Hamilton keeps himself in hunt for fourth world title

Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton warned his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg that he was looking for a fourth world title after describing his stunning triumph in Sunday's wet and chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix as one of the easiest of his 52 career victories. 

Nico Rosberg leads his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by 12 points with just one race left. Ulises Ruiz Basurto/Reuters

The 31-year-old Briton won in Brazil for the first time at the 10th attempt to complete a set of four consecutive wins. He is now taking the title battle down to the wire at the final race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 27.

"I'm hunting and all I can do is what I am doing," said a delighted Hamilton, who trails his Mercedes team-mate and championship rival Rosberg, who finished second on Sunday, by 12 points with one race remaining.

"The team have given me a great car and finally the reliability has been good. Right now, I am living in the moment.

"This was my dream when I was five or six, watching Nelson (Piquet) and Ayrton (Senna) race. It was one of my easier races, I didn't have any spins, any moments. It was pretty straightforward."

His 52nd win from his 60th pole position lifted Hamilton one clear of four-time champion Alain Prost in the record books, leaving only one driver ahead of him with more wins -- seven-time champion Michael Schumacher on 91.

Knowing he had to win to keep his title challenge alive, Hamilton -- his racing helmet redesigned in tribute to Senna -- drove with supreme concentration to claim a flawless victory in a dramatic race littered with accidents and stoppages amid the rainstorms.

"Not too bad," he said, with deep irony. "I want to say a big thank you to the fans here, that was a long, long race.

"I appreciate all the support and they are so welcoming to us here. I was generally just chilling up front and when it rains it is usually a good day for me."

He added: "A big thank you to my team. We are creating history. It is just incredible and I am so proud to be part of it.

"No mistakes, no dramas, no spins. It was interesting to hear how many spins there were behind me!"

The Dutch prodigy, 19 year old Max Verstappen produced the most stunning performance of the day -- if not the season -- when he recovered from 16th after a late tyre change to claim third place with a series of daring passes in the final laps.