Lewis Hamilton has defied history in Brazil, winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and closing his deficit in the Formula 1 drivers' championship to Max Verstappen.
Starting 10th on the grid, the seven-time champion was at his very best on a hot Sunday afternoon as he meticulously wove his way through the field.
One day after he climbed from 20th to fifth in the sprint qualifying, Hamilton reduced his deficit to Verstappen in the drivers' championship to 14 points with three races to go.
Red Bull's Verstappen drove a valiant race to finish second, with Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas making the most of a virtual safety car to finish third.
The win in Brazil will go down as one of the best of Hamilton's illustrious career as he tries to set the record of eight world titles.
"What a race. The team did an amazing job," he said.
"I was pushing as hard as I could.
After being disqualified from qualifying on Friday, Hamilton started 20th for the sprint qualifying, which he finished fifth.
But a new engine meant he had to start Sunday's grand prix from 10th.
"Never stop fighting. That's kind of how I have approached this weekend," he said.
It is the first time anyone has won a race at Sao Paulo from outside the top eight.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the victory as the best in his time at the German team.
Verstappen had the perfect start from second on the grid, passing pole-sitter Bottas to lead the race.
With his championship rivals in the lead, Hamilton passed four cars on the opening lap.
Over the next two laps, the Briton made light work of the two Ferraris ahead of him before being allowed into third by Bottas, who was himself overtaken by the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
A safety car on lap 6 due to debris on the track brought the field together and put the two Red Bulls in Hamilton's crosshairs.
On lap 19 the Briton made his move stick on Perez and set his sights on the race leader, who was three and a half seconds ahead.
Hamilton spent the next 40 laps behind Verstappen, with the pair duelling on track.
Both had two pit stops during that time as the Brazilian heat took its toll on tyres.
Hamilton was all over the rear wing of Verstappen for lap after lap, but was being denied.
On lap 59 the Mercedes driver finally got the move done, overtaking Verstappen at the end of the second straight.
There was plenty of emotion in the Mercedes garage when Hamilton passed Verstappen, after the pair both went off the track 11 laps earlier.
Hamilton looked set to take the lead on lap 48 when he just got ahead of Verstappen at the end of the second straight, but the Dutchman was late on the brakes and dived into the corner.
Verstappen struggled in the turn, forcing himself and Hamilton off the track.
The stewards decided that the incident required no investigation.
"That is all about 'let them race'," Red Bull's sporting director Johnathan Wheatley told race director Michael Masi.
Mercedes, on the other hand, were not as welcoming of the stewards' decision.
Hamilton was sarcastic over the radio after being told Verstappen would not receive a penalty, but ultimately the incident only delayed the inevitable.
"Yes. C'mon guys. Let's keep going, let's keep pushing," he said over the radio after victory.
Verstappen seemed pleased with his efforts despite finishing second to his rival.
"I tried everything I could but we just weren't quick enough," he said.
Engine failure ruins Daniel Ricciardo's race
Daniel Ricciardo was on track for a points finish before an engine fault forced him to retire.
Ricciardo was driving a smart race in the early stages, climbing up the grid from 11th to eighth.
The McLaren driver was comfortably in eighth after the first round of pit stops, when he came in under the virtual safety car which saved him valuable seconds.
But his day was cut short when his team pulled him in after finding an issue with their engine.
It was a tough day for McLaren, who are in a fight with Ferrari for third in the constructors championship.
Ricciardo's teammate Lando Norris salvaged 10th place and one championship point, after getting a puncture on his left rear tyre on the opening lap.
Meanwhile, Ferrari had a brilliant race with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing fifth and sixth.
The result means Ferrari now have a 31.5-point lead over McLaren in the battle for third.
