Motorsport: World champion Lewis Hamilton slashes Max Verstappen's Formula One title lead with glorious drive at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton hunted down Max Verstappen to win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix for Mercedes on Monday (NZ time) to slash his Red Bull rival's Formula One lead to 14 points with three races remaining.

The Dutch flyer finished second with Valtteri Bottas third for Mercedes on an astonishing, controversial and roller-coaster weekend in Brazil that will go down as one of Hamilton's greatest and most satisfying drives.

The Brit was fastest in  qualifying at Interlagos for Sunday's sprint that set the grid for the 71-lap race.

But Hamilton was demoted to the back of the field after his car's rear wing failed a technical inspection.

He went from 20th to fifth,  before dropping back to 10th on Sunday's grid after an engine penalty, but what followed was one of the best drives of his career.

The 36-year-old took was third by lap seven and once he passed Sergio Perez for second a few laps later, Verstappen was in his sights.

The championship leader held strong until late in the race, when Hamilton's uses the superior straight-line speed of his Mercedes to roar to the lead. 

The win marks his third win in Brazil and set a record for victory in Brazil from the lowest grid position, beating Italian Giancarlo Fisichella's 2003 win from eighth.

"Lewis, that's how you overcome a 20-place disqualification," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told him over the radio after he took the chequered flag in front of a cheering crowd.

"It was actually 25, but you're right," replied a delighted Hamilton.

The win was Hamilton's sixth of the season and record-extending 101st of his career.

Red Bull's Perez finished fourth, pitting on the penultimate lap for fresh tyres to set the fastest lap and deny Hamilton a bonus point.       

Reuters