Rosberg curses as title slips away

His getting qualification efficiency for the Circuit of one’s Americas in 2014 worked for him pole position, four-tenths clear on Hamilton in second.

With Raikkonen’s SF15-T also sustaining severe damage, Perez gleefully seized third place back – claiming his and Force India’s first podium finish since last year’s Bahrain GP. Hamilton said in the post-race press conference: “Nico’s been incredibly unfortunate to suffer the worst of it”.

Hamilton, who flew back home to Britain to join the team’s celebrations after they won their second successive constructors’ championship in Russian Federation, has got into trouble previously for his champagne-spraying antics on the podium.

Mercedes did not manage to secure the constructors’ title but could yet do so if Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen is given a penalty for a last-lap collision with Valtteri Bottas’ Williams.

If the cards fall in his favour Hamilton can clinch the title in the next race in the United States on October 25.

Following Rosberg’s retirement from proceedings, Hamilton was forced to nurse a rear-wing issue late in the race.

Rosberg, now 73 points behind Hamilton, also retired in Italy with an engine failure while his team mate failed to score in Singapore due to a loss of boost pressure.

“It looked like we were going to have a race and I was thinking this is great and we were going to put on a good show”, said Hamilton, after collecting the winners’ trophy from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Yet his increased maturity and newfound ability to keep his head when those around him lost theirs ultimately paid dividends when Raikkonen assaulted Bottas on the final lap, damaging both cars and allowing Perez to reclaim third.

The Briton said: “I’ve never felt it’s ever been done and dusted. Here he won the race, in the lead of the championship and no complaints whatsoever”.

The British champion may have taken a huge leap towards his third world title, but he doesn’t want to entertain the pressure of winning this season’s championship.

Hamilton’s recent win was the 42nd of his career.

“I couldn’t steer anymore because my knee was in the steering wheel”, he outlined.

It virtually killed the German’s already slim chance of overhauling Lewis Hamilton, and robbed fans of what could have been one of the most intriguing on-track battles of the season between the pair.