Nico Rosberg content with 2nd as Lewis Hamilton prevails

SAO PAULO — Lewis Hamilton won Sunday’s rain-delayed Brazil Grand Prix at Interlagos, and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg again settled for second.

If he finishes second again to Hamilton in the season finale Nov. 27 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — or even third — it will be enough to bring him his first drivers’ title.

The German, whose father Keke Rosberg won the title 34 years ago, still leads the overall season standings with 367 points to 355 for Hamilton.

All but a half-dozen of the early laps were run behind a safety car with drivers struggling to see through tire spray and struggling to avoid hydroplaning.

The race was run behind a safety car for the first seven laps with raining pounding down.

On the 13th lap, Marcus Ericsson of Sauber went into a spin and crashed, forcing the safety car onto the track until the 20th lap.

The safety car appeared for the final time on the 48th lap in a crash by hometown hero Felipe Massa.

Massa, who is leaving F1 at the end of the season, walked off the track with a Brazilian flag wrapped around his shoulders in his final race at home.