Nico Rosberg held off Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win the Brazilian Grand Prix for a second successive year on Sunday, sealing the runner-up spot in the drivers' standings.

Rosberg claimed his first victory since June in Mexico a fortnight ago and was back on top of the podium again to ensure world champion Hamilton's wait for an elusive first triumph at Interlagos continues.

The front two almost touched when Hamilton attempted to pass Rosberg - who started on pole for the fifth race in a row - on the outside going into turn one on the first lap and went on to secure an impressive victory by a margin of 7.75 seconds.

Hamilton pushed Rosberg hard, but could not find a way past at the end of an eventful week in which he arrived in Sao Paulo a day late due to illness and also crashed his car in Monaco - citing tiredness due to heavy partying as the reason.

Hamilton said that he was not aware of a claim from team boss Toto Wolff that the penultimate race of the season would be a "team exercise" to ensure Rosberg finished second.

And the Brit was certainly not holding back, but he was unable to reel in Rosberg, with Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen third and fourth respectively.