Max Verstappen was described as "insane" and "invaluable" on Sunday after delivering one of the greatest wet weather drives to win the Brazilian Grand Prix and move to the brink of a fourth successive Formula One world title.
The Red Bull maestro won a chaotic, rain-lashed race at Interlagos from 17th place on the grid.
▲ Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium with Alpine's Esteban Ocon in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday. REUTERS
With title rival Lando Norris slipping from pole to a disappointing sixth place finish in his McLaren, Verstappen now boasts a 62-point lead over the Briton with just three races left.
He could wrap up the championship on the streets of Las Vegas in three weeks' time.
"I was feeling all over the place, a roller-coaster," he told reporters after his career 62nd win.
"My emotions went from wanting to destroy the garage after qualifying, to winning the race."
He added: "It's so unbelievable to win from so far back on the grid after expecting to drop points in the championship. There was so much at stake, and I had to be aware of the championship too. So for me this is the best one.
"The rain came and we stayed out, which was sketchy, and I just had to keep the car on track. The conditions were undriveable — it was like piloting a boat or a jet-ski, so it was special today."
Verstappen had not won a Grand Prix in 10 outings, dating back to the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
"I just want clean races now," he added. "I'm not thinking about the title or clinching it in Vegas."
Verstappen's victory was also an emphatic statement of intent as he reeled off five successive fastest laps in the closing stages — and 17 altogether — as he came home 19.4 seconds clear of Alpine's Esteban Ocon.
'
One of the greats'
His win made him the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix to win from as far back as 17th on the grid.
"He was insane today," said his father Jos, a former F1 driver.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner described the world champion as "invaluable".
"It's impossible to put a number on that. That was a champion's drive. There are some great drivers out there, but to stand out and shine like that today — that marks him out, I think, with some of the greats now," said Horner.
"The way he's driven, and even when we've had a difficult car this year, he's never given up. He's gone about collecting the points, he's always trying to get the maximum out of the car."
Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen said his son's victory was a clear response to his English critics.
"I think Max was incredibly irritated," said Verstappen senior, referring to widespread criticism of Max's aggressive driving at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he was handed two 10-second penalties.
"So, he showed who is the very best — especially after the comments from the English journalists, those English ex-drivers and the commentators.
"Max was amazing today. I have experienced a lot with him, but today was one of the very best."
Verstappen senior said his son's win had been "very positive" for his bid for a fourth title.
"Let's hope," he said. "As we have seen, a lot can happen very quickly, but, with three races to go, we have a bit more peace of mind, so things are looking good."
Tense competition
The tense race in the Sao Paulo rain had an aborted start, when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll went off on the formation lap. Norris could not hold his lead position in the first turn, losing it to Mercedes' George Russell. The McLaren driver struggled until the end of the race to find his line under the rain, which Verstappen clearly managed to do from the start, finding grip where others couldn't on the inside of the track.
The big boost for Verstappen, and possibly a key moment in the drivers' championship, came when Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg spun off in the 27th lap.
A virtual safety car came in, and many drivers chose to go to their pit lanes. Verstappen, Ocon and Pierre Gasly chose not to stop.
Earlier, in the most emotional moment of the weekend at Interlagos, many fans in the stands cried when British driver Lewis Hamilton drove the late Ayrton Senna's title-winning car ahead of the race. The seven-time champion took some laps in the historic McLaren MP4/5B that Senna drove during his 1990 title campaign, in which he beat Ferrari's Alain Prost.
Las Vegas hosts the next race on Nov 23.
