Nico Rosberg bounced back from the error that ended his championship hopes in Austin to win yesterday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Rosberg controlled the race, despite a late safety car appearance after Sebastian Vettel crashed out, to claim his first victory since June’s Austrian Grand Prix.

The German, who moves clear of Vettel in second place in the championship, finished 1.9 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with Williams driver Valtteri Bottas taking the final spot on the podium.

With emotions still running high in Mexico after Hamilton and Rosberg banged wheels in Austin, all eyes were on the Mercedes pair on the long run down to turn one.

Rosberg, who prior to yesterday’s race at the newly-revamped Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez had converted only two of his last 10 poles into victories, enjoyed a strong getaway.

He immediately took the inside line on the 900 metres stretch down to the opening corner. Hamilton was tucked up underneath his team-mate, but Rosberg held his position and retained the lead.

Sebastian Vettel, who started from third, had joked that he wanted Rosberg and Hamilton to collide at the first corner so he could swoop through and take the lead.

But it was Vettel, the four-times world champion, who was involved in a collision at turn one. He had already lost third place to the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat and in his bid to hold off Daniel Ricciardo in the sister Red Bull, the pair touched.

Vettel sustained a rear-right puncture and had to limp back to the pits.

“Seb deserved that,” concluded Ricciardo. “He gave me no room.”

The stewards took no further action, but Vettel’s race was already scuppered.

Three world champions, in Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, occupied the final three slots on the grid due to the sport’s complicated engine rules. And only two of them survived the opening lap after Alonso was forced to park his McLaren with a sick Honda engine.

The Spaniard has now retired from eight races this season, as many as during his debut Formula One campaign with minnows Minardi 14 years ago.

And by lap 23, Button was the last of the championship trio standing after Raikkonen was punted out of the race by Bottas.

Over 100,000 fans made the pilgrimage to the circuit for Mexico’s first Formula One race since 1992.

And the crowd created a spine-tingling atmosphere all weekend, none more so than when home favourite Sergio Perez was presented to the crowd ahead of the race.

During the race, the former McLaren driver passed Carlos Sainz and then Max Verstappen at the unique stadium section which holds over 40,000 fans, to have them on their feet.

Back up front and with Rosberg and Hamilton holding a clear lead over their rivals, Mercedes opted to pit their drivers for a second time. In came Rosberg on lap 46, but Hamilton did not want to play ball.

“My tyres are still good,” said the world champion.

“Box this lap, that is an instruction,” came the response.

He did on lap 48 and Rosberg regained the lead of the race.

Vettel, who had endured a sloppy race by his high standards, then crashed out on lap 52 to compound his miserable afternoon after he went straight on and into the tyre barriers.

Out came the safety car to clear Vettel’s Ferrari before it pitted at the end of lap 57.

But unlike seven days ago, Rosberg retained his composure to hold off the challenge from Hamilton to claim his fourth win of the season.

Bottas passed Kvyat for third with Ricciardo fifth. Felipe Massa crossed the line in seventh ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Perez. Verstappen finished ninth with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean claiming the final point.

Grand Prix result, standings

1. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:42:35.038
2. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes +00:01.954
3. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 00:14.592
4. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) RedBull - Renault 00:16.572
5. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull - Renault 00:19.682
6. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 00:21.493
7. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 00:25.860
8. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 00:34.343
9. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - Renault 00:35.229
10. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Mercedes 00:37.934
11. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Mercedes 00:38.538
12. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 00:40.180
13. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 00:48.772
14. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 00:49.214
15. Alexander Rossi (US) Marussia - Ferrari 2 laps
16. Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 2 laps
Retired from race  
Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - Ferrari 14 laps
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 21 laps
Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 50 laps
Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 70 laps

Fastest lap: Nico Rosberg,1:20.521, lap 67.
Next race: Brazilian Grand Prix, November 15.

Drivers’ Championship
1. Hamilton 345; 2. Rosberg 272; 3. Vettel 251; 4. Bottas 126; 5. Raikkonen 123; 6. Massa 117; 7. Kvyat 88; 8. Ricciardo 84; 9. Perez 68; 10. Verstappen 47; 11. Grosjean 45; 12. Huelkenberg 44; 13. Nasr 27; 14. Maldonado 26; 15. Sainz 18; 16. Button 16; 17. Alonso 11; 18. Ericsson 9.

Constructors
1. Mercedes 617; 2. Ferrari 374; 3. Williams-Mercedes 243; 4. RedBull 172; 5. Force India-Mercedes 112; 6. Lotus-Mercedes 71; 7. Toro Rosso-Renault 65; 8. Sauber-Ferrari 36; 9. McLaren 27.

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