47 points to his team-mate Fernando Alonso's 149. If he stays in that position, the Finn is set to record the lowest finish for a full season at Ferrari since Didier Pironi in 1981.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

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"This has been one of Kimi Raikkonen's better weekends of a generally very disappointing first season back at Ferrari. Indeed, the Finn appeared to have an edge on team-mate Fernando Alonso all weekend - at least until the Spaniard pulled it out of the bag in final qualifying and edged ahead by 0.122secs. Raikkonen said he had been helped by some tweaks to the rear suspension, which had given him more of the front-end bite he needs to perform at his best. 'Not really new parts,' he said, 'just different things we've been running or not be running some things what are available. It is not a new design. It has been pretty good all weekend and we are close to our maximum speed. The car has been pleasant to drive. It is nice. Tenth is a different story but we have been making some progress on that side. We have to see how it is in the race because we couldn't run a long run on Friday with all the red flags but it has been going in the right direction.

"Alonso had been using a down-on-power engine on Friday, which then failed on him spectacularly, but although Ferrari are protecting engines, especially for the Spaniard, he said he was not disadvantaged on Saturday. 'The weekend has been difficult,' Alonso said, 'with some bits of the balance and some settings we are trying. In qualifying I think we extracted the maximum. Being eighth and 10th more or less as we expected.' Alonso said Ferrari's target of beating Williams to third in the championship was probably no longer realistic and that now they needed to 'defend from McLaren'."

AP

Brazil has had many racing heroes - Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa - but one who never reached that status was Luciano Burti. During two seasons, he contested 15 races without scoring a single point and was involved in a huge crash at the 2001 German (pictured) and Belgian Grands Prix.

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As mentioned earlier, Jenson Button's most recent victory came at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix when McLaren had a quick car. Since then, he has only managed one podium finish, in Australia 2014 and that was only because he was elevated into third after Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification.

The Briton has solid form at Interlagos, finishing in the top five at the last five Brazilian Grands Prix, despite poor qualifying. Including this year, he has only started in the top 10 three times in the last nine years.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"If this really is Jenson Button's penultimate grand prix - as is looking increasingly likely - he is at least giving McLaren serious pause for thought about whether they are wise to dispense with his services and choose Kevin Magnussen as Fernando Alonso's team-mate. Button was fifth fastest in qualifying - quickest man not in a Mercedes and two places, and just 0.039secs, quicker than Magnussen. It was quite a turnaround after Button had said he was 'nowhere' on Friday, saying the car was 'pretty bad in terms of balance. 'We started going in another direction which has been positive and made another little step for qually and the car was much better, much better rear stability and that is something I do like in a car. Q3 was tricky. My last run I locked up into turn one and got a massive flat spot so my old tyre run was quicker, so happy with P5 and hopefully we can do something with that."

BBC Sport app F1 alerts

BBC

The BBC Sport development team have been working hard on Formula 1 alerts for our app, following on from the football goal alerts, and I'm pleased to say they're ready to go.

Simply head to the MyAlerts section from the Sport app's menu and choose the alerts you want to add. For F1, you'll receive results for practice, qualifying and the race itself as they happen.

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Red Bull have finished one-two here in three of the last four years. A repeat of that performance this year, however, is extremely unlikely. They're slower than Mercedes, Williams and even McLaren based on the form so far this weekend.

Becky Ashton

McLaren

McLaren: Time for some pre-race cake and birthday celebrations for @eboullier. Save us a slice, Eric. #BonAnniversaireEric

BreakingBREAKING NEWS

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

Bernie Ecclestone has said there will be no further help for the three teams demanding more money from Formula 1 bosses to help them survive. Lotus, Force India and Sauber are complaining that F1's revenues are split inequitably in favour of the top teams.

F1 commercial supremo Ecclestone described talks on the subject at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix as "a complete and utter waste of time". He added: "The way forward is very easy - don't spend as much." Full story on its way...

The grid is filling up nicely with most cars in their respective grid slots. There's a great atmosphere, with the grandstands packed full of fans chanting support for their favourite drivers.

Romain Grosjean

Lotus driver Romain Grosjean: Race day at the #BrazilGP ! Hope we will have great fun as during the #USGP @Lotus_F1Team @F1TotalOfficial #R8main

Get involved

Ben Silveston: Rooting for @LewisHamilton today in the #BrazilGP ! Can't see Rosberg holding on to his lead despite starting from pole!

Jeremiah Kariuki: Massa is on a good position to challenge for win, But often, he tends to go backward in many races. Mercedes are good, not a chance!

Chris Evans: What more cost cutting can b done to help reduce finances ? Recent reductions in testing, tyre & engine limits - what is left?

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"A look at the best sector times achieved by the Williams drivers suggested that Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa should have had a shot at pole. The Williams were 0.1secs faster than the Mercedes in both the first and last sectors, and 0.2secs slower in the twisty middle sector of the lap. Both the Finn and the Brazilian messed up the middle sector on their final laps, leading to conspiracy theories that they may have backed out of a battle with Mercedes, who of course supple their engines. But Bottas said he thought that the Mercedes were out of reach. Asked if he thought they might have had a shot at pole, Bottas said: 'I doubt it. I don't know how good their laps were. I think we did a good job overall. There are various hundredths here and there but not so we would have been in front of Mercedes."

Next week

BBC

And when talking title deciders, there's no one better to get involved than legendary commentator Murray Walker.

We've raided the BBC classic F1 archive to produce a one-hour show focused on title deciders. I've watched it and confirm that it's awesome.

When can you see it? Next Wednesday at 21:30 BST, following the 5 live F1 special, on the red button, this very website and the BBC iPlayer.

What a night of F1 you have in store.

Next week

BBC Radio 5 live

To build-up to the title decider in Abu Dhabi between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg BBC Radio 5 live have planned a special 90-minute show which will count down the sport's greatest final day title showdowns.

Jennie Gow will be joined by BBC Radio 5 live's F1 correspondent James Allen, former driver John Watson and journalist Maurice Hamilton, to discuss their most memorable title deciding moments.

Listen on Wednesday 12 November from 20:00 GMT.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"Nico Rosberg's pole position broke the qualifying record - set in 2004 - by about half a second, a function the drivers believe of two things - the new super-grippy track surface and the fact F1 cars now have turbo engines, which unlike atmospheric engines do not lose power at altitude. 'We'd normally lose 15% of power and we're losing very little now,' McLaren's Jenson Button said. 'We've probably got the most powerful cars around Sao Paulo we've ever had in my era of F1 anyway, even compared to the V10s because you lose 15%. So there's a bit of that. and also because the surface is new it has a lot of grip. traction is the best I've felt for a long time, since we've had (exhaust) blowing.'"

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Felipe Massa has not won a grand prix for a very, very long time. In fact, you have to go back to 2008, where he triumphed on home soil in Brazil only to suffer the heartbreak of losing the title to Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Button (2012) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) are the other drivers on the grid who took their most recent career win at Interlagos.

Williams Racing

Williams: Little Felipinho rocks a pretty awesome T-shirt today #BrazilGP #MyDaddyDrivesforWilliams

Get involved

Based on form so far this weekend, it's difficult to look past a Mercedes one-two. But we're nearing the end of the season, where reliability might become an issue in terms of engine-usage. And the weather may play a part. Plus the Williams look mighty quick round here.

So what is your predicted top three? I'm going for a Lewis Hamilton win with Felipe Massa second and Nico Rosberg third. Fire over your thoughts using the #bbcf1 hashtag, leaving a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page or by texting 81111 (UK only).

Brazilian Grand Prix grid

1) Nico Rosberg 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Felipe Massa 4) Valtteri Bottas 5) Jenson Button 6) Sebastian Vettel 7) Kevin Magnussen 8) Fernando Alonso 9) Daniel Ricciardo

10) Kimi Raikkonen 11) Esteban Gutierrez 12) Nico Hulkenberg 13) Adrian Sutil 14) Romain Grosjean 15) Jean-Eric Vergne 16) Pastor Maldonado 17) Daniil Kvyat* 18) Sergio Perez**

*Kvyat was demoted from 14th because he had a carryover of a penalty in Austin for an engine change.

**Perez drops from 17th to the back following his penalty for crashing into Adrian Sutil in Austin.

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Mercedes are currently tied for the single season records for one-two finishes (10, if you were wondering) and races led from start-to-finish in a single season (12, again in case you were wondering).

Both of those records have belonged to McLaren, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, since their epic 1988 season in which they won an impressive 15 of 16 races.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"Lewis Hamilton might be starting second, but he was in an upbeat mood on Saturday afternoon, even though he had appeared all weekend to have been chasing his team-mate, who has looked to have an edge here. 'It's generally been a good weekend,' he said. 'I've been very happy with the performance. Nico has been very quick. I've just been chipping away at it. qualifying was quite close. I'm really excited. even though we're starting second, qualifying was really good fun and I'm really looking forward to having a fight at least.'"

Stat attack

EPA

Venue: Interlagos Circuit length: 4.309km Laps: 71 Race distance: 305.909km Lap record: 1min 11.473secs (Juan Pablo Montoya, 2004) Number of corners: 15 (10 left/5 right)

2013 pole position: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1min 26.479secs 2013 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 2013 fastest lap: Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1min 15.436secs

So here are the key timings for the day. BBC Radio 5 live go on air at 15:30 GMT, which is when the pit lane opens it doors to allow the cars to file around to the grid. The formation lap begins at 16:00 with highlights of the session on BBC One at 20:30 GMT.

Lotus

Lotus: We had quite an unusual guest earlier in the garage... This is turning out to be a very wildlife-friendly grand prix.

Vote

It's time for you to have your say in today's vote, folks. Should F1 bosses be doing more to help Marussia and Caterham survive? Cast your vote on the top-right side of the page.

It will close at 15:50 GMT with results published here shortly after. Terms and conditions available here.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"The motivation behind introducing the new pole position trophy this season is unclear. Certainly the drivers could not seem to care less. Nico Rosberg has now won it, his 10th pole of the year sealing it this weekend. But he said: "It is a nice thing but it doesn't really have any weight at the moment. In 10 years I'll look back and think: 'OK, amongst other things, I got the pole trophy. But at the moment it is such a focus on points and championship."

Nico Rosberg has been unbeatable all weekend, the German topping the times in all three practice sessions and all segments of qualifying on his way to pole position, his 10th of the season. Lewis Hamilton has been tracking him all the way and lines up second on the grid.

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Lewis Hamilton has never won the Brazilian Grand Prix in seven attempts and does not have a podium finish here in this decade.

Worse still, he has retired twice at Interlagos (pictured) in the last three years. He will have good memories of the place in 2008, though, when he won his first and as yet only world title.

Title permutations

So if Lewis Hamilton wins in Brazil and Nico Rosberg fails to finish, he will have a 49-point lead going to Abu Dhabi. Hamilton would then need to finish 10th or higher at Yas Marina to clinch the title.

If Rosberg wins in Brazil and Hamilton retires, Rosberg will lead the championship by one point going to Abu Dhabi. Hamilton would then need to finish ahead of Rosberg in the points in Abu Dhabi to secure the title.

If Hamilton wins in Brazil, with Rosberg second, Hamilton will arrive in Abu Dhabi with a 31-point lead. But if Rosberg then wins and Hamilton finishes sixth or lower, Rosberg will win the title.

Mercedes

Mercedes: He may be super chilled but the #BrazilGP crowds are going #BrazilNuts for this guy - it's @LewisHamilton! #F1

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Interlagos

"Lewis Hamilton v Nico Rosberg, chapter 18 of 19. As he has more often than not this season, Rosberg starts from pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix, but the German has yet to beat Hamilton in a straight fight this season when they have started together on the front row, if you discount Monaco, where overtaking is virtually impossible. Is this the day he overturns what would be a rather embarrassing statistic, whether or not he wins the world title this year?"

Many titles have been decided in Interlagos, but that won't be the case this year with the World Championship going down to the wire in Abu Dhabi thanks to Bernie Ecclestone's double points rule.

BBC

Lewis Hamilton leads Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 24 points with two races and a maximum of 75 points remaining.

Getty Images

Welcome to Brazil, the birthplace of the legendary Ayrton Senna and home to one of the world's most exciting race tracks. The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos is a keeper, a circuit you simply couldn't replicate. And this year, it is host to the penultimate round of the Formula 1 World Championship.

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There were only eyes for one man at Interlagos on Saturday as Felipe Massa delivered third place on the grid for his home faithful and more importantly gave them genuine hope that he could be a contender on race day. Can this dream come true?