F1: 5 talking points from the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix

The 2018 Brazilian was clinched by the season-winner, Lewis Hamilton, now a five-time world champion.

But it wasn't always going to be Hamilton's win from the start, despite the pole-sitter grabbing his tenth pole of the year.

The moment the 71-lap contest began, it seemed, Verstappen, who'd immediately attack both Ferrari's, would be the man to beat. Eventually, it would be Hamilton's race to lose.

In a contest where both Red Bull's seemed menacingly quick, one going on to garner a second-place finish and the other, going as far as challenging Kimi Raikkonen, albeit unsuccessfully so for third on the podium, both Verstappen and Ricciardo forged memorable battles.

But none of that would be enough to stop Hamilton from winning the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix. So how did the turnabout arrive and what were the key talking points from Interlagos?

Hamilton's a tireless soldier, Merc, a faultless leader

Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix, after grabbing the pole position on Saturday. Despite contesting amid inclement weather, Hamilton's hopes of a victory weren't too delusional at the end.

In the end, for a man who's so used to waving out to his fans from the top step of the podium, was it that great a surprise to see Hamilton exult from the podium's top spot?

While he greatly benefitted from Verstappen who came to blows, although for no fault of his own, with the Racing Point Force India of Esteban Ocon crashing into the Red Bull, Hamilton didn't relent.

He dominated the charts from the track position, in expanding his lead over his pursuers all the time.

In the end, he was just too quick for a recovering Max Verstappen to ever catch. Hamilton's win also earned Mercedes their fourth constructor's title in five years, an impressive record that doesn't seem to be in the reach of their competitors.

"Sebastian, Kimi is faster than you"

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil

For the most part of his 2018 season, Raikkonen has seen team orders being directed at him. He's been told to 'let Seb through' in a bid to help the German mount a challenge at Lewis Hamilton, as seen at the earlier events this year.

But at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari, a side that's so often tilted toward Sebastian Vettel delivered a stunner, when during the middle stages of the 71-lap contest, it asked Vettel to let Raikkonen through.

While Vettel, who failed to protect his decent second-place start from the attacking Red Bull of Max Verstappen, was finding it tough to catch Bottas, his teammate, Raikkonen was given the advantage to attempt the same, being quicker despite having not pitted.

Later, of course, Kimi was able to pass Bottas, on the main straights and the Iceman rewarded the faith of his team by capturing a well-fought P3.

So, thank you Seb! But, indeed, Kimi was the faster bloke all weekend, wasn't he?

Spare a thought for Ricciardo

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil, Ricciardo was fast

It was a really pleasant phenomenon to find Daniel Ricciardo's name, for a change, not against another mechanical DNF but, in fact, mentioned on the fourth spot at the conclusion of the 71-lap contest.

For a driver who won two Grands Prix this year, enduring eight DNFs seems to read like a potentially thrilling storyline turning sour.

But thankfully, none of Daniel's poor luck, as seen in the past events would find the Australian at Interlagos.

Very early on in the race did Ricciardo improve on his eleventh-place start and would jump into the tenth spot at the conclusion of the opening lap.

From thereon, there would only be one direction that his Brazilian drive would take, that would be toward the front.

In fact, so impressive was the honey-badger's Brazilian effort that he all but nailed Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari during the closing stages. During the final three laps, his gap to Raikkonen's Ferrari was as scant as three-tenths of a second.

Unsportsmanlike conduct from Max

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil, was there a need to assault Ocon, Max?

When you are competing at the highest annals of Grand Prix racing, there's a lot at stake. The level of competition is extremely high and there are nerves involved.

Maybe, Max Verstappen, not the most mature or calm-minded men on the grid failed to register a point that racing accidents too are a part of Formula 1, which is a bit surprising, since owing to his overanxious moves, as seen throughout 2017-2018 seasons, the Dutchman has gone on to attract not the most famous nicknames there are, "Crashstappen."

Just that what happened to Max at Brazil was far from ideal, and didn't really have him in the line of fault.

Esteban Ocon, of Racing Point Force India, a backmarker, arguably in a bid to outlap himself on fresher tyres, ran into Verstappen, while he could've and should've avoided any physical proximity with the race leader.

What this did was that it effectively ended Verstappen's chances of winning the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix. But that Ocon had been made to serve a penalty- a 10 second stop and go at the pits- was in no way a small margin of punishment that he had to be physically manhandled by Verstappen?

What on earth happened to Max, one wonders? Surely, Ocon, who was at fault, had been reprimanded. So was a physical clash needed?

A heroic performance from Charles Leclerc

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil - Leclerc clinched a P7

During the closing stages of the qualifying battle on Saturday, when Leclerc defined his team-orders- his crew asking him to box his Sauber and get back into the pits- there was certainly something gutsy about the Frenchman, even as to some, his insistence at staying out and clocking in another lap may have sounded juvenile to some.

But that, he'd clinch an eighth-place on the grid, which would later benefit from the grid penalty handed to Ricciardo, meaning that Leclerc would start from seventh was his bravery admirably rewarded.

After all, is a P7 for a start too bad for a young, inexperienced driver?

In the Grand Prix, Leclerc fought with the two Renaults, the Racing Point Force Indias, and would later also challenge Ricciardo, albeit unsuccessfully, to grab a respectable seventh.

This effort was heroic and endeared Charles Leclerc to many a fan across the world. Job well done, Charles!